RRCA survey on running after COVID-19

RRCA (the Road Runners Club of America) is looking for feedback on how runners feel about going back to racing and group runs. What’s going to make you comfortable enough to sign up for that next race or join a group run once social distancing has been lifted enough to permit these things.

RRCA is looking for as much feedback as possible so please take a few minutes to fill out the survey. Thanks!
https://www.rrca.org/news-articles/news-archives/2020/04/21/rrca-launches-survey-to-understand-runner-attitudes-related-to-a-return-to-group-event-running-in-the-u.s

Thanks so much for posting this, Mickie, and please, everyone, do participate! Here’s a direct link, if that helps.

http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07eh1isn3jk94ehrqs/start

We’ll post a link to the results here once they’re up.

This topic has been quiet for a while, but yesterday I saw a sobering article in the NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/14/opinion/coronavirus-young-people.html

The author Mara Gay (https://www.nytimes.com/by/mara-gay) is a member of the editorial board and caught COVID-19. She’s young (33), fit, a runner… and her description of the virus’ effects is chilling. An excerpt:

"The day before I got sick, I ran three miles, walked 10 more, then raced up the stairs to my fifth-floor apartment as always, slinging laundry with me as I went.

The next day, April 17, I became one of the thousands of New Yorkers to fall ill with Covid-19. I haven’t felt the same since." --> editorial note – that’s almost a full month…

"The second day I was sick, I woke up to what felt like hot tar buried deep in my chest. I could not get a deep breath unless I was on all fours. I’m healthy. I’m a runner. I’m 33 years old.

In the emergency room an hour later, I sat on a hospital bed, alone and terrified, my finger hooked to a pulse-oxygen machine. To my right lay a man who could barely speak but coughed constantly. … Finally, Dr. Audrey Tan walked toward me, her kind eyes meeting mine from behind a mask, goggles and a face shield. “Any asthma?” she asked. “Do you smoke? Any pre-existing conditions?” “No, no, none,” I replied. Dr. Tan smiled, then shook her head, almost imperceptibly. “I wish I could do something for you,” she said."

“I am one of the lucky ones. I never needed a ventilator. I survived. But 27 days later, I still have lingering pneumonia. I use two inhalers, twice a day. I can’t walk more than a few blocks without stopping.

So, take it seriously folks! It’s great that we have running to keep us sane and fit, but it does not protect us completely from an agressive virus.

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And here are the results of that survey. Personally, I was most interested in the discussion of the open comments, where the RRCA noted that overwhelmingly, people were down on the idea of being required to wear a mask in a race. I have nothing against masks to the extent that they are necessary in public situations, but if they were required for a race, I simply wouldn’t run.

https://www.rrca.org/news-articles/news-archives/2020/05/08/return-to-running-runner-attitude-survey-results

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