ATHLETICS
Daemon Anastas on the way to the top of Broken Top mountain with his sons,Tristan and Aidan.
Multisport Athletes Share Tips for Staying Motivated
W
ith races cancelled, MAC athletes have needed to get creative to stay motivated. Some are taking a step back and trying something new, others are finding ways to race virtually or set new challenges for themselves to keep the competition alive. We checked in with a few MAC multisport athletes to hear what they have been up to and get ideas for how to stay motivated and active during this time. Here are some of the ideas they shared.
Race Virtually With in-person racing on hold, race companies have found creative ways to host events. There are a plethora of virtual races, from relay-style events to virtual runs and triathlons. Participants in this year’s virtual MAC Mile were asked to run one mile for time anywhere they wanted during a two-week window and upload their results. David Harding raced the MAC Mile on the road instead of a track and participated in five Portland Running Club Bridge Challenge virtual races. “Running virtual races required me to really create my own race excitement and get race feelings but I think it helped me by generally not going out too fast,” he says.
Aly and Nick Wilson have also been staying active via the virtual MAC Mile and the Shamrock Run. “The very first one we did was Shamrock Run, which was cancelled days before the race was scheduled. Nick and I had fun running it on the original date, and we didn’t mind being able to sleep in and avoid the usual crowds!” notes Aly. Daemon Anastas took on a longer challenge — running four miles every four hours for 48 hours. He wasn’t alone. He put together a Strava (an online athletic tracker and social network) group to track progress as he raced with four others in Europe.
Get the Family Involved One of the most enjoyable ways to stay active is by getting others involved! Lina Reiss shared: “We have been walking daily with the dogs, playing badminton in our backyard — my husband misses his squash — and coming up with bike-ride outings with a destination enticing enough to drag the 13-year-old from the computer; last time we went to pick up doughnuts.” Don Ollila and his family have been “running in the neighborhood and taking virtual MAC Karate lessons.” Continued on page 58
56 | The Wınged M |
SEPTEMBER 2020
