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7 Tips to Help You Get Motivated for a Virtual Race

COVID-19 has certainly made 2020 an interesting year hasn’t it? Before COVID, I had signed up for a 10K, a 15K and two half marathons. All four cancelled, and two of them went virtual. How do you get motivated for a virtual race?

As a gymnast growing up, I loved competing! I loved the adrenaline rush of people watching, and lived for that moment of “sticking” my routine. My heart would beat so fast but I just couldn’t get enough! Although I coached for many years, it never brought me the same joy as being out there on the floor.

I feel the same way about races. I love being squished in the corals with all the other racers and seeing what they are doing to get psyched for the race. Hearing “O Canada” and the gun going off to signify the start of the race gets my adrenaline pumping. I love running by all the people clapping and cheering and filming as you run by. And of course, I love the feeling of accomplishment I get when I cross that finish line. It’s part of my “Why” that keeps me going!

All those things motivate me when I’m training for a race! I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to prepare for a virtual race, when so much was missing. When I started training for my first half marathon this year, COVID has just started to hit Edmonton and I was worried there was a chance it would be cancelled. I decided to train anyways and hope for the best! When the race got cancelled and went virtual, I decided to continue. I won’t lie, it was hard. But I found the following 7 tips helped me get motivated for all the virtual races I did this year.

Pick a virtual race that gives you some swag

Confession: I am motivated by medals. Maybe it’s my gymnastics competition background, but I love receiving a medal at the end of each race. I once ran a half marathon where I didn’t get a medal at the end and it felt so wrong. Now I make sure any race I sign up for has a medal!

One of my races that turned virtual still offered the race shirt and some perks for running the virtual race. I also found a couple other virtual to sign up for as the year went on! They may not send out your medal/swag until after the official race date so you can submit your proof of time, but it sure feels good to get something for all of your hard work!

A few of the virtual race medals I’ve earned this year.

Share your goal with others

Who doesn’t love moral support? Tell others about your race so they can help you get psyched for it! For both races my husband and my kids set up a makeshift finish line on our driveway. After I ran across the “finish line” they awarded me my medal, gave me a piece of fruit and a bottle of water! And of course all of the hugs. After my second race, some of my coworkers made me a video telling me how proud they were of me! It really made me feel good after running all those kilometres.

Find a training plan and stick to it

There are many free and paid training plans out there to help you reach your running goals. I found it nice to have a training plan to log all of my runs as it helps you to see your progress! Most of the time, I have used the training programs through the Nike Running app. They are fully customizable – you put in how many days a week you can train, how many kilometres you generally run in a week, and what your average pace is and it caters the plan to you. I just completed the half marathon plan in June, and started the marathon one in August before my marathon in January got cancelled. I also adjust the long runs depending on how I’m feeling that week (sometimes, I go longer or shorter than the plan suggests).

You can also check out RunDisney, Another Mother Runner, and Run To the Finish for other training programs!

Prepare like you would for a live race

Just because you are doing a virtual race, doesn’t mean you should prepare differently. Before both of my virtual half marathons, I put my clothes out the night before, woke up an hour before I had to go to eat my usual race day breakfast, and made sure my playlist was set & downloaded before I left. I didn’t eat anything new the few days before race day, and I didn’t wear anything new – similar to if I was running an in-person race. Doing these things really helped my motivation level!

Plan your route in advance

For most of my weekly runs I wing it. I have a few trusted routes that I know well and I alter them a little bit depending on how far I need to go that week. But for my half marathon, I wanted to make sure that I had a good route! So a few days before the race I took my bike out and biked the route so I could mentally prepare where to go. It really helped, and now I know I can expand from there when I need to go longer for marathon training runs.

Finding a beautiful path just makes me feel good as I run through it! Picture was taken in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Have a good playlist

Since you’ll be missing the crowd, the pump-up groups and the noise of an in-person race, make sure you have a good playlist! I often change up my playlist every few months. Plan to have a long enough list to cover your expected time with an extra 10-15 minutes worth of songs just in case! I usually take a bunch of songs from my old playlists that I like, and then add tunes that I’ve heard on the radio lately (I use Shazam to save them on my phone), or search for artists I like and go through their discography to find new tunes. I also put out the ask on social media for ideas from my friends!

Stay positive

Living in the midst of a pandemic can definitely bring some negative thoughts every once and awhile. It’s hard to see the positive when we’ve gone through so much these last six months. I view running as my escape fro the real world – when I go out there I daydream, brainstorm, and enjoy the fresh air while listening to my favourite tunes. I smile or wave to every runner I run by and most of the time they do the same back. Rarely do I come home from a run not feeling in a good mood. Keeping that positivity will definitely help you get through a virtual race, and all the runs in between!

Running virtual races challenge your mental toughness, but should give you the same kind of sense of accomplishment as in-person races. One day we’ll get back to those in-person races but for the time being, we may as well enjoy what we do have. Although not the same, virtual races have filled some of the void that was missing this year with no in-person races. Fingers crossed we can get back to those in 2021!

What about you? Do you get motivated by virtual races or do you prefer in-person? Would love to hear from you!

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A Little About Me…

My name is Dianne and I live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I’m a mom of 2, I love to run, I love my city and I have a weakness for caramel…

Follow me on my running journey to run my first marathon before I turn 40! Raw, sweet & a little salty!

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runningoncaramel

runningoncaramel
Sparkly eye makeup ✅ Buzz Lightyear shirt ✅ @l Sparkly eye makeup ✅ Buzz Lightyear shirt ✅ @lululemon aligns ✅ day with family ✅ ordered sparkly running tights with birthday money ✅ ordered in dinner ✅ had banana cheesecake for dessert ✅ watched an amazing video of some family & friends singing a COVID birthday song to the tune of “I Want It That Way” ✅ received a ton of birthday love ❤️ ✅ 
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This is 39. 🍒
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#yeg #yegmoms #yegmom #igyeg #yeggers #yegblogger #momlife #mommyblogger #momsofinstagram #HappyBirthdayToMe
Every day is a second chance. . . I hung my inspir Every day is a second chance.
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I hung my inspiration board on the wall right inside the door of my bedroom, so I see it every single day. I called it an inspiration board rather than a vision board on purpose. The words, pictures, and quotes on this board inspire me.
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There has been no shortage of tough days in the last 11 months. Some days I feel like the weight of all the things that have changed this pandemic weighs me down. But seeing this board every day makes me smile.
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One of my options for running a marathon this year was a lottery for a race in the US. I opted not to sign up as I can’t be sure I’ll get vaccinated before I go (and that’s non-negotiable for me). The second option was right here in my home city this August - but because of all the uncertainty they have decided to go virtual. I have one more option in October. They have not made a decision on whether the race will go or not so I’m holding my breath. If that cancels - then what? I’m not sure I could get motivated or have the adrenaline to run 42.2 KM on my own. It won’t be the same without a real finish line. But I turn 40 in Feb 22... so I’m running out of time if I want to accomplish my first marathon before I turn 40!
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So many decisions... so much waiting... I guess we’ll see! In the meantime, I will continue to smile every time I walk by this board. ❤️
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If you were me, what would you do? Would love to hear your thoughts.
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#yeg #yegmoms #yegmom #igyeg #yeggers #yegblogger #yegrun #momlife #mommyblogger #honestmotherhood #momsofinstagram #runningmom #runningmoms #inspiration #inspirationboard #myfirstmarathon #DianneRunsAMarathon #wednesdaymotivation #somanydecisions #rundisney #womenwhorun #castmember
𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗱𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗮𝘆.
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It’s a new week & the sun is shining! Let’s start this week on a positive note! What do you have planned for this week? I have some decluttering to do, would like to work on some crafting, fill out my journals, and do some meal planning! 🙌🏼
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#yeg #yegmoms #yegmom #igyeg #yeggers #yegblogger #momlife #mommyblogger #honestmotherhood #momsofinstagram #workingmom #thisismotherhood #mondaymotivation #mondaymood #mondaymorning #starttheweekoffright
Today, I was supposed to be celebrating completing Today, I was supposed to be celebrating completing 42.2 glorious kilometers in @waltdisneyworld and finishing my first marathon! But instead, I am at home and ran 4.22 kilometers in -3 weather (which my asthma wasn’t appreciative of 😬)
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I’ve been grieving this loss since the in-person race was cancelled in late 2020, and I think I’m finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I lost my motivation for awhile but I can feel it coming back. I’m starting to feel inspired again and am energized to start training again for the @banffmarathon (1/2) in June, and a soon to be announced in-person marathon (hopefully 🤞🏼) in the late summer/fall. The 🔥 has returned and I’m here for it!
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The first picture is a throwback from 10 years ago when I ran the DisneyWorld 1/2 marathon. My husband was trying to get the perfect picture and I was like NO I’M ABOUT TO HIT A NEW PR and blew right by. 😬 Sorry hubby. 🤦🏻‍♀️ The second picture is the completion of my run today, on my new early birthday/valentines/anniversary present - an Apple Watch 6! 😍
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Onward and upward my friends! Cheers to a new year of running! 🏃🏻‍♀️💪🏼
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#yeg #yegmoms #yegmom #igyeg #yeggers #yegblogger #yegrun #honestmotherhood #momsofinstagram #runningmom #runningmoms #disneymom #rundisney #secondhalfmarathonever #sundaymotivation
“𝗦𝗵𝗲’𝗹𝗹 𝗕𝗲 𝗢𝗸𝗮𝘆.” - 𝗕𝘂𝘇𝘇 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝗧𝗼𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝟰
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I was supposed to leave earlier today with my family to head to @waltdisneyworld for 9 days of magic! I had a Cars hotel suite picked out, I bought special suitcases for the boys two Christmas’s ago, and had a plan to surprise them with this trip. But alas, COVID had other plans.
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So I shall post this picture with my fave, Buzz Lightyear, from our trip 10 years ago this week when my now-husband and I went to Disneyworld. It was before kids, I was about 20 lbs lighter (😬) and it was a magical time! I miss it, and I’m having a sad moment today.
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Hope to see you real soon, Buzz - when it’s safe to do so! ✈️ 🏰 ❤️
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#yeg #yegmoms #yegmom #igyeg #yeggers #yegblogger #RealLife #honestmotherhood #momsofinstagram #DisneyMom #Disneymoments #MissingDisney #fridayfeels
𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁! 🍒 (𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗶𝗼)
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This lyric from the song “Closing Time” gets me every time. ❤️
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I hear it all the time - don’t make resolutions! You’re never going to keep them! You’re setting up false expectations!
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F that. I still make them. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I am the type of person who loves having something to work towards! When I run, I’m always training for my next race. I’m much more motivated when I’m training for a race than running “just because”. 
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Truth is, I haven’t figured out all my resolutions for this year quite yet, but I plan to within the next couple days. In my blog post, I provided some tips that help me every year when I’m laying out my goals for the following year - so I hope they help you too!
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After 2020, we need something to look forward to. My mental health definitely took a blow last year. But creating and aspiring to new goals excites me. 🔥 
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What are your goals/dreams/resolutions for 2021? I’d love to hear them! ❤️
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#2021 #2021goals #motivation #runninggoals #yeg #yegmoms #yegmom #igyeg #yeggers #yegblogger #yegrun #momlife #mommyblogger #honestmotherhood #momsofinstagram #runningmom #runningmoms #fridayfeeling
❄️ “𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗴𝗼, 𝗹𝗲 ❄️ “𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗴𝗼, 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗴𝗼. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜'𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗮𝘄𝗻...” - 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗜𝘁 𝗚𝗼, 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝘇𝗲𝗻 ❄️
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I ran 628 KM this year! My goal was 500 KM and I’ve never run more than 350 KM in a year, so this was a huge accomplishment! Even though I smashed my goal, something has been bothering me.
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My pace.
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For some reason, I could not get back to my normal pace this year. In January/February I did, but after March, it slowed down and I couldn’t come back. I did other workouts. I ran more consistently than ever before. I saw a nutritionist. I talked to my doctor. I lost some weight.  I used different apps to track my runs. It didn’t matter. Why could I get back there after two babies but not this year? Just another anomaly of 2020 I suppose.
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I think it’s time to let it go, like my good friend Elsa sings in her song. ❄️ I don’t know why this bothered me so much, but the year is almost over & I think it’s time to start over and start fresh. I won’t lie, it’s going to be difficult. I have a tough time letting things go sometimes. But in a few weeks 2021 will be begin and I will *hopefully* slowly begin marathon training again. And that’s something to look forward to. ♥️
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Onward & upward! 👊🏼
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#yeg #yegmoms #yegmom #igyeg #yeggers #yegblogger #yegrun #honestmotherhood #momsofinstagram #runningmom #runningmoms #thursdaymotivation #thursdaythoughts #runningmotivation #yegvirtualrunningclub #goaldigger
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