Virtual Races. Until this morning, I had always considered them to be the athletic equivalent of kissing your sister.. they just can’t really be counted. (I should here note that a. I don’t have a sister, and b. I could have thought of a better phrase. In any case, I shall continue with this possibly fatuous piece of writing.)
With the pandemic continuing seemingly unabated here in Tokyo, and with race cancellations becoming the norm, I decided to dip my big toe into the seemingly chilly pool of virtual races. Expecting my big toe to soon experience hypothermia and possible amputation, I was pleasantly surprised at the warm and agreeable nature of virtual races.
After being invited to participate in a virtual half-marathon a few weeks ago, I didn’t know what to expect. My virtual race virginity seemed to be affecting my confidence. Should I taper? Should I lay off the beers the night before? In the end, the answer to those two questions, was a yes and a no.
As race morning approached, I decided upon the decidedly ungodly hour of 5:50am to attempt to lose my virtual race virginity.
Leaving home at 5:00am, the local garbage collectors and newspaper delivery guys looked at me as though I should be heading to the fabled Bedlam hospital and not the (not-so-fabled) Tama River.
As the imaginary gun went off (I decided to start when a stray cat finally decided to move off the path), I settled into a rhythm and ran. No cheering. No water stations. No banners. No other competitors. In the days leading up to this virtual race, I felt this might be a depressing factor to this style of race. It wasn’t. As the kilometers began to accumulate, I realized that running, and racing, is about me vs me. It always has been. It always will be. If there is no-one else in the race, it ultimately doesn’t matter, as the most important factor is still there – the challenge of defeating those creeping doubts and negative thoughts when legs get heavy, breathing gets difficult and muscles begin to cramp. There is nowhere to hide – if you’re on a course with ten thousand, or running by a river with ten ducks, the battle remains the same.
In the age of pandemics, “new normals” and everything that that may entail, I am excited by the reality of the virtual.
This morning was awesome.
I feel that perhaps it wasn’t my sister that I kissed….
Japan Boy Running 