At such unprecedented times as these, when your regular training week is thrown off balance, you’re told to socially distance yourself from others and avoid being in groups, it can be difficult to know what to do running wise. As a result, we are all having to resort to running alone, whether you are used to it or not. Solo training is not for everyone, but at such times if you want to continue training, you have to get used to. I am fortunate as I tend to do a lot of my training on my own anyway. Due to this, I have developed ways that ensure I get the job done properly with as much, if not more, enjoyment! Here are a few tips and tricks I employ: It is important to be disciplined and set yourself a strict time schedule. If you usually do your sessions at 9am or 5pm, don’t change this. Stick to your routine as much as possible. However if you are able to do them in the morning and would rather, do this. Whenever you do it, make sure you stick to the timings you se yourself. Setting yourself a specific time to start your session, will prevent you from continually nudging it backwards, delaying your start time. If you’ve said you are going to start at 9am for example, this is when you have to start. Be strict on yourself. If solo running is not something that you enjoy or you are used to, try to see the positives that surround it and embrace it. Whilst yes, you may be on your own, there are so many things that are good about it. Learning to run on your own should be embraced as a time to push yourself and your mental strength. If you struggle doing it, tackling it and conquering it, will only make you mentally stronger. You never know when you may find yourself running alone in a race. Therefore, you need to be able to push yourself to your limit without relying on other people to pull you along. Running alone is a time to be treasured.
The other thing to remember in order to keep yourself positive is, if you are distancing yourself and spending more time at home, the chances are you will be spending a lot more time with those in your household, be it family or friends. When you spend the majority of everyday with the same people, you will be grateful for the time on your own, out of the house. You will be desperate to spend some time in the fresh air, on your own, that you probably won’t struggle with the lack of company. If you do find it difficult to switch off from the struggle of running or doing a session solo, find particular things to focus on at different times of your run or on separate reps. Maybe you find yourself clenching your fists tightly when you run, if so, you could choose to focus on staying relaxed and loosening your hands on one of your reps. You could then focus on your breathing, especially keeping it relaxed and controlled throughout. Whatever it is you feel you need to work on, give yourself time to work on it. Finally, one of the most important things to do, is tell someone where or when you are going. Even if it is a text to a friend to say ‘I’m just off for a run for 45 minutes’. This way they’ll know when to expect you back and will give you a call if you’ve been longer than they thought. It is more vital you stay safe than get the job done. Oh, and make sure you wash your hands when you get back. Thoroughly! Stay healthy, safe, positive, and active when you can.
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Hannah IrwinI love to run and I love to write, so I write about running! Archives
March 2023
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