Masks while racing HS XC - thoughts?

Ripley wrote:

Be thankful they're allowing you to compete! They have a rule that applies to all sports and minimizes risk to everyone. While I don't enjoy wearing a mask myself and I think the possibility of transmitting the virus outside is low, I do it because it minimizes risk and makes other people more comfortable. If you and your competitors are all doing the same thing it's just an extra challenge. No one is asking you to wear an N95 - the gaiter-type masks are not hard to breathe through. Stop whining - it's not forever - just suck it up for this year.

Does it minimize the risk? Mathematically, in outdoor competition between a limited number of non-crowded high school athletes in a geographical area that already has a low infection rate, there is no significant difference.

The World Health Organization also disagrees, as someone posted earlier - hard exercise (outdoors!) with a mask is dangerous to the mask wearer, negating the benefits of limited possible spread.

Out of curiosity though, is a "mask" required or just a "face covering"?

Man Overboard wrote:

Out of curiosity though, is a "mask" required or just a "face covering"?

Facial covering

Michigan governor now mandating masks for all sports training and competition. How soon until runner goes down and legal issues commence. WHO clearly states not to wear a mask during intense exercise. Governor Whitless making it up as she wants. Yeah, Rupp wore a mask a few times due to asthma and racing in conditions which could exacerbate the condition. He also removed the mask midway as well if not mistaken

runinovalsoften wrote:

Stupid Rule wrote:

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?

So was mine. 99.9% of High School runners run as a hobby. Why remove the enjoyment from your hobby just to avoid the very very tiny possibility of catching covid?

That's like if every time you went for a walk you covered your whole body in protective padding on the off chance you tripped over and got a cut which could get infected etc.

I feel like XC is the easiest sport to get right, but they keep messing it up anyway. The compromise is to have a pursuit start based on seed times. We used to do this all the time in Nordic skiing, no big deal. Fastest runner goes first, then second fastest, and so on, spread 15 seconds apart. There shouldn't be much passing going on.

Each kid has a mask and is encouraged to use it when passing or being passed. That's it. Have races on wider courses, like golf courses to let the kids stay apart and not use the masks.

The solutions are easy. That is obvious when you see rioters almost being praised by Democrat leaders at the same time that they do everything they can to negatively impact everyone else's lives.

dadoffourcs wrote:

Man Overboard wrote:

Out of curiosity though, is a "mask" required or just a "face covering"?

Facial covering

If that's the case, here's an easy solution. Get one of those disposable masks that's blue on one side and white on the other. Cut off the white side. The blue mesh is easy to breathe through. It's like breathing through nothing. It's still a "facial covering."

I did that for a friend who had trouble breathing through a mask. Just to be ultra-careful, I'd wear a normal two-layer mask during warm-up and after the race.

Are pantyhose okay like the bank robbers wear? Those are certainly breathable.

Yeah. Just have a XC race and call it a BLM protest. All good. You will be celebrated as heroes. Especially if you could destroy the community and spraypaint ACAB all over the school. All good

Ruling redacted in Michigan. No masks required for running, golf, tennis.

*Travis Scott voice :

It’s Lit.

shoeless in seattle wrote:

Ruling redacted in Michigan. No masks required for running, golf, tennis.

Requiring masks for golf and tennis is even more ridiculous than cross country running. That good if this requirement has been dropped from those sports. Should be dropped for any sport.