Covid 19: Find what works for you
I don't think there's a person alive who hasn't been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It has sadly even affected remote Amazon tribes in Brazil. There are a lot of blogs and articles out there from people sharing tips on how to get by during this difficult period of lock-downs and uncertainty. Everyone reacts differently to these things, so while it's great to have resources out there, it's not really a one-size-fits-all kind of deal. For myself, I have found some things helpful in adjusting, but it's usually a lot easier to receive recommendations than it is to actually put them into action.
Outbreak
I'm lucky in that, for my day job, I work in an industry where remote work, while not always ideal, is pretty common. I've never been someone who particularly enjoyed doing it, though. I'm probably in a minority of people who don't mind going out and commuting to an office. I don't enjoy sitting in traffic or on packed public transport, but particularly if I can go by foot or bicycle, I've always seen the benefits. It gets me out and gets me moving, which is important when you are sitting at a desk for 6 or 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. So when the pandemic hit, not only was my main sporting outlet (football with Dublin Devils F.C.) cut off, but suddenly my "commute" turned into a walk from my bedroom to my temporary home office.
My usual sporting outlet with Dublin Devils FC
From the start, I felt that I had to try to start introducing an alternative exercise routine into my day. I started walking a bit, somewhat irregularly, but I did find that cabin fever would set in if I skipped it for a while. I knew that I should get out before or after my working hours, not just for any physical or mental health benefit, but also to help create a separation between "home" and "work", and stop the lines from becoming blurred. In what I now feel was a fit of madness, I decided that I would try running again.
I should explain. My Dad and my sister have long enjoyed running, and both have run marathons, but it was never something I could get into. I enjoy it if I'm on a pitch and there's a round ball involved, I've just never been able to get into simply "going for a run". I've made numerous attempts to start a routine, which never lasted more than one or two outings. I fully expected the same thing to happen again, but to my surprise, I think something finally clicked for me.
I picked the May Bank Holiday as my first time out. I got a bit overzealous and started at a pace which I would probably never have been able to maintain at a higher fitness level, let alone my fitness at the time. I got about 400m before having to slow to walking pace to recover, but once I did recover I resumed. I got a bit smarter about it, and made sure that I was controlling my pace at a level which wouldn't overexert myself. Once I did that, I settled more into it. Sure, I ran out of gas a few more times, but each time I resumed my slow-but-steady pace after a short recovery walk. I ended up doing about 4.5km, which I was pretty happy with. It was a starting point, at least. I had tracked it on my smart watch, and could use that as my baseline to see how I was progressing.
Wednesday morning before work was decided on for my next outing. Having not used a lot of those muscles for a while, I was feeling the effects of my Monday run, so on Tuesday I just took a walk after work to stretch my legs. I planned my route a bit more carefully, knowing that I had a full day of work ahead of me also. I gave myself a 30 minute block, and targeted to do somewhere between 3km and 4km. I was able to track my time and distance on my smart watch, so I could judge roughly where I could jog to before swinging around in the direction of home. Again, I had a few occasions where I emptied the tank, but I made sure to resume once I recovered.
Getting Out, Getting Active!
Disaster
I got out 4 times, which has to be a personal record in my attempts to start running regularly, before disaster struck. A particularly tough week left me fairly fatigued and overwhelmed, both physically and mentally, and the thought of getting up and out for a run just didn't appeal. I imagine I'm not alone in facing that, and while some may be spurred on by it, I find that sometimes for my own mental health, I have to just switch off and shut out a lot of external factors which could affect me.
Thankfully, with the lock-down restrictions beginning to ease, I have been able to do some more "normal" things again, like meeting friends. After 2 weeks of very little activity, I got out for a 7km walk with some friends, which I feel has re-energised me somewhat. This morning I resolved to get out, and to my surprise I got to my usual point where I have to slow to a walk, but was able to keep going...and going...and going...! I actually passed 2 or 3 landmarks where I usually find myself out of energy before finally feeling I needed to slow, just before my 3km mark, which is at the top of a fairly steep incline. I was amazed, and felt a boost in self-confidence, that what I had done the few weeks prior had really had a positive effect on me.
A Start
So that's the origin story of how I learned to finally enjoy running. It's maybe not fully solidified yet, but I have made a start at least, and that's giving me a positive feeling. These things aren't always easy when you feel stressed or overwhelmed, or if you feel you're not fit enough. Like with the pandemic situation in general, everyone is going to react differently to set-backs. There are general points which probably can apply to most people, but I think what's important is to try different things, and find what works for you.