Sun floods through my curtains as I open them, attempting to keep a positive mindset as I get my running clothes on, grab my nature valley granola bar, and walk out the front door.

Today we have a hill workout. Simple enough. I warmup, run to a 400 meter hill, and prepare myself for a painful 8 repetitions. Though it is a pleasant, sunny morning, I can’t help but feel like I’m on auto-pilot. I run up and down that stupid hill over and over until I’m finally done. At this point, getting out of bed was half of the battle. The rest of the battle is staying motivated to finish the workout without my teammates encouraging me and without the exciting conversations that filled the empty air after a draining day of school.

Because of Covid-19, the track season ended as quickly as it started. But, Summit coaches Dave Turnbull and Kari Strang are continuing to push out workouts, along with other track teams throughout the Bend-La Pine district.

“My coaches have always been available for me to email or call and they have been posting workouts throughout all of this,” Bend High School junior, Allie Wilber said. “My teammates have been helping me because they keep me motivated and in the right mindset, whether we’re together or not, I know we’re always running for each other.”

Allie has been continuing to push through quarantine, continuing to work out, all while staying optimistic that there will be a great cross country season in the near-future.

Although it seems pointless to keep training for a nonexistent season, it brings a somewhat norm to my day and personally makes me feel like there is not a worldwide pandemic holding back my high school aspirations.

“We are encouraging athletes to stay consistent with their activity. We are focused on tuning into how they are feeling both physically and mentally- letting that guide effort on a given day,” Cross Country and Track coach Kari Strang said.

Doing what feels right for your body is absolutely vital during this time. Cross Country season is right around the corner, so what better time to prepare and get ahead of the game. Through all the negativity, I am beginning to look at this as a blessing in disguise.

Strang said, “Things such as nutrition, sleep habits, hydration, strength and core, foam rolling, getting in touch with body rhythms. All these seemingly ‘little things’ can have a huge impact on fitness, athleticism and health.”

Quarantine is the perfect time to take a breather, take care of your body and come out with a new perspective on fitness and all the minor details that make all the difference.