By Libby Dykes, Garmin Ambassador, @iron_tica
With the coronavirus pandemic impacting all sides of our lives, many people could also be struggling to remain motivated with our coaching. Beneath regular circumstances, races have served as useful sources of motivation. They gave us a goal or vacation spot to achieve for and full. They pushed us to enhance our efficiency and monitor our progress towards our objectives. With most occasions canceled for security causes, you could really feel considerably misplaced or adrift.
Over the previous few years, I’ve seen important enhancements in my efficiency as an Ironman athlete and marathon runner. Races have performed an integral position in that progress. Coaching for the following massive occasion has at all times been a big motivational issue for me. With bold private objectives for this yr, I watched my races postponed after which canceled. I’ve witnessed lots of my associates lose their motivation to train. Despite the fact that I used to be more and more annoyed by the shortage of occasions, my motivation hasn’t essentially faltered. Why?
Knowledge Has Turn out to be My New Inside Hearth
After we don’t know when our subsequent race shall be, we should discover a new inspiration supply. Monitoring my efficiency on my Garmin Forerunner 945 offers me a way of private satisfaction as I’m capable of monitor my enhancements (or lack of) each day. The options on my watch allow me to interrupt down my progress in essential areas akin to pace, cadence and type. You will need to monitor different important components like Physique Battery™, warmth acclimatization and altitude acclimatization.
Knowledge for Digital Marathons
Additionally, we’re once more seeing a wave of progressive digital occasions emerge in response to the pandemic just like the Garmin Million Miles Problem that I’m taking part on this fall. Utilizing the metrics out of your Garmin gadget, you’ll be able to full every kind of difficult actions!
This yr I’ve participated within the Garmin Land of Oz half marathon, utilizing the PacePro™ pacing methods function and scoring a brand new PR; the Conqueror English Channel Problem, the place I swam 21 miles in my native pool; and the Limitless Vertical Problem (phew, speak about elevation acquire!). For me, despite the fact that they might not change the dwell variations, it was nonetheless so rewarding to really feel a way of accomplishment alone from these digital occasions.
Throughout these loopy occasions of no racing, we are able to discover OUR motivation to maintain transferring within the numbers. With the assistance of our Garmin health units and the Garmin Join™ app, we are able to monitor our progress and see the place we have to enhance. Sure, you aren’t competing in opposition to different athletes, however typically the perfect challenger is YOU. Our outcomes can really encourage us to achieve new ranges – with or with out races. And once we can race once more in particular person, we’ll be that a lot stronger.
