Disappointments

This year I have experienced one disappointment after another because of COVID-19 restrictions. First, they canceled the Birkenbeiner and replaced it with a virtual race, and now there is a possibility they may cancel the Victoria Marathon. Whenever I check their website to register for the race, I always get a message that says the marathon is still a possibility, but the organizers don’t know what rules or regulations the British Columbia government will require in October to run the event. Last fall when I entered the Victoria Marathon, I never expected they could cancel it because of the pandemic.

COVID-19 restrictions have also forced me to give up on competing in the Sylvan Triathlon this summer. The restrictions have closed swimming pools, preventing me from swimming, and also forced my bike club to shut down group training rides. I’ve been riding on my own, but it is impossible to compete in a triathlon when I have done no swimming. As a result, I will try again next year. It’s disappointing because it has been over 20 years since my last triathlon and I was looking forward to competing in one again this summer. Regardless, I don’t think it matters what I decide because I expect they will cancel the Sylvan Lake Triathlon later this spring.

Restrictions have also affected the travel plans that Michelle and I made for the spring. We booked a campground in Canmore and were looking forward to biking both Lake Minnewanka and Bow Valley Trail in the Banff National Park, but the number of infections is dangerously high in Banff and residents are asking people not to visit. During June we planned on a road trip to Dawson City, Yukon to celebrate the Summer Solstice, but the Yukon government requires that everyone quarantine first before traveling around their province. I expect this policy to remain in place until Alberta gets its act together.

Until they officially cancel the Victoria Marathon, I have no choice but to start my training program at the end of the month. I will follow the Novice 1 Marathon program designed by Hal Higdon. Hal Higdon is an elite runner turned author who has written three dozen books on training for long-distance running. His program is eighteen weeks, running four times a week with a gradual increase in distances. In the first week I run 25 km, with a long run of 10 km, and I peak on the fifteenth week when I will run 64 km, with a long run of 32 km. The program allows me to skip one or two midweek runs as long as I don’t miss the long run. If I don’t miss any runs, I will run over 650 km. I am supposed to run at a slow pace and am encouraged to take walking breaks when needed.

The Novice 1 program has no tempo runs, interval training, or hill runs. I’ve decided that I will avoid hill training in fear of aggravating my Achilles tendon, but will add a few tempo or interval runs towards the end to increase my speed. I like the program because it has two rest days and one cross-training day. On the cross-training day, I will bike, but will also try to fit in some swimming, hiking, or canoeing. I am sure Higdon mentioned canoeing as a good cross-training activity to prepare for a marathon.

It takes hard work and commitment to prepare for a marathon, and all my effort could be for nothing if they cancel the Victoria Marathon. I fear we will never reach herd immunity because of vaccine hesitancy, new COVID-19 variants, and millions of children who can’t be vaccinated. Unless the race organizers can guarantee the safety of the runners, they may have no choice but to postpone the marathon until the following year. However, there is hope, because millions have been vaccinated already, and with continued health regulations, the curve can be flattened, allowing many restrictions to be removed without overwhelming the health system. Please, everyone, get your vaccinations and follow the regulations, so we can all go back to living our normal lives.

There is one more disappointment I need to mention, and that is I can’t watch the Edmonton Oilers playoff games at Rexall this spring. After purchasing season tickets several years ago, I have been looking forward to when I can use them to watch playoff games, but COVID-19 restrictions are preventing me from attending games. It’s been a long time since they’ve had a winning team and could win the Stanley Cup, and now I have to watch them on television instead. However, I will get over my disappointment if they can make a come back and defeat the Winnipeg Jets in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs and go on a playoff run.

Go Oilers Go!