When social activities, races and events are being cancelled left, right and centre, what is one supposed to do? In these unprecedented times of self-isolation and social distancing, it’s easy to find yourself in a funk and losing motivation, fast. Instead of falling into the abyss of refreshing your news feed for the latest pandemic update, take this downtime as an opportunity to reassess goals and make tweaks to your current approach to running. To help you stay focused on the longer term, get into a routine (if you don’t already have one) or better yet, refine your pre-pandemic routine. Trust me, keeping your mind focused is one of the greatest things you can do in the midst of chaos.

Here are a few tips that I have been practicing recently to help keep myself on track:

Stick to a schedule

What did you do every Thursday before the world turned on its head? You ran with 30+ of your closest friends! Stick to that. Go for a Thursday night 5K or 10K at 6.15pm on your own and know that #FlightCrewSupportsYou.

And if you’re stumped on a route, check out Vancouver Running Co’s favourite solo running routes.

Create a plan

Most of us are currently working from home, which makes it easy to sit in front of a screen all day only to realize at 6.00pm, you haven’t been outside. Anyone else guilty?

For me, creating a plan helps. It’s something I did pre-pandemic and continue to do today. Map out your day and schedule things in your calendar. Want to run in the morning before you log on to work? Put it in your calendar and set your alarm! Want to go for a lunchtime run? Block your work calendar and get out there.

Plan it out, put it in your calendar, and thank me later.

Stretch.

While you’re doing your part to #flattenthecurve, the social calendar may be a bit bare bones at this time. During this downtime, put focus back on recovery and (p)rehab. This is something we easily neglect when life is at full throttle. Getting back into my yoga practice has done wonders, and I feel like a new runner already!

Keep the social network going.

We’re living in strange times when all our human interaction comes through a screen, but keep that connection going. When you're out on a run, give your fellow a runner a nod. When you're scrolling your Strava feed, give a bunch of kudos. Stay connected with @vanrunco on IG by tagging us and using #FlightCrewSupportsYou. We’re all in this together!

These are uncertain times, but one thing that can remain certain is your routine. Don’t neglect it. By staying focused on a routine, your mind will be clear, your body happy, and when we’re allowed to roll together again, you’ll be ready. Until then, stay safe and keep running.