Today, while running, a peculiar thought crossed my mind. Although, at first, it wasn’t really a thought but more of a feeling. The thought came a little later, but it hit me like a ton of bricks: my body no longer feels like an athlete’s body.
The COVID-19 pandemic was a sad but perfect opportunity to engage with mathematics. Suddenly, we were all confronted with incidence rates, overwhelmed with statistics, and had to deal with probabilities. On a very personal level, with the likelihood of getting infected or the question of how reliable the newly developed COVID-19 tests were. Questions that could decide on freedom, health, and for some even on life and death.
It’s been a strange irony that I, lying in my bed, should stumble upon a book that deals so intimately with the very thing that had brought me low. Covid had robbed me of my strength and left me short of breath, and yet it was in the midst of this struggle that I found distraction and, yes, a tune up.
As I step out into the chilly air, I can feel the weight of the past year bearing down on my shoulders. My Achilles tendon still aches, a constant reminder of the injury that has slowed me down for so long. And yet, despite the pain and the setbacks, I lace up my shoes and begin to run. It’s the first day of a new year, and I am determined to make it a successful one.
You probably have experienced it yourself, or you may have read headlines like this one: «Running is enjoying a boom because of the coronavirus pandemic». And yes, it’s true. Gyms were closed. Spin classes and boot camps had been canceled. People were stuck at home for most of the day for a long time. So running has seen a boom during the coronavirus pandemic. But what about the overall statistics? Did people run more during the pandemic?