Face mask while running (Read 323 times)

Cyberic


    DaveP, the argument is to explain  why they t say the mask you're wearing is to protect others and not yourself. It helps protect others from your spit, and therefore you should wear it, but it does not protect you from catching the virus. It will prevent droplets of water from hitting your nose and mouth. That is some protection, yes, but you're still not protected.

     

    If I were a healthcare worker I would wear a mask,  because it does what it does, and that is great.

      Yeah, it's just an inconvenience we'll have to endure for brief periods of time when we're near other people.

       

      My advice is to run somewhere that there are few or no other people.

       

      I had planned on doing a virtual half marathon this morning, but pulled up short at 10k after I was getting light-headed for some unknown reason. Anyway, the route I chose usually has few people, I had to pull my Buff over my face 4 times for about 10 seconds each time. NOT a big deal at all. It's the polite thing to do at this time, protection or not.

       

      The analogy would be a nudist who has to put pants on when they are in public. They may not agree with it, but it's the polite thing to do, part of the social contract. Even if you personally disagree with wearing pants, it's expected of you in public. Debating about which pants provide the most coverage for your junk from prying eyes, or protection FROM the view of your junk from sensitive eyes is nearly irrelevant.

       

      And I know a lot of people don't like inconvenience, but sometimes they just have to go along to get along. I mean, a lot of people cannot be inconvenienced to use their turn signals while driving, but we'd appreciate it if they made that Herculean effort for the safety of the rest of us.

      60-64 age group  -  University of Oregon alumni  -  Irreverent and Annoying

      Half Crazy K 2.0


        From people watching while running, I've definitely seen people do things while wearing PPE that are questionable at best. Think smoking in gloves with a mask half off, coming out of a grocery store & making a cell phone call, folding a mask down so the outside part is now below the nose and so on. I've also noticed that in the grocery store, once more people started wearing masks (now required), the attempts at social distancing have all but disappeared.

         

        Out running, at most I closely pass maybe 5 people. There is enough room that one or both can move in opposite directions to provide plenty of space. I also have switched times, because the afternoon crowd DGAF and refuses to share.

         

        My personal feeling on the mask/face covering thing is that I feel far less comfortable about my safety when wearing one. It's not something I'm used to, it feels like it's sliding down my nose so I adjust it and with seasonal allergies, the increasse in humidity with it on make my nose run like a faucet. Prior to the mask being required, I was really conscious about not touching my face when out. So basically, I feel like in the attempt to make others around me safer, I am making myself LESS safe. It's not a good feeling. I avoid going out  as much as possible.

          Here in the People's Republic of California, as long as you're more than 2 meters apart (6.56 Merikun feet) when outside you're not required to wear a face covering. I imagine it can't be more strict anywhere else.

           

          That's not really a safe distance, 10 meters is more realistic to avoid contamination, but those are the "rules".

           

          Where I run it's pretty easy to steer wide of people, so that suffices. Other runners and cyclists are good about going wide if there are no face coverings involved. Walkers are a completely different matter, and will take up an 8' wide path with just two of them and not budge an inch. It's for the entitled/clueless walkers that I have a Buff around my neck to pull up.

           

          Like I mentioned, some people are nuerotically freaked out, thinking the virus is 100% fatal, and expect everyone to cater to THEIR fears and beliefs. Rather than stop, pause my watch, engage in a pointless discussion about the known facts of transmission probabilities and recorded hospitalization rates, I just pull up my Buff for a few seconds if I'm forced to go within 2 meters of someone; especially if they are wearing a face covering (clue that they might be overly concerned, because there was NO ONE near them yet they had a mask on).

          60-64 age group  -  University of Oregon alumni  -  Irreverent and Annoying

          Mikkey


          Mmmm Bop

             

            My advice is to run somewhere that there are few or no other people.

             

             

            Or run when it’s raining. Most n00b runners post COVID probably haven’t got a decent wet weather jacket

            5k - 17:53 (4/19)   10k - 37:53 (11/18)   Half - 1:23:18 (4/19)   Full - 2:50:43 (4/19)

               

              Or run when it’s raining. Most n00b runners post COVID probably haven’t got a decent wet weather jacket

               

              Well I don’t either, I just get wet. But still good advice because n00bs are unlikely to run in the rain at all. It is sometimes fun to play “spot the n00b” out there these days though, based on appropriateness of their apparel to the weather, or to running in general.

              Dave

              Mikkey


              Mmmm Bop

                 

                Well I don’t either, I just get wet. But still good advice because n00bs are unlikely to run in the rain at all. It is sometimes fun to play “spot the n00b” out there these days though, based on appropriateness of their apparel to the weather, or to running in general.

                 

                I probably look like a n00b runner because I wear big bass headphones and a lot of my tops aren’t proper running tops. 

                5k - 17:53 (4/19)   10k - 37:53 (11/18)   Half - 1:23:18 (4/19)   Full - 2:50:43 (4/19)

                stadjak


                Interval Junkie --Nobby

                   Or run when it’s raining. Most n00b runners post COVID probably haven’t got a decent wet weather jacket

                  Finally got a good drizzle yesterday.  Got to make my run in peace, here in Chicago.  (It's unfortunate how running under conditions where you need to avoid people in a city strips running of being mentally relaxing).

                   

                  As I run on the street, against traffic, I have to keep an eye on the driverseat of each parked car facing me.  Never know when a door is going to swing out and push you into the middle of the street, or a driver is going to decide to leave his parking spot without a blinker.  There were a surprising number of people just waiting in their cars -- maybe to get away from family?  The only available private refuge?

                   

                  Anyway, hoping for rain today.

                  2021 Goals: 50mpw 'cause there's nothing else to do


                  Intentionally Blank

                    FWIW, my spouse is an MD, and we run without masks. We tried to, but it  it was uncomfortable, and the condensation from our breath made them wet, which is worse, apparently. We just run where we can easily move aside and stay 6 feet away. We also recently passed an infectious disease doctor we know who is a big runner. He was running without a mask.


                    delicate flower

                      I probably look like a n00b runner because I wear big bass headphones and a lot of my tops aren’t proper running tops. 

                       

                      I don't typically listen to music when I run, but I've got these for when I do.  They're a lot easier to pull down than ear buds.

                       

                        It is sometimes fun to play “spot the n00b” out there these days though, based on appropriateness of their apparel to the weather, or to running in general.

                       

                      I saw two ladies this morning running together in winter parkas.  It was nearly 50 degrees.     I was overdressed in a long sleeve shirt.

                       

                       

                       

                      Re: masks, I don't wear one and I am running a lot these days.  I just avoid people.

                      <3

                        Probably at some point we'll get some data on outdoor transmission of the virus and I suspect (though nobody really knows right now, it seems) that your likelihood of transmitting or catching the virus outdoors when passing on the street are so small as to not be worth worrying about. That would be really good to know since, especially in cities, if people could feel safe going outside it would probably do wonders for physical and mental health. On a call with one of my colleagues who lives in a high rise apartment in nyc and she said she hadn't been out of her building in 6 weeks.

                         

                        Here in the burbs I haven't had much trouble avoiding coming within 6 feet of anyone when out running. I avoid popular running/walking locations like the nearby lake unless it's raining and there's a lot less traffic on the roads so if I have to pass someone who's on the sidewalk I just run down the middle of the street.

                        Runners run

                        darkwave


                        Mother of Cats

                          Probably at some point we'll get some data on outdoor transmission of the virus and I suspect (though nobody really knows right now, it seems) that your likelihood of transmitting or catching the virus outdoors when passing on the street are so small as to not be worth worrying about.

                           

                          I suspect the same.  If it were otherwise, it seems by this point we'd be hearing a lot more about construction workers getting it, people who ran the LA marathon in March getting it, etc.

                           

                          As for me:

                           

                          a) in my area in the US, mask wearing is recommended when in stores, or any other public setting where social distancing cannot be maintained. That matches the CDC recommendations.   Many people like to characterize this as "requiring masks at all times" and then accuse runners and cyclists in my area of violations the letter or the spirit of the recommendations, but that is not actually the case.

                           

                          b) similar to others, I do not know of any medical or public health professional who views masks as necessary for running outside, as long as one maintains proper distancing.

                           

                          c) I have tried repeatedly over the years to wear a face covering while running, to reduce pollen or to warm the air I breath in winter; I have never had any success.

                           

                          So...I don't wear a mask.  I give a fair amount of thought to where and when I run, to ensure I have as much space and as little people as feasible.   I regularly pause my watch and step off to the side if I see a point of congestion up ahead (i.e I am about to pass a slower runner at the same time someone is approaching in the opposite direction).

                           

                          I don't wear a buff or something else to pull up as I run either - I don't like the idea of bringing my hands near or on my face any more than needed.  I do wear a wide headband that could, if absolutely necessary, be pulled down to cover nose and mouth.  I would only do that in an unexpected situation where things were so crowded I needed to stop running anyway.

                           

                          The mask-wearing phenomena is interesting.  It's taken the focus completely away from more important but boring stuff like hand-washing, not touching one's face, staying at home if one is symptomatic, maintaining spacing.  Which is concerning and arguably counter productive.

                           

                          People are scared, and when they are scared they grasp on to talismans - something visible and obvious that if they and everyone else can just do, we'll all be safe and this will go away.  I think that's the appeal of masks.

                          Everyone's gotta running blog; I'm the only one with a POOL-RUNNING blog.

                           

                          And...if you want a running Instagram where all the pictures are of cats, I've got you covered.

                          Mikkey


                          Mmmm Bop

                             The mask-wearing phenomena is interesting.  It's taken the focus completely away from more important but boring stuff like hand-washing, not touching one's face, staying at home if one is symptomatic, maintaining spacing.  Which is concerning and arguably counter productive.

                             

                            Totally agree. Some ignorant people think that wearing a mask means that you don’t need to do the important things like washing your hands regularly (or using hand sanitizer) and maintaining space.

                            5k - 17:53 (4/19)   10k - 37:53 (11/18)   Half - 1:23:18 (4/19)   Full - 2:50:43 (4/19)

                            Gizmo2019


                               

                              The analogy would be a nudist who has to put pants on when they are in public. They may not agree with it, but it's the polite thing to do...

                              And I know a lot of people don't like inconvenience, but sometimes they just have to go along to get along. I mean, a lot of people cannot be inconvenienced to use their turn signals while driving, but we'd appreciate it if they made that Herculean effort for the safety of the rest of us.

                               

                              you crack me up...and that is exactly where i live..,too entitled to cover up/move out of the way, and to use turn signals. Don’t get me started...(680 rollovers)

                              Gizmo2019


                                Unfortunately our rainy “season” is over. But first light runs are working...so far. We ll see if someone tries copying THIS new trial!

                                 

                                i do agree that if two ppl are approaching one another on the same path and one sneezes, their droplets would probably fall behind them as they are moving fwd. If I end up being behind someone I end up stopping to increase distance..,then they stop too 🙄..I live with a bunch of idiots..,most are good.,I would say 50% do what I do...