Back on the grind

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When the Enhanced Community Quarantine is lifted, and we start to get back to do normal things again, it will not be the same where we left off more than a month ago.

As part of the adjustment, there will be a new norm that we will continue to adapt when we slowly get back on the grind.

The social distancing that we were accustomed to, and the no-handshake rule may stick with us for a while.

As for athletes and other sports enthusiasts, we may not see those high fives and hugs during practice or games right away.

A lot of other things have also changed in terms of one’s fitness.

Before the ECQ was implemented, most of the scheduled sports meets, running and triathlon races were either cancelled or postponed. With that, some athletes eased up on training, while others chose to continue, afraid of losing their fitness, just in case things went back to normal.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the case, and on April 3, a two-week ECQ was implemented, and later, on extended quarantine until April 30.

For some, nothing stopped them from continuing to be active one way or another.

I think the majority of people have at least tried to abide by the rules, and chose to stay at home, unless for necessities.

Those who have a treadmill or bike trainers didn’t have much of an excuse not to train, but others have no other means of substitute, especially when it comes to running.

Endurance sports enthusiasts consider running as a determining factor of fitness.

For triathletes, a few missed sessions of swimming and cycling would have a little effect in fitness, if they continued to run during training.

So what happens to those whose sport is mainly running, like track and field and marathoners and ultra-marathoners (mostly, the running mommies in Dumaguete)?

Missing a few days to a week will have a minimal setback in fitness and could bounce back right away.

However, loosing more than two weeks to a month is a significant reduction in fitness level.

When this happens, the most common mistake one makes, especially those who are competitive, is to pick up from where they left off before the forced inactivity.

Running involves a lot of work-up of several muscle tissues in the legs that would require some serious time to build up strength again.

And we’re not just talking about the leg muscles, but the lung capacity as well, which also needs a serious focus on re-building.

That is why it is also important to workout those muscles by means of strength training, if running is not an option this time of ECQ. It will help tremendously in getting back to the routine.

After a month of quarantine, we may have developed the so-called “cabin fever”. It is a term used in countries where there is a long period of cold weather, forcing people to simply stay inside the house until it gets warmer.

Here, we may have had only one month of being stuck in the house, but I’m afraid it has the safe effect of the “cabin fever”.

I’m sure not a few sports enthusiasts are already so eager to get back to doing outdoor activities like swimming in the pool or at sea, cycling, or road running or hitting the trails.

When the streets are finally opened up, and we are free to run and cycle again, take a slow and easy approach towards regaining that lost time.

If you missed three to four weeks of running, and your average run a week before the ECQ was 30 kilometers a week, start with 50 percent of that load in the first two weeks, then gradually add 25 percent in the next two weeks. The next two weeks will be a total of a 15-kilometer run.

If you feel that is not enough, and you think you can do more, gradually mix it with cycling and swimming once or twice a week at 50 percent load.

Here are some safety tips before you hit the comeback trail. Spend the first month regaining the strength and building up the cardiovascular system at moderate effort.

Avoid the pitfall of doing too much-too soon because it will only lead to injuries.

Find a friend or group to run or walk with. I’m pretty sure there’s a lot to catch up, after not having seen each other for a long time. The comeback 5K run will feel quick and refreshing.

As we get back on the grind, it would be nice to reflect on what we used to have and which we may have taken for granted, and compare it with what we now have. Hopefully, we learn to appreciate everything that we got back this time, which was taken from us more than a month ago. Enjoy the fresh air and God’s creation around us because the world is still beautiful.

Beginner Running Program

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s not advisable to do this workout outside. You can continue with the program once it is safe to do this outdoor. In the meantime, I will leave it here for those with access to a treadmill.

Eight weeks ago we started the 10-week Beginner Running Program. This week is the ninth week. Just a reminder that when you start to jog, slowly find your rhythm with two strides breathing in, and two strides breathing.

Week 9

Warm up by walking for 5 minutes then do some light stretching.

Do the workout:
Day 1. Jog 20 minutes. Walk 10 seconds. Repeat 2x
Day 2. Jog 30 minutes. Walk 10 seconds. Jog 10 minutes.
Day 3. Jog 30 minutes. Walk 10 seconds. Jog 10 minutes.

Cool down by walking 5 minutes then do some stretches, holding 10-20 seconds each muscles: hamstrings (back of thigh), quadriceps (front of thigh), and calves (back of lower leg).

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Author’s email: [email protected]

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