Running Ruminations

COVID-19 got ya down? 

Yeah. I feel you.  

I live in Santa Clara County, in “the capital of Silicon Valley,” according to our trash and recycling cans. In the past few days, the county banned public gatherings of more than 1,000 people (exempting schools, malls, and airports), which meant that literally overnight, a good number of races, swim meets, parades, professional sports teams’ games, you name it were wiped off the calendar for the next three+ weeks. 

It’s hard to enumerate everything that has gotten canceled or postponed, but suffice it to say that it’s a lot. Add to all those changes the increasing number of people being asked to work remotely for the first time (and perhaps for the foreseeable future), and all the change and frenetic pace at which it is being thrown at all of us … it’s understandable to feel a little overwhelmed and dizzy.   

In my world, this ban, intended to mitigate COVID-19’s reach throughout our county (2 million+ people strong, with over 1 million here in SJ alone) meant that a race I’d be volunteering at on Saturday morning was cancelled (Shamrock 5k/10k), in addition to a handful of my eldest’s swim meets over the next few weeks. We haven’t yet gotten notice that schools are shuttered temporarily, but it seems it’s just a matter of time, especially since so many of the local higher ed institutions have moved to online learning. When SCC announced the ban was extended through early April, the Silicon Valley half marathon, the singular race I was planning to run in early April in advance of the Big Sur International Marathon, was postponed to a later date. 

At the moment, because Big Sur is in Monterey County, the BSIM appears to still be on as planned for its late April date, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it were also canceled or postponed. The same goes for Mountains to Beach down in Ojai and Ventura in May. I’m mentally prepared for either or both race to not happen this spring. I’ve been through the experience before of races having to cancel for forces beyond their control (NYC due to Superstorm Sandy, PA races due to the fires a couple years ago up north), and while it sucks for sure, as important as this stuff is to me (and swimming is to my kids, and so on), it’s so not a big deal in the big scheme of things. It’s hard to argue with extenuating circumstances, especially when the health and well-being of a lot of people’s lives are at risk.    

I have no interest in getting into the scientific particulars or ramifications of COVID-19 because I’m not a scientist, nor do I pretend to be an expert on infectious diseases. That said, it took my breath away on Monday night when I learned that SCC had its first fatality to the disease, someone close to my parents’ age who likely had some sort of preexisting condition, just like my parents and I imagine just like your parents, too. The number of confirmed cases in our county is small — relative to our 2-million-plus person count — but it’s reasonable to predict that the numbers will continue to grow as testing kits become more available. I think of seniors in my life whose health would be seriously compromised by this, and I think of the immuno-suppressed kids I know whose health would also be upended by this stuff, and it’s all a little unnerving, to say the least. 

My original plan for this week’s entry was to write about that Kelly McGonigal book I mentioned last week, The Joy of Movement. I’m not so naive to think that all we have to do is go for a run or walk and presto! we’ll all feel like we have all the answers to this COVID-19 business. However — there’s always a however — I will claim, much like McGonigal does throughout her work, that more likely than not, if you’re feeling any sort of overwhelming emotion surrounding all the uncertainty and fear that is consuming social media and news feeds, one of the best things you can do for yourself is simply move your body. 

Walk. 

Run. 

Ride. 

Swim. 

What or how matters less than simply doing. Bonus points if you can do it in some real-deal green space because that confers even more benefits. 

I’m not promising that you’ll find the secret to solving this pandemic or decipher the best ways to mitigate this dilemma in SCC (or wherever you are). 

However — there’s always a however — I can all but promise that in the time you spend moving your body, connecting with nature (ideally), disconnecting from your phone and notifications and everything else that’s making us all feel so on edge about all of this, you will likely feel better than you had in the moments prior. 

When it’s so easy to fret and ruminate about the future and the uncertainties swirling around, feeling enveloped in our worries, there’s peace to be found in the right here, right now.

As contradictory as it sounds, moving is a wonderful avenue to get there. 

A better book report is forthcoming — I’m about 20 pages from finishing the text — but in the interim, how about a little positivity for a moment. I have a comped race entry to any of The San Francisco Marathon distance events that’s up for grabs. This may be something to look forward to if your spring race of choice has gotten cancelled (or likely will get cancelled). It’s the first year in a good long while where I won’t be running SF or being a race ambassador (not because of any ill will — I just don’t think I’ll be in town over race weekend this year), so while you won’t see my beautiful face there race weekend, you will see that of many, many others. 

Just throw down a comment below so my girls and I can pick someone’s name out of a hat or something.  Let’s hear something that made you smile today.

Race day is July 26th, and the race features distances from the 5k all the way up to a 52.4 mile ultra. 

Hang in there.