Yesterday, a huge number of races were called off due to increased needs to limit groups and potential transmission of the novel coronavirus, aka COVID-19. Today, the Boston Athletic Association made the call to postpone the race until September 14th. As this time of the year is typically when I have a major ramp-up in racing for the runners I coach, I have been spending a LOT of time reworking the training approach and overall focus for my athletes. Even for those who weren’t planning on racing in the next few weeks, the question is the same: “What should I do now?” There is a lot of disappointment, uncertainty, and anxiety right now, so here is what I have been telling my runners and what I recommend everyone, athletes and coaches alike, should do in the near future.

Step 1: Let Yourself Process a Bit

It’s perfectly normal to be gutted when you get the email saying your race has been called off. A mixture of emotions are going to bubble up, ranging from anger to sadness or maybe relief. The initial tendency seems to either direct that anger/sadness/resentment at the race directors or to want to scour the internet for an alternative race option. I think that we all need to just sit with these cancellations for a day or two and process things before making any decisions or taking any actions. Then, I think we should avoid those reflexive traps I mentioned above:

1. Don’t lash out at race organizers. They didn’t want to cancel and they’re taking a bit financial hit, even if they aren’t giving full refunds. In many cases, the call wasn’t theirs anyhow. A lot of jurisdictions have simply pulled the permits for any events over a certain number of people, so they had no choice but to inform participants of a cancellation. Bear in mind that we’re also dealing with a public health crisis that is greater than any other we have seen in our lifetimes. It’s OK to be upset, just take some time to be empathetic and supportive of the rest of the community.

2. Don’t scramble for a replacement. We’re going to have to get used to the fact that races are not going to happen, by and large, for a couple of months or so. Until this situation is well under control, there is no good reason to hold a big event. The sooner we can accept that racing is going to take a backseat for a while, the better off we’re going to be.

Step 2: Rethink the Nature of This Situation

Yes, this is an unfortunate set of circumstances. And yes, negative emotions are going to be a part of how you process things. But, it doesn’t have to be completely negative. I have been telling my runners to reframe this situation and look at it as an opportunity rather than a misfortune. We can collectively take a couple of deep breaths and then look at the time in front of us as an opportunity to work on things that we may have been neglecting in our pursuit of an impending race goal. That might mean cutting back for a bit and finding time to rehab a niggle or sore spot. That might mean finally trying to run a little bit more volume on a weekly basis. That might mean finally working in that core and strength work. Whatever form that takes, the attitude you choose to associate with this time away from racing is going to impact your ability to be successful (or not). I am going to choose to make the most of the time for myself and my athletes and I hope everyone else does the same.

Step 3: Rethink the Nature of Training Goals

If you are the type of runner who needs a goal to train towards, the uncertainty of the race calendar might have you wondering if you should even train at all. After all, what’s the point if you do it for the medals or the race experiences themselves. Again, this is a natural reaction, but there are always goals that you can chase other than official and organized races. If you’re having trouble with this, here are some concrete ideas as a jumping-off point. The concept here is creating achievable goals that can happen independently of an organized race.

• Choose a weekly/monthly mileage total that you’ve never hit before

• Look on Strava for a local segment for which you’d like to PR or take the CR

• Challenge people in your running group to a time trial on the track in X weeks

• Lift weights X days next month (perfect for chronic strength avoiders)

• Run on a trail X days next month (perfect for road warriors)

• Try some proper speed work for a short distance PR, then just do a time trial on your own to see how fast you can go

Basically, find something challenging and put it on the calendar just like a race would be, then work toward that date just like you would if you were running something organized. There are also a bunch of virtual race options popping up which might be a good way to keep your competitive juices flowing.

Lastly, a Note on Unsanctioned “Racing Anyway”

When talk of major races like Boston being canceled or postponed started, I received a number of comments from my runners to the tune of, “It doesn’t matter, I’m going to be running that course on that day even if it’s canceled.” I understand where this is coming from, but I’m officially on the side of NOT doing this. It defeats the purpose of canceling the race if a crowd shows up, it is likely to lead to safety issues, and it is not the right way to deal with the problem from an emotional standpoint as I’ve illustrated above. Instead, do what I’ve laid out. You’re going to end up in a better place across the board.