Michigan’s governor is and idiot and on a power trip. I sincerely hope Michigan isn’t dumb enough to elect her for another term.
This requirement is incredibly stupid. Some kid is going to have a serious medical issue trying to race a 5K with a mask on the entire time.
I grew up in Michigan (Just outside of Flint) and the majority of my family is still there. You couldn’t pay me enough to move back to that state.
You may change my mind. Do you have any articles to link? From what I've read studies indicate that it is a very low risk, but not completely zero. I hope that wearing a mask reduces the risk further. Like I said before I believe it is mostly virtue signaling, but wearing one while in public pressures others to wear one in places where it is more useful. The science says that universal mask wearing can save thousands of lives.
I am a HS runner in MI, and I seriously hope we do not have to run with a mask on. This wasn’t an issue until everyone started protesting no football, and now they put the requirement for masks when we race.
I don’t practice in a mask, why do I have to race with one? Hopefully some clarification comes out soon.
dumb rules wrote:
runinovalsoften wrote:
Mostly because it makes the old people I pass on the trail feel better. I agree it's mostly virtue signaling
“I’ll suffer pointlessly during a safe healthy activity so that anti-science paranoiacs feel okay because feelings matter more than facts. I am such a very very very good person.”
Yes. It isn't suffering if you're fit.
runinovalsoften wrote:
dumb rules wrote:
“I’ll suffer pointlessly during a safe healthy activity so that anti-science paranoiacs feel okay because feelings matter more than facts. I am such a very very very good person.”
Yes. It isn't suffering if you're fit.
Wanna race?
lol sure bud. My original point was It isn't that hard to run in a mask. If you want to race and the rules say you have to wear one, wear one. Your competition has one on too, run faster than them. It's not like time matters in XC.
I'm all for wearing a mask in public but yeah this is ridiculous. Are they going to do this in football too? lol ridiculous.
Apparently every sport. It started with no masks required during competition for XC, golf and tennis. But now that they added soccer, football and volleyball they made it mandatory for masks in every sport during competition. It isn’t logical at all.
runinovalsoften wrote:
Mostly because it makes the old people I pass on the trail feel better. I agree it's mostly virtue signaling but I'd much rather run with a piece of cloth over my face than spread something to someones grandma. If I'm fast in a mask I'll be faster without one.
How could you spread something to Grandma if you aren't wearing a mask (but she IS).
That's a tacit admission that Grandma's mask doesn't work. Ergo, masks don't work period (with the exception of high-grade medical masks).
You've never run stride-for-stride near a competitor for a long time during a race?
It's certainly much safer running outside than dancing in a club or something, but I'd be very hesitant to say an XC race is zero risk.
Just cut a big old opening in front of the mouth and nose. Youre still "wearing" the mask. Who said it cant have a defect...
dadoffourcs wrote:
Our governor in Michigan gave a new executive order this past Thursday night that allowed HS football to return to the state of Michigan, as well as indoor volleyball, swim meets, and outdoor soccer to be played, with limitations, within the entire state (previously only allowed up north.)
One stipulation is that ALL organized sport participants, while on the field of play, MUST wear a facial covering except when swimming. Our state athletic association has told its ADs and coaches that this means masks at ALL times for ALL sports, except for swimmers. Many XC coaches are in a tizzy over whether to require their athletes to wear a mask while training running 6 milers, or doing repeat 800s this coming week, let alone race a 5K all the while wearing a mask.
Running community, what do you think? I'm all for mask wearing in public to help prevent Covid spread, but if my government says it's too dangerous for 70 kids (max race size in Michigan this year) to race a 5K together without each participant wearing a mask, then I think it's probably just too dangerous to race in the first place.
We've already had 2 weeks worth of competition in our state with no or very limited spectators allowed, masks required at all times for athletes and fans, and masks worn by athletes up until the start line. Everything has gone smoothly. Keeping masks on for an entire race is a step too far.
Don't give me Galen Rupp stories, my little sophomore with asthma is no Galen Rupp, and we can't afford a mask like his for each of my team members. Plus even Rupp pulled his mask off at the end.
No... and vote your governor out.
VroomVroom wrote:
I'm all for wearing a mask in public but yeah this is ridiculous. Are they going to do this in football too? lol ridiculous.
Assuming you mean American football - players already wear masks, silly.
There's no way they can enforce such a rule - if you ran down the street not wearing a mask, who's gonna stop you? Would they resort to shooting/bringing out dogs just to make someone wear a mask?
runinovalsoften wrote:
lol sure bud. My original point was It isn't that hard to run in a mask. If you want to race and the rules say you have to wear one, wear one. Your competition has one on too, run faster than them. It's not like time matters in XC.
I think you're missing the point - people run as a hobby because they enjoy it. Who would enjoy running in a stuffy mask? Especially in the sweltering September heat.
Stupid Rule wrote:
runinovalsoften wrote:
lol sure bud. My original point was It isn't that hard to run in a mask. If you want to race and the rules say you have to wear one, wear one. Your competition has one on too, run faster than them. It's not like time matters in XC.
I think you're missing the point - people run as a hobby because they enjoy it. Who would enjoy running in a stuffy mask? Especially in the sweltering September heat.
My post was in reference to high school students who are racing xc running in a big pack, not people who run as a hobby on their own many more than 6 feet from another person. If you can't handle a mask as a high school xc runner maybe take up golf or something like that?
As I work, my HR is consistently 15-20 bpm higher than normal while wearing a mask (work at a busy running store). If that's true while running, many will be racing at their tempo pace or finding quickly that they can't race at their normal pace.
NtC wrote:
I'd be very hesitant to say an XC race is zero risk.
NOTHING IS ZERO RISK. This is exactly the problem...demanding 100% absolute safety (which is obviously impossible) before resuming normal life.
runinovalsoften wrote:
If you can't handle a mask as a high school xc runner maybe take up golf or something like that?
Maybe grow a set and deal with the horrible risk of catching a cold?
This is why we struggle with the virus while many other countries have it under control. No one is willing to make sacrifices for the greater good. We are a society of spoiled brats who get upset when the headphones we ordered on Amazon take three days instead of two.
When you breath hard during exercise/sports you produce a very high load of aerosols that can carry the virus. When you yell or talk with a raised voice during or right after breathing hard you also emit a very high load of aerosols. This is why there have been incidents where the virus spreads rapidly among team mates who do strength training in the same gym together. The risk of aerosols spreading outside is considerably lower than inside, but there still is a risk.
Mask wearing helps reduce the risk of transmission, but does not provide 100% protection. A lot depends on the quality of the mask. There is evidence that neck gaiters and masks made to be easy to exercise in do a very poor job of holding in aerosols.
And then there is the problem of compliance. Kids are kids. You may be able to get them to wear masks in competition, but there will always be instances where kids blow it off in practice.
With transmission rates still being very high in the US and Michigan, it is virtually guaranteed that there will be a very significant amount of transmission in high schools. This is very dangerous because HS age kids have parents who are mostly 40+ years old and are at higher risk for complications. And HS age kids have been shown to be able to transmit the virus as efficiently as adults.
HS sports are not so important that we need to risk additional transmission. The only responsible thing to do is cancel the season and wait until there is a vaccine or transmission rates are near elimination levels. Letting kids compete with masks is not a responsible compromise. It is just setting kids up for failure. Sports are not that important. Kids need to keep their parents safe and need to go to class more than they need to play sports for one year.