It has been two and a half years since I raced last. 8 September 2019, to be exact, was my last race – a marathon in Erie Pennsylvania. Subsequent that year, the dreaded Covid-19 happened (and is still happening), albeit its case count in the US is going down.
That is a long time. Even though not retired from racing, I haven’t toed up to any starting line since. Do I miss racing? You bet. It is the best measure of one’s running fitness, be it muscular endurance, VO2max, speed, or running efficiency. You name it.
But during this hiatus, all of them are out the window. Even though I still run, they are mostly easy pace with no specific goals nor improvement in mind. Just the general maintenance runs. Will I ever race again? I hope so. Because I am feeling pretty sluggish without a race on my schedule.
How do you motivate yourself to be in shape during the Covid-19?
Running with Buddha 