By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

Before we get started, I must remind everyone that I am not an infectious medicine specialist. If you want scientific advice, I recommend you listen and follow what Dr. Anthony Fauci has to say regarding Covid-19. With this disclaimer out of the way, the following are my thoughts on running with a mask during times of pandemic.

By trial-and-error we will find what works best of us individually (Photo by cottonbro from Pexels)

Eight months or so into the Covid-19 pandemic, and four after the economy was inevitably reopened, we’ve returned to our group activities such as work, extended family and exercising with as much caution as possible. Social distancing keeps being the new norm, hugs and kisses have been replaced to fist and elbow bumps, and masks have become a political issue. As runners, we’ve had to adjust to this new reality in order to keep moving forward and to keep the social aspect of our sport alive. The uncomfortableness of wearing a mask is a small price to pay.

According to Certified Personal Trainer Timothy Lyman in a recent article in Runner’s World Magazine,  “Running with a mask, or any other type of face covering, is inherently more difficult because you have to work harder to get the same amount of air into your lungs”. Of course this will vary depending on the type of are wearing.

Getting used to running covering your nose and mouth requires time, commitment and training. Figuring out what mask works better for you, when is the best time to have it on or just available for immediate use, are part of such training. Knowing in what situations you should or should not wear it has also been a trial-and-error endeavor.

The same article in Runner’s World states that: As a general rule, a mask is necessary if you’re running in a populated area where you’re likely to encounter other people. If you’re running alone in an area where you won’t encounter others or come within 6 feet (at a minimum) of others, it’s likely not necessary. But keep in mind that wearing a face covering is not a substitute for physical distancing—make sure to still keep at least six feet of distance between yourself and others while running.

Through my personal experience running over 600 miles during the pandemic, what I’ve figure out is that even though I may not need a mask when I run alone, I rather have one because inevitably I will cross paths with strangers that either do not care to help you create the safe distance or, you meet them in places where it is just impossible to separate. Therefore, I always run with a cloth mask on my chin or neck, which I can immediately access to cover my face when required. It has worked so far for me and I recommend it.

It is important to keep your social distance even if you are running with your buddies (check how I have a mask on my neck ready to be used at a moment’s notice) – Photo by Ted Sassi.

In my two running groups, we all use face coverings until we start. As for running together, we try to stay close enough to keep the social aspect of running alive but separate enough to adhere to the protocols. The post-run café-con-leche or beers, are strictly held outdoors.

For group running, Dr. Jennifer Marin, from @Obesalud, recommends not running one behind the next but keeping a diagonal formation with 5-meter (15 feet) of separation. This is an interesting, overcautious suggestion, worth looking into.

An important consideration is that, regardless of the type of mask you wear, you need to go out of your way to keep it clean and disinfected. The constant breathing will dampen it and thus less effective. I you don’t wash it; it will attract microorganisms that you will be breathing in and may negate the benefits of wearing a mask in the first place. So make sure you keep several of them in your running bag so you can rotate them appropriately.

Yes, running with a mask is a pain in the ass. No questions about it. But a worse option is having Covid-19. So suck it up, get used to the discomfort, wear a mask like a good citizen and keep on running with your buddies.