With social distancing dominating our immediate future, perhaps no athletes are better equipped to stay active than distance runners. It’s something you can do alone or in small groups with little physical contact required, and if you’re getting competitive, putting some space between yourself and your closest competitors comes naturally.
“Running or any other type of exercise right now is extremely important to keep everyone not just physically healthy, but mentally,” said Krystal Buckley of Antrim, a runner and running coach. “Both of my jobs closed during this time, and for someone like me who is always on the go, it’s very hard to be stuck at home. Running is the only thing that’s still the normal for me and I’m sure many can relate.”
Cancellations surrounding the coronavirus hit the sports world hard, and running was no exception. Buckley said she had three upcoming races canceled, including a marathon this weekend in which she was gunning for a Boston Marathon 2021 qualifying time.
“That hurt the most,” Buckley said. “It was absolutely devastating to log all those miles, especially after bouncing back from having a baby last August, to have it canceled just four weeks in advance.”
But, she’s not letting it get her down.
“I decided to change my attitude from feeling upset to realizing I now have more time to train and to just run without worrying about an upcoming goal for at least a few months,” Buckley said.
Mascenic teacher and track coach Mike Smith is taking advantage of his newfound free time to hit the empty streets.
“One of the reasons I like running so much is the stress release and the good endorphins that come from exercise,” Smith said. “In this time of high stress, that benefit might outweigh the other health benefits that come from running.”
The Monadnock Regional Milers canceled their Chiller series race in New Ipswich, but Smith ran the course solo that Saturday anyway, taking the opportunity to run without a crowd.
“When I was in high school not that many people ran,” Smith said. “Races were smaller with less of everything, prizes, refreshments, entertainment, and usually if you were a runner that automatically social distanced you as everyone else thought you were weird and didn’t want to associate with you. Now races are these big productions with all kinds of activities and hundreds and sometimes thousands of people.”
On his birthday last Thursday, Smith ran four-and-a-half laps of River Road to complete the COVID 19 Mile Social Distance Run, a nationwide event in which runners log their own miles and submit them to a website. Smith completed the run in 2:39:52, one of over 1,600 nationwide to compete. Once again, he had the road to himself, save for a few laps joined by daughter Victoria.