#PivotPhl Part 1
Muddillun MuQaribu, Clifton Heights PA
"How have I pivoted, changed, or evolved in my running career since the start of the pandemic.
It started with lockdowns, race cancelations, the summer of racial reckoning, a looooot of frustration, and a loooot of free time, but also a desire to be more active, to find meaningful and safe ways to connect with others, and spend my precious time on things that inspire me.
When the pandemic started, I had been running 35mi in a good week and not having done track workouts in years while only focusing on marathons (you know, all the cancelled ones lately?!).
PRTC was the only club I found online that had a long run meet up on Sunday, and they were faster runners, which I wanted to focus more on as a masters runner and 50-states marathoner. I’d actually started running with them only Sundays just two months before the lockdowns started for added mileage before the March 2020 Atlanta Marathon (Thank God that one didn’t get canceled!), but when the public health restrictions limited almost all social interactions, they were chomping at the bit for safe, outdoor meeting up and so was I. So when they found a way to meet up for the spring and summer, I decided to give the club a chance, misgivings about race and running aside.
As restrictions eased, I went from my usual mileage - most of it alone and not goal-directed - to more Sunday morning long runs with PRTC, Tuesday night PRTC track workouts with two coaches, lots of new running peers, with various paces (with competition and comradery to spare), and a program geared toward fall racing, smaller meet ups with club runners on other days occasionally, downloading and getting into Strava as a social outlet focused on health instead of hype, getting a Garmin GPS smartwatch and training smartly minimum 50mi per week, connecting with several pace peers who push me and encourage me, PRing in the mile, the 5k, the 10k, the 10miler, and even a 17yr career best in the marathon. And I’m meeting A-levels and looking forward to meeting Elite-level cutoffs in race times soon too.
So I’m running longer, I’m running harder, I’m running smarter, with more passion, I’m running more successfully, and I’m running happier."
