How Lina Bo is going through lockdown in Spain, it was not easy…
(Lina Bo) I would start from a day when my boyfriend and I were going to Italy for the Strada Bianche race. It was March 5th and at that time we knew that only north of Italy was infected and the race was in Siena (south), so in theory, we had no problems. Everything looked fine and all people were pretty calm. Just one day before our flight we got the news that the race was canceled due to COVID-19, but we still were able to go to Siena and ride by ourselves. Finally, we decided to stay home.
The next week after that, it was pretty good in Spain. We were free to go out, even though we already had some cases of COVID-19 in our area. We’ve got news about the lockdown on March 15th, and it was the last day when I rode a bicycle outside. People still were positive and the general information said this lockdown is only for 2 weeks, nothing to worry about. They were telling me “Two weeks we can stay at home, no problem”. And it was more a suggestion from the government than the real prohibition. Some people were able to go to work etc.
The situation started to be really serious after two weeks of lockdown when Spain arrived to get about 8000 new cases and 900 deaths every day. At that time (around March 26th) we started to be on total lockdown. Everyone had to stay home. We could only go to the grocery, pharmacy and for a short walk with dogs – all close to our homes.
What about my situation with all what happened? I have to throw back and tell you a little bit about myself. Until I was 26 year old I lived in Russia and didn’t do any sport, it was very hard to practice cycling or something more in my area. So since I moved to Spain I live every day of my life like the last one. I ride almost every day outside, because now I live in a very beautiful place and I really enjoy staying within nature. So you can imagine how hard it was for me at the time of lockdown. The first two weeks I tried to keep myself positive, I had an indoor cycling trainer and I could continue my workouts. But day by day I was getting more upset and depressed…
We didn’t have two weeks of lockdown, we had to stay at home for two months. The hardest time for me started in the 20’s of April, when I stopped to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe my Instagram posts were still positive that time but inside of me and in real life I was under total depression. And I think the real reason that made me so sad is the quantity of people dying every day. Innocent people who had real rights to continue their lives. Honestly I had some days when I was crying and laying in the bad all day. This week I almost didn’t ride at home. Mentally I wasn’t ready to do anything. I asked myself, why am I so mentally weak? Why did I convert from optimist to pessimist in such a short time? Maybe because I’m an artist and we are very sensitive people?… I don’t have an answer to this question.
I started to feel better the last days of April, not because of news about maybe we can go outside soon, not because of good statistics of infection in Spain… Because I realised, we were not on lockdown that time. I understood that since 15 of March 2020 life has changed. I am afraid it will never be the same as before, or at least until we find the vaccine, if we will find it, that I hardly believe it. I put up with the fact that life will never be as before and I can’t continue to cry all the time… Maybe this took me back to stay positive.
Today is May 7th and I am writing this story. Since May 2nd we are able to leave for outdoor exercises and walks. With a lot of restrictions, but at least we have something.
I would like to write a new story about Lockdown in Spain due to COVID-19 in a couple of months and say that I was wrong. To say that now, in August 2020, everything is wonderful, and we no longer have this virus. I hope I will. But I will never forget what happened. Never forget all those people who have died…
(Coach Damian) Lina told us a personal story, she wanted to share with us her hard experience as an active person, who loves to ride her bike and be outside. I got a chance to virtually meet Lina on February 12th, since then we got a chance to talk on the phone a few times. Lina wasn’t alone with her depressions and demotivation. Many of Cyklopedia’s members have experienced this type of feeling.
That unique situation forced us to completely change our training routines, not speaking of changing whole lives. All of the races were canceled, you can’t go for a ride with your friends, or even alone.
The motivation was decreasing drastically, “Why would I workout if there is no racing coming?” many people asked.
But even this situation can teach us a lot, only if we willing to learn.
Good thing is to think long-term, even if you miss one, two, or ten races, eventually, it will come back, maybe in a few months or next year. I always tell my athletes to plan even five years ahead and think what is the “big” goal they want to achieve. All races, group rides, or every single workouts is only one little step on the long journey. The long-term goals will help you to stay focus and keep your motivation high.
“But what if I am not racing?”
Setup other goals, like staying in good shape, losing weight, or improving your performance. Encourage your friends and do it in the group so you can motivate each other.
Stay active in “social virtual life”. Everyone moved from outdoor to indoor, but we are still communicating through tools like Facebook, Instagram, Strava, TrainingPeaks, or Zwift.
Zwift is a great option to ride with friends, you can communicate through the Discord and go for “group ride” on your trainer.
Lina was active on her Instagram profile, where she was showing only positive emotions, which is good, she could help many other peoples even without knowing it. She was the inspiration for all of her followers, but remember that we all are just humans and we need to talk with others. Don’t be afraid to talk to your friends and tell them what is going on, depression can be very hard for everyone who is dealing with it.
The conversation is always a good thing to do as well as a sport can be a great “healer”, physical activities are helping people with depression for many years. With the right plan and strategy, everyday activities can help you, maybe it is a good time to take a break from cycling and try different things. Core training or balance training can be very helpful when cycling season comes back.
Feel free to reach out to the Cyklopedia team if you need help!
