masked bandits

As we get further into the COVID pandemic - nearly completing three months, and now starting the phased returns to work, and some sense of normalcy, I have to wonder (like most) what things will look like as far as employment, socializing, entertaining, get together's and specific to this - how we exercise and train.

The use of masks to be out and about - a requirement for entering most establishments, and many towns also requiring those walking to be wearing them in addition to maintaining social distancing, but how long will this be the case. In the middle of winter, on rides / runs where you are out in below freezing weather, a face covering is a necessity and certainly helps keeping the face warm and lungs warm so it is not a completely foreign concept to wear them BUT going for a ride or run when weather approaches 60-70-80 degrees ...

I figure as a cyclist, we are not always looked at favorably on the roads (some people don't even look at all which is rather frightening but a whole different topic) and so do not want to draw an extra layer of ire from the general public, so have been abiding. Over the past several weeks, there has been a lot of heated debate about the fact that you have some people being mindful of the masks in public while these "joggers and bikers" are huffing and puffing potential virus laden particles into the air, passing it along to all those they encounter. Now I have been using masks / neck gators pulled up over the nose while training - usually lowering it until coming up on people and pulling it back up - and have done so in the minority. On a 40 mile ride yesterday, i saw maybe a handful of cyclists and runners using them while the large majority were not (nor were the majority of walkers) so at what point do we stop?

I know there have been various articles that say the good, the bad and the pointless of this and am certainly not an expert in the area of COVID (did manage to care for my son who tested positive while at his residential school, and I brought him home for 2 weeks and was exposed to the COVID virus and was able to - gloves and masks and constant cleaning certainly a big factor, as well as strong immune system - stay negative for the test) but at what point do we train "normally". A couple of articles that I looked at show different things - https://www.parents.com/health/should-you-be-exercising-with-a-face-mask/ and

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/05/10/running-wear-mask-outdoor-exercise/ and https://www.cnet.com/health/how-to-safely-exercise-with-a-face-mask-on-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/ and another to read https://www.wired.com/story/are-running-or-cycling-actually-risks-for-spreading-covid-19/

For now, and the foreseeable future, especially as restrictions on what we can do are slowly easing, we want to remain diligent in what we do and continue to get our training in (if for no other reason than a sense of sanity) and continue to maintain social distancing and get your things in solo for now. Be safe, be smart and train well