如果仍然不哈佩面对面比赛在你的区域ning yet, consider checking out virtual race alternatives. Organizations of all sizes across the country are planning events of all distances and for athletes of all levels. Experts say they can be an equally effective way to stay motivated toexerciseand perhaps even achieve a personal best.
Here’s what you should know about this racing trend.
什么是虚拟种族？
跑步和其他组织已经提供了一段时间的虚拟比赛选择，但是在过去的一年中，他们肯定会受到欢迎，这要归功于COVID-19restrictions and the cancellation of many large, in-person gatherings.
像其他比赛一样，您注册并可能支付注册费，其中可能包括典型的比赛票价，例如围兜，T恤和奖牌。根据比赛和计划的组织，您可以参加同步活动，在该活动中，参与者都在自己的位置自行运行（或步行，慢跑或骑自行车），但同时又有自己的位置。大多数事件都涉及使用应用程序跟踪您的活动。充电运行，例如，主持现场虚拟竞赛，其中跑步者同时在应用程序上融合在一起。或者，您可能会有一个时间窗口，在此期间您应该参加活动。
“Most virtual races will ask you to complete your race between certain time frames, often two weeks,” says Julie Wallock, cofounder of the Charge Running app and aRoad Runners Club of America–certified running coach. Wallock says she’s completed several virtual races.
Similar to in-person events, you can compete against others and compare your race results to theirs.
与现场亲自进行虚拟比赛有好处吗？
Any race — including virtual ones — can be motivating. “Many people like having a goal to work toward,” says克莱尔·巴尔托利（Claire Bartolic），位于北卡罗来纳州阿什维尔的跑步和营养教练，以及Run to the Toppodcast.
根据2015年7月研究Journal of Sport Management, survey data from 211 individuals found that people tended to report higher life satisfaction, as well as getting more satisfaction from running, after training for and participating in a distance running event.
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但是，尤其是虚拟竞赛，您通常会在外部还是内部完成（在跑步机或其他机器上完成）方面具有更大的灵活性。而且，如果您有时间完成活动的窗口，那么您将在一天中的哪个时间和天气条件中完成比赛。
虚拟比赛的另一个优点可能是，鉴于不涉及旅行费用，他们的费用会减少您的费用（如果您不得不去参加活动才能参加比赛）。更不用说，当然，您不必在大人群或长便携式厕所线上麻烦。
Janice Burford-Rose, a 58-year-old life coach in private practice in Herndon, Virginia, ran two virtual marathons in 2020 and loves the convenience virtual races allow. For instance, she ran the first 5 miles of one of the marathons with her dog, she says. Then she dropped the dog at home, grabbed a second cup of coffee, and used the bathroom. She didn’t have to worry about adding minutes to her time waiting in bathroom lines, and she could alter her route to find bathrooms. “It’s always about the bathroom,” she says.
Bartholic说，有了虚拟比赛，您将无法获得与朋友和其他运动员建立联系（当然可以激励的）。但是，对于虚拟比赛，您仍然可以获得比起完全跑步（或进行其他活动）时获得更多的团体体验。
巴尔托利（Bartholic）说，她的几个跑步客户在实际上已经参加了他们的个人最佳时光。
There was even a surprising silver lining for Burford-Rose. “Even though I’d run many marathons, I felt a special sense of accomplishment doing this all on my own,” she says. “It was empowering.”
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What Should You Know Before Doing a Virtual Race?
您曾经从传统种族中使用的许多相同的东西仍然适用于虚拟比赛。对于任何虚拟或亲自的种族，训练都很重要。沃洛克说：“无论您的距离如何，您都必须训练。”您必须花多少时间来做这件事将取决于您赛车的距离。毕竟，一名5K的训练将少于一半或全部马拉松。
You’ll also need to plan for the race, making sure you check the rules to know how much time you have to do the race and whether you have to run all the miles in one day. Planning includes mapping out your route before you go. “Even though it is virtual, you don’t to want to guess your route on race day,” Wallock says.
And be sure to check ahead of time how you log your results. (Oftentimes the race will instruct you to download an app to track your event or you may be able to sync results from another type of tracker you already use.)
Plan what you’ll eat and drink ahead of the race (as you would for an in-person event) and how and where to get snacks and water along the route (or ones you can pack and bring with you).
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“You can set up your own aid stations with exactly what you like and what works for you,” Bartholic says — depending on where you’ll do the event. Or maybe you run loops around your house and have your kids (or neighbors) pass cups of water to you as you fly by. Or maybe a family member or friend bikes alongside you and hands gels to you whenever you need them.
And don’t forget to plan ways to help you stay motivated through the event (especially for longer races). Let neighbors know what you’re doing and ask if they can come out and cheer you on, or ask friends or family to hold up a finish line tape, Burford-Rose says.
最重要的是，请记住安全。携带身份证，然后让别人知道您的路线。
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您如何找到虚拟竞赛？
现在，组织比以往任何时候都提供虚拟竞赛选择。检查在线跑步组和本地跑步社区，这些社区通常包含即将举行的虚拟竞赛列表。
Here are a few resources to help you find virtual races in your area:
坏蛋跑步公司：从数十个虚拟慈善活动中进行选择，以便您可以散步或在任何地方跑步，获得奖牌，并在汗水上做一些好处。
充电运行：该应用不仅全年提供虚拟运行，还可以实现和按需跑步锻炼。
走了: This site hosts numerous themed virtual races, all of which donate a percentage of the registration fees to charity. Some have set distances, while you can set your distance for others.
Virtual Pace Series: Whether you run or walk, you can find numerous live 5Ks and 10Ks. Do it at home on the treadmill or even on your bike. Just log your results, and you’ll get a medal in the mail.
