How AU students are exercising during COVID-19
Running, swimming and group workouts are keeping these Eagles in shape
Ally Fox runs in a cross country race.
Courtesy of Ella Needham
By Zoe Bell | Nov. 5, 2020
Any athlete understands the level of discipline that it takes to get out and train, but it was made even more difficult with American University’s decision to hold the fall semester entirely online. Now, with postponed sports seasons and a lack of widespread access to on-campus gyms, it is harder than ever to find a reason to exercise. Still, AU students have found ways to keep moving.
Freshman Ally Fox was motivated by an advertisement for the Nov. 7 Delaware Canal Half Marathon. Fox said that the upcoming race is a much-needed sense of structure since she was unable to join any on-campus running clubs.
“It’s really hard to get yourself up, that’s why I signed up for a half marathon,” Fox said. “Even though running is one of the few things that keep me mentally sane, I [felt] like [I was] training for nothing.”
Not only was the race something to work for, it also provided a sense of redemption.
“I have a long history of injury issues, and as soon as I started recovering from them, my [high school track] season got cut off last spring,” Fox said. “I have a lot of anger towards losing my last season because I was in the best shape of my life, and I was really ready to run fast.”
In accordance with coronavirus protocol, Fox will wear a face covering at both the start and finish and will run at a distance from others.
“It’s going to be different, but it’s something, and it’s really helpful, so I’m using that as a way to keep going,” Fox said.
With two years of high school cross-country experience and six to seven days of training every week, Fox has ambitious goals to place in the first spot of her age group, running just over 8 minutes per mile.
“I just want to go accomplish something and feel good,” Fox said.
Training for her half marathon has not been a linear process. During her time in quarantine, Fox got injured again and took a two-month break from running. Fox stressed the importance of finding a balance between exercising and knowing when to back off.
“I realized my daily schedule was so messed up,” Fox said. “I would go to bed at 6 a.m. and wake up at 2 [p.m.] because I had nothing to do. As soon as I stopped running, I lost all sense of structure.”
When she was able to run again, Fox said that everything fell back into place.
For CAS freshman Caleb Farris, being a member of the AU swim team keeps him motivated to exercise regularly from his home in Austin, Texas.
Farris attends swim practices every other day after classes and works out at his local gym three times a week. His practices take place at an outdoor pool, with a maximum of two swimmers per lane and 50 percent capacity to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Although AU’s fall swimming championships were canceled, Farris has not lost motivation to stay in shape.
“I’m really competitive,” Farris said. “I want to be better at what I do.”
Like Fox, Farris also has high hopes for his athletic future. He aspires to be able to run a mile in under five and a half minutes, and wants to make the 2024 Olympic trials, he said.
Freshman Kristina Kaufman has an ambitious morning routine to stay active. She wakes up early three days a week to get to the gym in her hometown of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, by 7 a.m. There, Kaufman and her friend work on either their legs, chest or arms.
“I’m more active than I used to be,” Kaufman said. “I’m definitely happy that I’m finally able to [exercise] because I wanted to but never had time with high school.”
She said that the gym she frequents limits customers to three appointments per week, and that everyone is given an individual station complete with a set of weights and a bench. Even at low capacity with a fair amount of restrictions in place, Kaufman has noticed a change in her mental well-being.
Kaufman, a dancer up until this year, hopes to gain arm strength and muscle definition through her workouts, and she is training to be able to do a pull-up. She also goes on weekly three-mile runs with her father.
Likewise, junior health promotion major Gillian Gulley is always on the move. She said that she works out six days a week, which is no surprise since she founded AU CHAARG, a women’s health and fitness club. She has stayed active during quarantine by running, playing soccer with her friends and walking.
Always passionate about the benefits of exercising, Gulley wanted to create a club that embodied fitness and healthy lifestyles.
“[AU CHAARG] definitely helps college students get healthier,” Gulley said. “It’s really hard to keep yourself in shape during college, especially in freshman year.”
This semester, AU CHAARG is holding weekly group workouts over Zoom, including yoga and full body core strength exercises.