Allyson Felix.Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty
Allyson Felixhas been staying flexible when it comes to finding ways to keep up her training regimen amid theCOVID-19 pandemic.
While chatting with PEOPLE to promote her partnership withBoseand theirBose Frames Tempo, the 35-year-old sprinter says that the ongoing health crisis has altered how she trains and forced her to think outside of the box ahead of the 2020Summer Olympics, which wererescheduledto July and August 2021.
Detailing that her time as an athlete amid the pandemic has been “really challenging,” Felix tells PEOPLE exclusively, “I’ve trained at parks and in the street and kind of empty baseball fields,” before noting that she has worked out “all over the place.”
“The stay-at-home orders have really been a struggle,” she adds. “Our facilities have been shut down and we’ve had to really turn to get creative.”
But despite the change in routine, Felix says she keeps a positive attitude and notes that it is “really just being able to pivot.”
“It was something that was really hard to deal with,” Felix says. “As an Olympic athlete, timing is everything and you make so many sacrifices to be able to be ready in the moment. So when I learned that it wasn’t going to be happening, it was pretty crushing.”
She adds: “I had to take space to deal with that, to grieve that, and then pick up the pieces and figure out how am I going to be ready a year from now?”
Felix says she was able to “put things in perspective,” however, and recognize that she was not the only one dealing with loss.
“Everyone has been experiencing loss in some form, whether that’s the extreme of loss of life or loss of jobs,” she shares. “It quickly reminds me of how much I’m blessed with and [that I have] so many things to be grateful for.”
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With an innovative design that is both sweat-resistant and water-resistant, the sunglasses offer Felix a chance to jam out and prep for the games.
“I love that they’re designed specifically for sports because they have such a secure fit, they’re comfortable and they’ve just really been an asset to my training. Whether it’s the intense stuff that’s for my profession or if it’s just casually going for a run,” she notes. “I’ve loved really integrating them into my everyday training plan.”
And one artist the athlete loves to listen to while using the frames?Beyoncé.
“I’m a huge fan,” Felix tells PEOPLE. “I really love upbeat music that gets me feeling ready to get into my alter ego and tackle whatever’s coming my way.”
source: people.com
