Enjoy the process

If 2020 taught us one thing, it’s that we need to be able to love the process of training as much as racing itself. “We always told our athletes to be focused on the journey, because the journey is your daily meditation, the work that you put in every single day,” says Fraser. “And the completion of that work on race day is really just the icing on the cake.” Race day matters, but as Thoreau pointed out, the important part of any goal is who you become on the way to achieving it.

“The bright side of last year is that it’s helped racers remember to love the race and stress less on the start line,” says Kabush. “Now, we’re just so thrilled to be able to race that it’s easy to feel excited rather than nervous. When you are stressed on the start line, ask yourself, what if someone told you the race was cancelled or you couldn’t be here? You’ll quickly remember why you’re there.”

Molly Hurford is a fitness and nutrition writer, ultrarunner, endurance coach and co-author of The Consummate Athlete. She lives and trains in Collingwood, Ont.