We are still here working, playing and living. And, of course, Covid-19 is still here too. 

We know all too well how Covid-19 continues to disrupt our lives; changing how we socialize down to the basic chores of grocery shopping or buying shoes. And let's not discount the underlying and ongoing anxiety and uncertainty which living in a pandemic brings.

However, it isn’t all doom and gloom!

We are seeing some of the professional and college sports resume and in the fitness world some events have re-started too! Of course with new virus related restrictions in place, events are different but we can find ways to enjoy them nonetheless.

Virtual events took over our world at the rise of the pandemic and there continues to be a host of them. For many these have been a good challenge and a lot of fun. For others, these virtual events just don’t work and that is okay too. Beyond virtual races, many people have been really creative and are working on their own goals close to home which have been fun and inspiring.

I have loved hearing how everyone is adapting to the challenges and finding their own way.

It’s official. Ironman Canada 2020 is postponed. Sigh. We’d been hoping against hope that this race would still go on but it came as no surprise to get the email officially postponing the race. It is disappointing for all. 

The road to Ironman is never easy but this is the first time in over 20 years of coaching that the road has included a trip through a pandemic!  For several months we have watched many of our athletes struggle with what all the uncertainty, quarantine and cancellation of events has meant to their training.

Some of our athletes have had more time to train and others even less. Some have stayed motivated or even been more motivated while others are feeling exhausted and unmotivated. For some, training has become a lifeline to maintaining stability and focus. For others, training is much harder as they have had to learn how to navigate kids “attending” school via video and home school requirements, their own jobs, spouses working from home and just the underlying angst and stress of everything going on. 

This blog was originally going to be about the mental side of training for an Ironman. As we thought about that, we realized this still applies more than ever and not just for those who had hoped to be on the starting line in late August at IMCA.

Note: At this point, Ironman Canada in August 2020 is still on as scheduled. As with all the Covid-19 disruptions, we have no way to know how late summer will play out but we can remain positive, hold on to hope and continue to train as best as we can. 

With gyms and pools are mostly closed, athletes have been doing a great job getting creative with dry land swimming and other outdoor workouts. As it is almost May, it’s a great time to start transitioning to open water swimming. In the Seattle area where summer is slow to build, early May is usually the first chance to get into the lakes for open water swimming.

Wait, did we say swimming? Did we say outside? In a lake??? We did! 

The first rule of open water swimming is safety. So the first outings are actually not about diving in and seeing how far you can go. Instead, they are about making sure your body and brain are ready to swim in open water. 

Jump on in, the water is freaking cold!