Embrace the suck!

These are trying times for us all. Our lives have been drastically affected by Covid 19 and the associated restrictions on our daily activities. One of the restrictions is to our ability to train in groups. Those of us who are part of a team have been accustomed to the support and camraderie that comes from training with our teammates.

This support and camaraderie is particularly beneficial on those long, grueling workouts. Misery loves company! Now we find ourselves doing these same workouts alone and often on a trainer or a treadmill. Ugh! These long, lonely workouts are as hard mentally as they are physically. There is the temptation to modify the workout or just quit.

Don’t give in to the temptation. There is a positive spin to this. During longer races there are often periods of emotional challenges (the lows) where athletes question their ability to continue. Enduring long lonely training sessions helps to prepare an athlete to deal with these racing lows. If you can mentally endure a 4-5 hour trainer ride you can endure any emotional challenge a race can throw at you.

So when you are feeling grim during a long workout alone remember that this experience will make you stronger as an athlete and better prepared come race day. Stick with it. You can do this!