TRAINING CAN – AND SHOULD – CONTINUE
Kate Dzienis • March 28, 2020
Contributed by Glen Smetherham, Head Coach, Consistent Running
If you are a runner, and if you have been training for an important race in the coming weeks or months, you may have had those plans completely undermined due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the last week we have seen many races around the world and locally being cancelled or postponed. You may have been diligently training for an event for months already, only to have suddenly been left wondering what to do next.
There is plenty of information available to help inform us how best to reduce the risk of contracting and potentially spreading the virus. I won’t repeat them here.
As a runner, training can and should continue. We owe it to those around us, especially the sick and elderly, to reduce our risk of becoming carriers, and take every precaution and stay healthy whilst training.
Some extra recommendations for runners to follow, assuming you are feeling well and don’t meet any of the requirements for self-isolation, would include…
- Avoid running in groups.
- Wash hands before your run. It’s very common to touch your face when running, wiping away sweat, snot rockets, etc.
- If you use gels, clean the surfaces before your run, same with hydration bottles.
- Pick running routes that are not in congested areas.
- If you go to a gym, consider going at quieter times, and be very careful to clean surfaces before and after use, wash hands after use. No gym, no longer possible.
- Maintain a well-balanced diet. Fuel for the upcoming day/activity. If you have more time at home and are less active, try adjust your eating habits.
- Instead of food snacks, try to have regular ‘exercise snacks’. Short micro-strength sessions throughout the day. Eg. 10 squats whenever you enter a certain room.
- Maintain healthy sleep habits.
- Try to time your training sessions to reduce the risk of being vulnerable to infections. If you have travel planned or a particularly busy/stressful day ahead, aim to precede that day with an easy to moderate training session rather than an intense one that will result in a short term hit to the immune system.
Options available if your ‘A’ race has been cancelled:
- Initiate your planned taper (you may like to complete the remaining weeks of the training schedule), then run a time trial.
- Scale back your training and think long term. Aim to improve weaknesses and consolidate strengths. Quite often with frequent racing, it can be difficult to find the time to fully focus on a rebuilding phase.
- Find an alternative race to make your new “A” race. Your best bet at this stage would be smaller events and trail races. While they still may require some organisational changes and restrictions, they generally are more manageable with the current recommendations.No longer possible.
- Organise small fat ass races among those you trust to do the right things or stay at home if at risk. This option is becoming less likely.
- Organise or take part in virtual races. I’m sure there will be a large increase in these during 2020.
I am planning on organising some virtual challenges and a small fat ass race to help maintain motivation for runners who have had races cancelled and provide some variety to training.
So, continue your training, although modify where needed. That way you can be sure to remain as healthy as possible and reduce your risk of becoming a carrier of COVID-19 (or other illnesses) and therefore reduce the risk of others around you.
“𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢 ‘𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨’ 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯, 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦, 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 5 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 1 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 [𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦], 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘣𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦.”
— Jan Olbrecht, The Science of Winning.*
* Planned rest days and occasional unplanned days are preferable to pushing through sessions when injured or sick, as they can prevent a longer series of unplanned days off.
Glen Smetherham is a Level 2 Advanced Recreational Running Coach accredited with Athletic Australia. With a focus on how the individual is responding to training, coach and athlete working together is the best way to achieve running goals. Glen is always working on finding the best methods and training practices to help athletes achieve their running goals. He has completed over 25 ultra marathons from 48kms up to 350kms, as well as many other endurance events.
Always check federal and state government advice as changes occur on a daily basis due to the current Coronavirus pandemic.
The world-class trails of Kunanyi/Mt Wellington will play centre-stage for one of the country’s fastest-growing sports, after the Kunanyi Mountain Run (KMR) was awarded the hosting rights for the first-ever combined Australian Mountain and Trail Running Championships (AMTRC). KMR was awarded the National Championships after a competitive bid process, overseen by the Australian Ultra and Trail Running Association (AUTRA) and Australian Athletics (AA). AUTRA President, John Claridge, said that KMR “offered everything we were looking for”. “World-class trails, proven event management and a passionate community. It provides the perfect stage for Australia's first combined National Trail Championships," he said. It’s expected that Australia’s elite mountain and trail running athletes, and support crew, will travel to Hobart, as they vie for a spot in the Australian team that competes at the 2027 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships. "This is a landmark moment for trail running in Australia,” Mr Claridge said. "We're excited about what this championship represents; not just next year, but for the future of trail running in Australia... helping grow the sport and inspire the next generation of trail runners." The 2027 AMTRC at KMR will be the first time that all championship distances have been held together, at the one festival. “It aligns us more closely with the way World Championships are presented, creating a stronger pathway for athletes and raising the profile of the sport,” Mr Claridge said. KMR, a 3-day trail running festival which has been held annually since 2022, expects to draw more than 1500 runners and hikers from across Tasmania, Australia and internationally next year. The AMTRC will be embedded within KMR’s existing event program, allowing elite athletes to compete for the national titles, while sharing the same spectacular trails and event-experience as recreational runners. “We’re honoured to have been selected as host,” KMR’s founder and director, Lincoln Quilliam said. “KMR continues to welcome runners, and hikers, of all abilities. From the elites who want to represent Australia on the world stage, the group of mates or work colleagues who run the team relay together, the mums returning to running after having a baby, as well as those who are trying trail running for the very first time,” Mr Quilliam said. Tasmanian runner, Jessica Collins, who has represented Australia, said it was exciting news for KMR, Tasmania and the sport. “This is such a great opportunity for Australian athletes. I’ve run many of the KMR events and know the courses and the terrain are on par with what we see at the World Champs,” she said. The City of Hobart has supported Kunanyi Mountain Run since its inception, and Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said she was “thrilled” with the news. “Events like this not only showcase the natural beauty of our region but also reinforce Hobart’s reputation as a vibrant destination for world-class outdoor experiences.” The 2026 edition of KMR brought in $4 million to the Tasmanian economy, generating more than 8000 bed nights across the state, which Alex Heroys, Chief Executive of Destination Southern Tasmania, said was a “significant return for the visitor economy”. “Kunanyi / Mount Wellington is one of Tasmania’s great natural assets, and the Kunanyi Mountain Run shows exactly how powerful events can be in driving regional tourism,” he said. “We have an epic mountain right on Hobart’s doorstep, an airport less than 30 minutes away, and a city that is well set up to welcome thousands of visiting athletes, support crews and spectators.” “This event also reinforces Tasmania’s growing reputation as a world-class trail running destination. With steep, technical trails and real mountain terrain, Kunanyi offers conditions that are genuinely comparable to what athletes will experience at the World Championships, making it an ideal place to compete, train and visit.” For more information: Kunanyi Mountain Run Dates: 19-21 March 2027 Pic credit: David Nolan & Ryan Slater
AUTRA are excited to announce our national championship events for 2027!
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IN OTHER NEWS
The world-class trails of Kunanyi/Mt Wellington will play centre-stage for one of the country’s fastest-growing sports, after the Kunanyi Mountain Run (KMR) was awarded the hosting rights for the first-ever combined Australian Mountain and Trail Running Championships (AMTRC). KMR was awarded the National Championships after a competitive bid process, overseen by the Australian Ultra and Trail Running Association (AUTRA) and Australian Athletics (AA). AUTRA President, John Claridge, said that KMR “offered everything we were looking for”. “World-class trails, proven event management and a passionate community. It provides the perfect stage for Australia's first combined National Trail Championships," he said. It’s expected that Australia’s elite mountain and trail running athletes, and support crew, will travel to Hobart, as they vie for a spot in the Australian team that competes at the 2027 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships. "This is a landmark moment for trail running in Australia,” Mr Claridge said. "We're excited about what this championship represents; not just next year, but for the future of trail running in Australia... helping grow the sport and inspire the next generation of trail runners." The 2027 AMTRC at KMR will be the first time that all championship distances have been held together, at the one festival. “It aligns us more closely with the way World Championships are presented, creating a stronger pathway for athletes and raising the profile of the sport,” Mr Claridge said. KMR, a 3-day trail running festival which has been held annually since 2022, expects to draw more than 1500 runners and hikers from across Tasmania, Australia and internationally next year. The AMTRC will be embedded within KMR’s existing event program, allowing elite athletes to compete for the national titles, while sharing the same spectacular trails and event-experience as recreational runners. “We’re honoured to have been selected as host,” KMR’s founder and director, Lincoln Quilliam said. “KMR continues to welcome runners, and hikers, of all abilities. From the elites who want to represent Australia on the world stage, the group of mates or work colleagues who run the team relay together, the mums returning to running after having a baby, as well as those who are trying trail running for the very first time,” Mr Quilliam said. Tasmanian runner, Jessica Collins, who has represented Australia, said it was exciting news for KMR, Tasmania and the sport. “This is such a great opportunity for Australian athletes. I’ve run many of the KMR events and know the courses and the terrain are on par with what we see at the World Champs,” she said. The City of Hobart has supported Kunanyi Mountain Run since its inception, and Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said she was “thrilled” with the news. “Events like this not only showcase the natural beauty of our region but also reinforce Hobart’s reputation as a vibrant destination for world-class outdoor experiences.” The 2026 edition of KMR brought in $4 million to the Tasmanian economy, generating more than 8000 bed nights across the state, which Alex Heroys, Chief Executive of Destination Southern Tasmania, said was a “significant return for the visitor economy”. “Kunanyi / Mount Wellington is one of Tasmania’s great natural assets, and the Kunanyi Mountain Run shows exactly how powerful events can be in driving regional tourism,” he said. “We have an epic mountain right on Hobart’s doorstep, an airport less than 30 minutes away, and a city that is well set up to welcome thousands of visiting athletes, support crews and spectators.” “This event also reinforces Tasmania’s growing reputation as a world-class trail running destination. With steep, technical trails and real mountain terrain, Kunanyi offers conditions that are genuinely comparable to what athletes will experience at the World Championships, making it an ideal place to compete, train and visit.” For more information: Kunanyi Mountain Run Dates: 19-21 March 2027 Pic credit: David Nolan & Ryan Slater
AUTRA are excited to announce our national championship events for 2027!
Greg Wilson recaps his time at the 2026 New Zealand 6 Day Ultra
