Are runners a problem?

Terrigal Lagoon this morning

I have seen several articles online, from reputable sources, discussing the risks joggers/runners pose for spreading COVID-19.  And some Facebook posts being a little more alarmist about the same subject.

Running can be a messy business.  As I run, I am bathed in sweat, breathing hard, nose dripping and occasionally coughing and (yes, I know it's unsavoury) spitting.  One scientific analysis I saw demonstrated that it was probably unsafe to pass up to two metres behind a runner, if you want to avoid their germs, and I can believe that is true.

Terrigal Lagoon this morning

Running along suburban roads, as happens for the major part of my local runs, it is easy to stay clear of others using the same roads, but in Terrigal, where runners and walkers are plentiful and some of the paths are less than two metres across, I often feel I am exchanging germs with those around me regardless of how hard I try.  I find myself weaving through couples ambling along, trying to maximise my distance from them, but knowing I'm breaching the social-distancing guidelines.  They know it, and I know it, but it seems to me that we are all accepting the risks just by being there.

Wamberal Lagoon this evening

Given the bigger picture -- reducing the chances of community transmission -- I recognise that it is not socially responsible to be taking these risks, even if I'm willing to take my own chances with COVID-19.  It does worry me that I'm not being as good a citizen as I could be.  However, I guess there are differing levels of compliance and there are probably few people taking every precaution they could.  In self-justification, I see the rate of community spread in New South Wales falling and tell myself that if things start going south, I'll make a bigger effort to steer clear of the more congested exercising locations.

The surf off Wamberal beach with Terrigal in the background

I struggled on my regular 6km loop around Terrigal Lagoon this morning, with hips and lower back very stiff.  I'm starting to think that, for me at this time, bike riding is not compatible with running.  I'll see how quickly things improve as the week goes by and then make a judgment about whether I should continue riding once a week.  Hips and back were still stiff when Julie and I went for a very pleasant 5km evening walk up to Wamberal Lagoon and then back along the beach.