Finding New Sides of Your Running

As runners, we are endlessly adaptable. And certainly in a time of a world-wide pandemic that’s a worthwhile trait. In the absence of competition—even the Olympics have been postponed—many runners are finding new sides to their favorite sport. Here are a few examples.

Get off the beaten path. Not long ago, elite runners Jennifer Hall (former Ready to Run store manager) and JT Sullivan, a former Stanford star who’s gone 13:52 for 5,000 meters were spotted out running off the beaten track in southwest Austin. Turns out that with the Town Lake trail off limits due to the close proximity of crowded trails, they were exploring lesser-known trails. Just loping along, not worried about time or distance. Fortunately, Austin has a huge variety of trails to choose from—you could spend months exploring all of the possibilities. Click here for trail maps.

Take of your watch. As runners we are bound by the constraints of time and distance. After all, it’s always about how fast and how far you can go, right? Try taking off your watch and heading out the  door. Suddenly you don’t care about pace. See a nice road you want to go down? Why not? You’re not going to be uploading this run to Strava. It’s totally liberating. In fact if you reserve one of these “watchlesss” runs a week, you may find that you look forward to it as your favorite run.

Change up your routine. Since race-specific training is not necessarily needed now, it’s a good time to try changing up your routine. Are you a super-early morning runner? Maybe you’re tired of getting up at 5:00 a.m. In the age of telecommuting, you are in luck. With much more flexible schedules, you can try running during lunch, or in the evening, after you log off your computer.

Stay safe. Whatever you do, run responsibly. Many infectious disease experts think that the COVID-!9 pandemic may stretch out to be 18 months or more. So yes, we’re in it for the long haul. Avoid crowded parks and trails. If you run with running buddies, stay six feet from each other, and don’t run directly behind each other. While it is unlikely that you’ll breathe in active virus particles outside, it’s not inconceivable, so err on the side of caution.

Note: As our journey into uncharted territory continues regarding COVID-19, Ready to Run has temporarily closed its doorsto ensure compliance with the order to cease any activity that is not defined as “essential” and to shelter-in-place. While our doors may be closed, a staff member will be available to take your phone orders during the hours of 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM, Monday through Friday for the immediate future. We will happily ship your order free of charge with any purchase. Our phone number is (512) 241-0323.