How to rekindle your love for your sport in the apocalypse
I admit to being a bit lost. With no physical events on the calendar and nothing to train for. We find ourselves treading water.
It’s late, it’s dark, it’s cold. Why should I get dressed up and go battle the trails? Just to wheeze and fall down? Return to the house downtrodden and covered in dirt and blood. What’s the point?
Here’s the part where I offer some advice (and then try to follow it myself).
- Remember when it was joyful
You wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t for those times that it felt like a gift. Like you had something special that you could do. That you were somehow part of a special club. Let in on a special secret.
When you get down on your workouts think back to one of those times. Channel the triumphant end of a qualifying marathon, or the kissing the finish line moment of some special event. Know that that was you in those pictures. Channel your inner athlete.
OR think of those peaceful times. When everything seemed just right. When you were out at night in the crisp dead cold of a January night. With the riot of stars in the winter dry and the dry air in your lungs.
You are still that animal. Remember that.
- Try something small
Your mind needs a goal. But it doesn’t have to be a organized goal or a big goal. Try something small. How about 20 pushups a day for 20 days? Or simply making your bed every morning? Find that anchor of habit that you can wrap your head around and start your day with it.
- Try something big
Even though it wasn’t my A-race this summer the Great Virtual Run Across Tennessee gave me something to, if not exactly ‘focus’ on, at least think about and contextualize the miles. There are plenty of big virtual races and events you can sign up for. Each of them comes with a community. Find something challenging and let it focus your energy.
- Find a purpose
Maybe there’s a way to combine what your are doing with something you believe strongly in. Can you help maintain the trails? Can you pick up litter on your local roads? What other purpose can you align your workouts with?
- Find a friend
As much as the apocalypse isolates us it is still very powerful to find a buddy or two that can share in some of your workouts. It doesn’t have to be every time. It doesn’t have to be perfect. But knowing someone is out there who you can share some miles with takes a burden off your soul.
- Do something different
Maybe it’s time to find something different? Maybe whatever the same old routine is it is getting old and moldy? Try something new. Start a project. Sign up for virtual yoga. Sign up for virtual bootcamp. I’m sure there is something new that you can commit to that will change up your routine and bring a fresh sense to your life.
- Train for a placeholder
Maybe all the races have been canceled. Even worse is that you don’t know which ones are going to run and which ones aren’t? There’s no way to plan for a specific event because it might not happen. No problem. Make up a placeholder event. Call it the 50K in April. Start training for it. Then when April roles around you’ll have the fitness that will give you options even if you don’t have a specific race on the calendar.
- Visualize better times
Tell a story of the future where you are happy and participating in your sport the way you want to. Make up a future narrative where you can visualize it. What will you be doing then? What will it be like? How will you feel? Live your today in anticipation of the future narrative.
- Listen to a story
There are plenty of compelling narratives out there. There is plenty of compelling audio. Find something that you will look forward to listening to. Something you can get addicted to. And then the only way to get the next dose of that is to get out and do the workout. Link the habit to the audio reward.
- Buy something
Nothing wrong with a little retail therapy in the apocalypse. Buy a new shirt or a new pair of shoes – something that gives you joy when you see them ion the closet and even more when you slip them on. Make it about the reward. Tie that workout to that joy.
- Hug someone
In this apocalypse the isolation is what sucks our energy. I highly recommend increasing your daily dose of hugs.
There you go. 11 reasonably good ideas to help you get back on track with your waning enthusiasm for your workouts in the apocalypse.
Put your excuses aside and engineer a way to be successful. The future is coming and no matter how it turns out I’m pretty sure you’ll want to be in good shape to face it.