Like many coaches I have been unable to work directly with runners during the lockdown period. However, my work continued from a distance guiding and supporting runners through their weekly training and assisting them to adjust within the constraints of the lockdown. One of the mechanisms for this were the weekly Zoom question and answer sessions with international athletes. Topics covered the full range of distances from middle to Ultra distance. These interviews were private for the runners I work with, thus providing an opportunity for them to catch up with their peers whilst gaining knowledge and experience from a guest interviewee. Without exception all the guests were highly inspiring and keen to share their knowledge and experience.
A key point that came out was that they are human just like ourselves and for all the training, racing did not always go to plan. However, as we heard during the interviews a race was not lost until the athlete crossed the finish line. Equally the significant thing was how they dealt with disappointment; not wishing to spend time dwelling on the result but instead looking to the future and turning a negative into a positive.
A learning point for us all