How running has changed …
Covid-19 has led to long period of no training and times of uncertainty in the running community, but some fitness enthusiasts aren't quitting.
Exercising has changed during Covid-19 and the past year or so has been tough for many fitness junkies.
But where there’s a will there’s a way …
Tom Austen from the Khosa Road Runners Club has been running seriously since 2011, competing in his first Comrades in 2013, and completed various other competitive runs to prepare for the big one.
Since then he’s competed in various Comrades, local marathons and trail races, explaining that he divides his time between road and off-road running.
“Training for Comrades, you’re pretty much running for half the year. The other half of the year I run trail, so I’m always training for something. I run at least five times a week. At peak, for Comrades, I ran about 130km a week. For the first half of this year I’ve trained for the 13 Peaks in May, which is a challenge in Cape Town where you run 13 peaks from Lion’s Head to Table Mountain. It depends on which route you take, but for us it was a distance of 126km with about 7 000 metres elevation. We did it in 47 hours, but obviously we had our sleep and everything in between.”
Tom explained that during Covid-19 times he runs about 60km a week, building up again to that 100km a week mark, which he plans on reaching by September.
“When that first part of lockdown started, we were all pretty fit for Comrades, but then all of a sudden we had to stop, and when we could start running again we had the virtual Comrades and we all started training again. It’s nowhere near where it used to be. But, I had small goals since then to train for. Towards the end of last year I trained for another race in Cape Town and took a break until January when I started training for 13 Peaks. I took a month’s break and started training now, just getting some fitness back,” Tom said.
Tom believes that the social distancing regulations will have a major impact on training and races going forward, having to wear masks at the start and finish of each race, and a limited number of runners at the start line.
“You won’t believe how many people have started running just to keep fit, to get out, get sunshine and be outdoors. It’s extremely important to stay healthy now. This is the cheapest way to do that. You don’t need much equipment, just takkies and you can run a 5km. If you look at the virtual races, the 5km and 10km are packed, and many of those runners are beginners.”
Being in lockdown level 4 again, the Khosa Road Runners Club has been closed, so Tom runs on his own.
