A Challenging Year
“If you do not control your mind, it will control you,” says Tony Crilly
I am a lonely runner. I have ran with running teams and groups, and that has been an excellent experience where I have met beautiful people. But for some reason, I always go back to running alone.
When I run, I use the time to reflect on different topics, mostly related to myself, my family, or life in general. Sometimes, I just go with the flow, looking at the landscape, and keeping my mind focused on enjoying the moment.
A few times, I have found people that I liked to run with. They are the ones that run in silence. That enjoys the road in the same way I do. I can’t be more disappointed when I am going out with someone for a run, and they start to talk about everything, without stopping.
However, I love the environment and the mood at a Saturday or Sunday’s race. Full of people, music, everyone with the same objective. The energy is impressive.
For that reason, every December I try to plan my races for the next year. 2019 was the year of half-marathon, and 2020 I wanted to go back to a full marathon with the Buffalo Marathon in June, Rochester Marathon in September, Syracuse Marathon in October and Philadelphia Marathon in November and bonus races of Pete Glavin Cross Country Series and a dozen of my favorite 5k races. Yes, a tall order but I did 5 half marathons in 2019 and 35 other races of 5k, 10k, 1 mile, 15k, and XC too. I set my training plan, my calendar was aligned to that, and I started my training the 1st week of January with the Greater Rochester Track Clubs Freezeroo Series on January 1st.
Of course, with Coronavirus, everything changed. Marathons were modified for a “virtual race”.
I need to say, I never heard before about virtual races, at the beginning I thought it was a new creation based on COVID. However, after doing some research, I find out that they have been happening for a long time, and there is an entire club of people that prefer this kind of race rather than regular ones.
My first thought was “this seems to be nice. It is like running by myself, but in a race, I will give it a try.” I did a 5 mile race in virtual mode and it was just like another training day.
hated it, and the main reasons for that are:
In such times as these when there are no races around, most of the runners will find themselves easily postponing their daily runs, perhaps deciding to pause running for a while, or even eventually ending up stopping running completely in the end.
However, when one is preparing for a virtual race, they may be compelled to keep training towards their race goals.
Having canceled or postponed their events, there are some marathons, like the Rochester Marathon, that have offered the runners who had registered for their races an opportunity to run it virtually wherever they will be; record their runs on the available online running applications and forward their results to the race organizers.
CONS
1. Lack of race environment
Nothing can replace the race weekend environment, from picking the BIB numbers, to visiting the race Expo and sampling the running-related products, to waking up early and warming up for the race, among others. With all the respect for those runners that enjoy virtual races, but is not for me… where is all that energy, excitement, and vibe in the air that you see on a regular race? One thing is running alone for training or fun, but when I am going to a race, I want to be with more people that love running as I do.
2. There is no connection with other runners
Even though I prefer to run alone, every time I go on a race, I will stay a little longer and meet new people after the race. Or even during the race!
I remember one time I was trail running alone on a Sunday morning. I just went to a hill and started to run without a clear plan, and after 7k, I found an entire group of fifty people running. I began to run with them and talked to a few. They were actually coming back from a 12k loop. I was so pleased and motivated that I went with them the final 6k, and then I did the way back to my car.
3. Different racing conditions bring unfair competition
While the runners will be running one race virtually, they will be doing it from different counties, villages, cities altitudes, times, and weather conditions. It will be hard to count as a race.
4. Lack of Motivation
“Some people miss the big race crowds and the community they feel when doing live races with other people,” says Crilly.
“I love running with my friends, says Crilly. “There is just something about the positive energy we contribute to each other we provide each other that just isn’t the same when doing a virtual race,” says Crilly.
To combat that feeling, Crilly recommends charity based races. “Not only do you get the satisfaction of finishing the race, but it is also for a cause,” he says.
Crilly also sayss. “During these times one must really dig deep to focus on their goals, why they run, and to be ready”
Since you are on your own, you may feel lonely as there may be no crowds, signs, or cheering. And while there is no official time or awards ceremony or party at the finish line, you may still get swag or a finisher’s medal, albeit delayed.
“For me to run a full or half marathon or 10K, I need to have some bling waiting for me at the end. Even though I may not receive it at the end of the virtual race, I love seeing it in the podium. There is just something satisfying about holding a medal, says Crilly.
6. Unequal Courses
John Honerkamp, an RRCA and USATF certified running coach and celebrity marathon pacer, points out that during virtual races, runners can’t compare their performance to other runners like you can after in-person races. He notes that the ability to choose your own course makes it difficult to have “an apples-to-apples true race.”
Specifically, he says that in a virtual running race, some runners might run a downhill course while others who might be running on a hilly course or at altitude. This lack of consistent course structure makes it very difficult to objectively evaluate how your performance compares to other runners in general or other runners in your age group.
7. No Team Running Opportunities
Many runners look forward to in-person races because it gives them the opportunity to run with their team mates. In a virtual race, you are likely to run solo. To solve this issue, many runners can choose to compete on the same course at different times and capture their results using their GPS devices.
A word from Tony Crilly
Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has changed many things about how we live and conduct ourselves, we can still find ways to connect while things pick up again.
Virtual races may not be for every one and seem off-putting if you long for in-person connections to motivate you. But keep running and keep pushing and let your goals be your motivation, and keep you feeling strong.
You can reach me directly at my email address anthony@anthonycrilly.com or (585)484 – 1456. Looking forward to connecting!
Best,
Anthony Crilly
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