7 Changes I’ve Made As A Runner Because Of COVID-19
Coronavirus is upon us. We see it all over the news and our Facebook feed. I have made some changes to help keep myself, my family, and others I am in contact safe and I thought I would share these. My husband has underlying health conditions, which unfortunately include a heart valve replacement in 11 days. I haven’t shared much about this, but with COVID-19 becoming more and more a reality in my community I wanted to open up about concerns. If you fall into that “healthy” age group that is great, however you inevitably come in contact with those who don’t fall into that category and it is important to make changes to help keep OTHERS safe. Here are some things I have done as a runner. 
- Stop touching my face– I know we think we are careful not to touch our face, but when you are running and sweating it is sometimes subconscious that we wipe our sweat off our face. Don’t do that! Let the sweat run, wear a visor to help catch it.
- I am avoiding the gym– This is a choice I have made because I have a husband at home that CAN NOT get this. I was at the gym and saw a woman blow her hand INTO HER BARE HAND, wipe it on her leg, and then proceed to touch the elliptical all over! I was DONE! That is disgusting, outbreak or not. The gym is typically a place where sickness abounds because of the amount of sweat, snot, and other bodily fluids are in excess. If you do go to the gym, wipe down your equipment before and after use.
- Enjoy a run outside– It is still cold most days, but I am enjoying my outdoor runs, by myself, with a great playlist.
- Time to try a virtual race– If you are craving a race, but reluctant to sign up because of avoiding large gatherings, there are a ton of virtual race options. Many races have cancelled or even turned into a virtual race. Here is a list of coronavirus impacted races. Which running races and marathons have been canceled because of the coronavirus?
- WASH YOUR HANDS– I am a regularly hand washer, but I am amazed that this brought to light the amount of people that apparently don’t wash their hands regularly?!
- Be flexible– We all know that having a race cancelled is a disappointment, but they are making these decisions with the public’s best interest at heart. I promise that no race organizer would cancel a race lightly.
- Remember to be kind– I have seen comments to both extremes on Facebook and people being total trolls. You don’t know what conditions they have at home that they might need to protect. Be kind and telling someone that they are “overreacting” isn’t kind. You do you and let them make their decisions. While you do you though, remember that there are people in every community that you need to help protect.
Has your race calendar been impacted by all the cancelled races? Have you altered your plans? Are you working from home?
Here are some other posts you might like:
Which running races and marathons have been canceled because of the coronavirus?
What does the coronavirus mean for runners?
10 Reasons Why You Should NOT Run A Marathon
10 Reasons Why You Should Marry A Runner
Want to come back to this? Pin it for later.
