And Then Along Came Covid…

Talk about taking the wind out of my sails, training-wise. I was triple-vaccinated, and Covid still wiped me out. Two solid weeks with zero energy, and then two more weeks of struggle with nowhere near the intensity or volume of my previous training. I’m more than a month out now and am still battling shortness of breath and a major loss of fitness.

            But that’s only one thing.

            The bigger surprise has been what Covid has done to my mental training. A month ago, three and a half hours on the trainer was no big deal. When I got back, I struggled to stay on my bike for half an hour. My energy level wasn’t the only problem. The mental toughness was gone. Ditto for swimming. I was in the pool for twenty minutes and thought, man is this over yet? I just want to go home.

            Even since my energy has returned, I’ve had to talk myself through several of my workouts. I never appreciated the mental component of training, but it’s huge—at least as important as the physical aspect. If it disappears, you’re hooped.

            All I can say is: if you’re preparing for a race that you actually want to do, wear your mask, and don’t go to any indoor gatherings. Seriously. No matter what kind of shape you’re in, this illness can mess you up and set you so far back that you won’t be able to catch up in time. I’ve had to change up my races—not only because of Covid, but also due to a running injury. Penticton will no longer happen for me this year. Instead, I’ll be doing Florida with my daughter in November. It will give me the two extra months that I’m going to need.

            Recalculate, as the GPS screams when you’ve made a wrong turn. Such is life.