Discussion: Streaking!

Glad to have you with me in the challenge - along with almost 2,000 of our closest friends. :) I think the lure of the Streaking badge was the only thing that got me out for 2 of my last 3 runs. Otherwise, I'd have been tempted to do something else in this heat so I guess it's doing its job.

Just checking terminology here, because in Australia, streaking is to do a nudie run, preferably on the playing field in front of an entire stadium crowd...

Yep, same here, they're being funny.

This sounds kinda fun! Good luck with the streak, I'm going to check out the challenge... my local running club has a 'run the OR coast' challenge I signed up for that I'm trying to do, but I don't think it'll be as entertaining as it's just checking off the distance of the OR coast (or a road along it, no fractal coastline problem...)

Dooo eeeet!

I like that this challenge is making me think about planning my runs a bit. Sure, I've got a workout calendar, but now I can also be thinking about when/where to do each run to enable me to complete a badge. And we can show off our badges in our logs.

Yes, do it, Ali! One cool thing about virtual races is that you can do more than one at the same time. I haven't been able to get enthused about the "Run 5K somewhere and send us $50 along with your time" virtual races. It's more fun when a virtual event encourages you to do something you might not do otherwise. The Scavenger Hunt is put on by a couple of RDs who won't make much money this year, and they're giving $10 from each entry to the trail maintenance organization that their races usually support. If you follow the Barkley Marathons, you'll have heard of Gary Robbins, one of the RDs.

sounds fun.
You mentioned running with a mask - are they required for outdoor activity / running in your area? Nothing like that here, people just go way around if they meet or pass someone. You're supposed to wear them if you go inside a business or public transit, and most people do - but no requirements to use them when out on a run.

The state rules are that you have to wear one inside any business/office/transit and outside if you can't maintain 6ft of distance. Looks to me like we have close to 100% compliance on indoor masking or while standing in line outside somewhere.

However, in Cambridge, you have to wear one in all public places, regardless of distance. The guidelines even specifically mention biking and running. They also have this note:

"If you are exercising and need to remove your face covering to breathe adequately, make sure no one is near you before removing it. Be sure to keep the face covering readily available so you can put it back on quickly and properly if someone comes within 6 feet of you."

Sounds reasonable, but I don't think most people realize there's an acceptable situation for taking off your mask and are *really* uptight about it. Most of the scolding is just posts in neighborhood FB groups or NextDoor, but there are comments, gestures, and yelling occasionally outside, too.

It's not that much fun to take a mask on and off while running. It's very difficult on a bike. On local runs I've tried to go very early or late, and then most of the other people out are doing the mask on/off thing (though many just suck it up and run covered). There seems to be an unwritten rule amongst runners that if you are both unmasked as you approach then you both stay unmasked while passing (keeping distance, of course), so that helps. Still a lot more pleasant to head to a park elsewhere in the state for a trail run instead.

I do think part of why MA has been seeing such good progress in getting infections and hospitalizations down is because people are so uptight about distance and masks, but I find it hard to believe that Cambridge's draconian rule including solo outside exercise is necessary.

Ah... could we get back to the streaking discussion. It's been a long time but we went streaking in college. Not Lisa and me, me and fraternity friends. I don't think virtual streaking counts; a streaking avatar is not streaking. Also, streaking in the suburbs seems sort of lame. Streaking through Cambridge Square would qualify as streaking. I think if you wore a mask (over your mouth) while streaking through Cambridge Square it would still very much count as streaking.

Ok, but I'd have to wear a mask. Would that still be streaking?

In a pandemic, I'd say so - but it wouldn't count for your Streaking badge so is it really worth it?

Alrighty, I'm in! Might start with Streaking Badge as well. Will be first >45 min run in a bit, psyched to have the motivation to do it!!

Wooooo!

Yayyy! :)

If you do 2 more minutes today before I get out for some easy biking, then I’ll be hearing from Cristina-bot.

Done. Now I just hope you don't log your effort before the hour turns.

I just added a bike ride. I checked my email before and had nothing from Cristina-bot. That seems strange.

Oh, the script has been crashing. I'll fix it.

You should have gotten an email a minute ago. Looks like it hadn't been working for several weeks but my low level of training made that hard to figure out.

You fixed it. But, by that time I'd already entered my bike ride so I got a "you seem motivated" email.

If you keep up your streak , I might get a different message later today.

Did you?

I did.

I got one of those streaks of Cristina-bot messages. First, an "oh no, better get training" after you entered your morning biking yesterday. Then, "you seem motivated" after I entered my run last night. And an hour or so later, "oh no, better get training" after your run last night.

It's good for us to stagger our training like that to maximize the number of emails you get.