Quarantine
Quarantine: [mid 17th century: from Italian quarantina ‘forty days’, from quaranta ‘forty’.]
noun
noun: quarantine; plural noun: quarantines
a state, period, or place of isolation in which people or animals that have arrived from elsewhere or been exposed to infectious or contagious disease are placed.
By now, we’re all aware that restrictions on movement and how we live our lives are here to stay. Our default response is to seek an endpoint; a time when normality will return, whatever ‘normality’ may present itself as when we reach it.
But it’s simply not something that is possible to find amid a pandemic.
The criterion that will determine the duration of this lockdown is the creation and distribution of a vaccination. Credible sources believe this is possible in roughly 12 – 18 months. A remarkable feat, if achieved, given the associated complexities.
In the meantime, what do we do while we wait for it to happen?
Truthfully, nobody really knows. Many have opinions on what we should be doing, some more plausible than others, but in the interests of being honest, maybe it’s best that we hold our hands up and say that we simply don’t have an answer.
Almost inevitably, restrictions on movement are likely to be eased, but only when we know the worst is over and we don’t run the risk of overwhelming the NHS.
This period of uncertainty continues to challenge the way we think and act. As human beings, our thirst for control and clarity supersedes almost any other of our instinctive behaviours.
It has exposed us in ways we have never been exposed before and left us craving certainty in a world where there is no feasible way for it to exist.
What we do know is that our response in the UK is largely influenced by a report released by leading epidemiologists from Imperial College.
The model of this report paints a far more restrictive picture than the information provided to us through the mainstream media. For sport, the model poses several difficult questions:
Can sports with an established ‘season’ adapt to continued uncertainty and adjust to a longer calendar of up to 18 months?
Could they adopt shorter, alternative competition models based on short 2-4 week windows at very short notice? These could be a small group or cluster leagues, or knockouts competitions which are more locally organised.
Could events be more flexible with dates being decided at short notice, or from several different options? Would that result in a smaller scale, local events which can be more flexible becoming more important? And would bigger, national events be reduced in size and proportion owing to the logistical challenges and potentially wasted effort?
Will governing bodies be able to continuously review their options on forms and formats that can be picked up, and laid down, at short notice?
Will event organisers need to be aware of a reluctance of participants and spectators to attend large scale events with lots of social mixing until an effective vaccine is in place?
Can sport, as a whole, give an appropriate level of reassurance on hygiene and safety whilst coronavirus is still circulating?
Contemplating a 12-18 month timeframe and trying to address the questions raised by the report can result in a feeling of uneasiness, especially amongst those of us who seek solace in crossing a finish line.
So, as we always do at RÁS, let’s make sense of where we are, explore how we can adapt and focus on the silver linings that exist.
Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, we can still train, both indoors and outdoors. This is something to be extremely grateful for. We’re still able to chase the sunrise, breathe in the freshness of the countryside or appreciate the green spaces nestled within cities that can feel like concrete jungles. These are privileges we intend never to take for granted.
‘I can't explain the sheer gratitude I have for still being able to blend outdoor training with the many hours spent indoors. Even while we're observing social distancing in the midst of a lockdown, riding and running outside reminds me of the beauty that can be found so close to home’
Second, we must remember that connecting with one another and creating small, intimate training groups is what we do best. This sense of connection is what sustains us, now more than ever.
Our small community has, and continues to, support one another through this extraordinary period. We have had to alter the way in which we connect but, somehow, it feels as though we are closer than ever.
Our shared curiosity entices a deeper level of conversation, whether that’s through WhatsApp or Zoom. It’s refreshing to feel a shared connectivity in dealing with this new way of living and sharing even the smallest acts of kindness helps to remind us that we are not alone.
‘I used to think that my intrinsic motivation and discipline were untouchable traits, that nothing would get in my way and I didn’t need teammates to help me through. How wrong could I be? Lockdown has shown me that I need people to talk to, to chew the fat with if you like; people with whom I can share stories.
While COVID has torn the world's exterior apart, it has revealed something that is far more important than we realised it was before: it's people that matter over everything else. That's what I'll remember about this period’
Thirdly, we can create challenges that encompass the various abilities we have within our group, aligned with our training phases that complement long term goals.
Over the last month, Tour de Quarantine (#TdQ) has played out over 18 stages, utilising TrainerRoads’ Group Workout feature which launched recently. Fiercely competitive, it’s provided a much-welcomed, race-like focus for our athletes. Through each stage, we stripped the stress away from the cardiac system, sending it instead to the muscles via low-cadence, over-gearing efforts. It brought out the very best in them, not just as athletes, but as people, too.
And this time that we’ve spent training in isolation has also afforded us the opportunity to work on aspects of performance that are often neglected. With the rest of our routine stripped back, our athletes have had the chance to focus on their strength, power, capacity and mobility, supported by sessions delivered remotely by their strength and conditioning coach.
‘When all that is ’the norm’ disappears out the window, messages from leaders vary from reassurance to scaremongering. A training plan, supplemented by a challenge to mobilise our efforts, gives us what we crave during times of uncertainty: a sense of control’
Finally, it’s been important for us to remember that, for us and our athletes, the goals have always been long-term. It’s in the name. We race, knowing that every finish line is a new beginning, but ultimately we strive, conscious that there is no end. When you’re the infinite player you will always find a way. Whether it be two years or five until we toe the line of a major race we will, between now and then, continue to do what we need to better ourselves.
Quarantine has magnified experiences across the spectrum. For some, quarantine is optimal. For others, it continues to be marred with tragedy and suffering.
To focus on what we can do is not us dismissing the seriousness of the situation. It’s a form of self-preservation and our way of showing solidarity with those we engage with; we truly are in this together.
We don’t know when races will return but, one day, they will. And the next medal placed over your head will be the one you’ve worked hardest to earn.
For now, there’s no end to find a meaning in. We must find meaning in the story instead. But remember: sport in its purest form is its own reward and sometimes the journey is as important as the destination.
