Yesterday, the marathon running community learned the postponed 2020 Boston Marathon was cancelled. Another race fatality due to COVID-19!
I suppose this news was not shocking, yet many folks in the distance running community have found themselves lost when there is not a race on the calendar. Within my cohort of runners, I have seen everything from the forever committed to self to those paralyzed with depression or anxiety. Although many know that exercise and especially running are natural antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication, in the current atmosphere, there are those that have chosen the couch, the path of least resistance over pounding the pavement or trails for some good old exercise and sunshine. I know typically active folks that are now fighting the battle of the COVID-19 bulge from inactivity and the comfort snack attack. Suddenly I am thinking about Forrest Gump and the often-quoted line, “Momma said life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get”. So many started out 2020 with high hopes and goals, but that damn box of assorted chocolates did not contain any of our favorites. First no Tokyo Marathon and then marathon after marathon fell to the pandemic restrictions. No, not the Boston Marathon, let us just reschedule it for later in the year. Now that one is gone! Just because life gives you lemons does not mean you cannot squeeze them for some refreshing lemonade. I, as well as some of my runners have used this opportunity to work towards the best version of ourselves. Meet Kathy in this blog photo. Kathy is a 61-year old experienced recreational marathon runner. As a matter of fact, she ran the Boston Marathon last year along with two other marathons. She came to me in January for training and three weeks into training she had to take a bit of time off for unforeseen circumstances. I was pleasantly surprised when she returned 2-months later and when she came back, she came back ready to go all in! A few weeks after her return we learned the marathon she was training for, Mountains2Beaches was cancelled! I offered her training credit for a future race, but she wanted to keep training, but I insisted that the mileage remain only moderate and easy intensity initially. Kathy has been compliant with her training and we are seeing her training paces getting faster. Even she has been shocked with some of the paces she hit once we added a bit of intensity. In one month of being on the Run with Gina nutrition challenge, she lost nine pounds! Now she is seeing those benefits translate into her running. She has now signed up for a new resistance training program I designed. I am excited to see how this will impact her weight loss journey, as well as her continued improvement in running, which is the same pace or faster at LESS effort. I believe in the least load and intensity to produce the most optimal results. This is an intentional process to avoid overreaching, over training, and injury withing my running demographic. It is the Rwg way! Thank you, Kathy, for what you bring to the Run with Gina family and running community collectively. We are all enjoying your lemonade stand! How about the Run with Gina 2020 Boston Marathon runners? So far it looks like most of them are in for the virtual 26.2 and they will make it as awesome as possible! Fight ON! Coach Gina
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