I’ve been realizing that by the time we are ready to start dipping our toes in the water of social interaction again the world around us already will be playing in the deep end. My coronavirus concerns came to life this week when the CDC changed its masking guidelines on Thursday and the governor of Virginia lifted our mask mandate effective midnight on Friday.
Me, still at home, because I’m not fully vaccinated yet.
Coronavirus Concerns
Don’t get me wrong, I believe in the vaccines and understand that we shouldn’t have to live with social distancing rules and mask mandates forever. I’m just not convinced it’s time to rip that Band-Aid mask off yet. As critics have been pointing out, the problem with lifting restrictions for fully vaccinated people is that we have no way of knowing whether someone is fully vaccinated–and some states have passed laws prohibiting inquiring about vaccine status.
Our governor touted the high percentage of Virginians who have received at least one dose of a vaccine, but people aren’t fully protected until two weeks after their second dose. That day is still a few days off for me, and I was vaccinated in the last set of priority groups. People who just started the vaccine process could be 4-6 weeks away from “fully vaccinated” status. Lifting the mask mandate now puts all of them at risk–along with children and others with health conditions who can’t be vaccinated–because I’m sure some people will stop wearing masks regardless of their vaccine status–especially those who haven’t taken the covid-19 pandemic seriously.
I love this InkNBurn pattern
On a more practical note, I wonder what all this means for going back to the office. Will they remove all the social distancing signage and decide we won’t have to wear masks after all? What will I do with the pretty masks I haven’t had a chance to wear yet?
Weekly Wrap
This week I started physical therapy for my Achilles. I’ll share more about that another time, but for now I want to say that I thought I wanted a professional calf massage until I was getting one. Yowzie! I’ve been trying to work on them with all my self-massage tools, but she found some knots and tights spots I could never get to myself.
Here’s my week in running selfies. I ran with Scooby Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. I took Tuesday and Thursday off as my day-after PT days.
Here’s my week in Peloton workouts. I’m trying to find cycling classes I like, and realizing I enjoy the more structured interval classes. Tuesday I needed to burn off some work stress, so I hopped on my bike after dinner, ending up with a double-ride day.
… and one cycling selfie. My husband didn’t get gas in our Tahoe before the great fake East Coast gas shortage, so we rode our bikes over to my Mom’s house instead of driving over and riding from there. We took a very circuitous route, but still didn’t reach that 30 mile mark.
I’m also dealing with a weird tennis elbow-type injury in my left arm. I think I triggered it doing bent-over chest flies with a too-heavy weight a few weeks ago. I’m trying to avoid exercises that bother it, but as soon as I think it’s better I do something that tweaks it again.
Weekly running miles: 24.4
Thanks to Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down link up.
Are you ready to return to your pre-pandemic lifestyle?
![The Ultimate Coffee Date](http://got2run4me.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Ultimate-Coffee-Date.png" "The Ultimate Coffee Date")
I am slowly easing into more pre covid activities. You have to do it at your own pace and no one says you can’t wear your mask for as long as you would like to wear it. The PT achilles massages are quite different hope that helps you! Looking forward to seeing you this week
Good for your for starting the PT for the Achilles!
I can imagine that the calf massage hurt. Did you get some PT exercises to do at home?
And I hope your tennis elbow injury disappears soon… so annoying, especially as now the rest of the upper body seems to be back in order!
I agree with you. I think there has to be a political motivation behind the sudden change in mask mandates. I feel like it’s too soon. We’re not ready yet. What about the kids who just started being able to get vaccinated?? I smell a rat.
All the best with your achilles PT! Elbows can get injured very easily with heavy weights. Hope yours is ok!
I think the CDC guidance itself makes sense — if we’re all vaccinated, the risk should be really low — but I think it was too soon to lift the state mandates. And no, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the governor’s race is kicking off ….
I share your reluctance about dropping the mask mandate. It feels very suspicious to me. But for me personally, I’ll still be masking at work and at the stores. The people who are mask refusers will still refuse. I don’t think things will change all that much. BTW, I saw a couple Trump 2024 flags up here in Wisco….
Oh God… no.
It looks like the GOP will be going all-in …..
I think masks are still required in health care settings. My grocery store didn’t change their rules yet, thank goodness!
I know the mask thing is complicated. And it’s weird because every state is different, yet the CDC is setting national guidelines.
Down here in Florida, it seems like each place of business is deciding individually whether to lift the mask requirement. It’s early still so we’ll see how that goes. Schools (in our county) have announced that masks are still mandatory through this school year, but will be optional when they start up again in August.
I think you’ll still get a chance to wear your cool masks!
I think the CDC says what it says, and states do what they want, but a lot of states have been following the CDC — but not all states. FL, AZ, WY and TX (and others I’m sure) already had fewer restrictions. It’s more of a kick in the ass for states that have been more cautious!
I’m skeptical of the mask mandates lifting as well. I guess we just have to continue doing our own safety measures, and move forward at what feels comfortable to each of us. I hope you elbow feels better. And those calf massages…ouch!!!
Maybe I’ll feel better once my +2weeks are up. I think it will still be required at PT, and church, and maybe at my grocery store for a few more weeks.
I totally agree with all of your concerns. It’s just too early to drop the mask mandate – I thought that would possibly come later on this year. This is going to be such a slippery slope since there’s really no way to prove that someone is vaccinated without requiring them to show the vaccine cards which I’m sure is illegal. It’s just such a mess! I’ll continue to wear my masks even though I’m now fully vaccinated.
Sorry to hear about your elbow pain 🙁 Hope that your achilles PT continues to go well!
Thanks. Different states have different laws about the “vaccine card” thing. According to our employment lawyers, private companies can ask employees about their “vaccine status” so they can comply with their obligations to provide a safe workplace. It would be nice if we don’t have to wear masks at the office ….
As for my elbow, somedays I think I am falling apart. Or playing whack-a-mole with different pains!
Agree 100% on the mask mandate. Our state dropped theirs, but the mayor of Minneapolis decided to keep it for the city (and St. Paul, the Twin City). But the barre studio I was going to is right outside of Minneapolis (in a suburb called Edina) so they aren’t requiring them. I’m still planning to wear mine, even though I am fully vaccinated. I guess they are trying to motivate people to get vaccinated, but its weird to switch to “the honor system” so far into this thing- clearly those who think Covid is a hoax aren’t going to suddenly decide to get vaccinated…
I could go on and on! But I won’t, ha!
What kind of work are they doing on your Achilles? Are you doing dry needling or anything like that? I learned that a lot of my achilles issues are from tight calves and the theragun on the calves has helped. Let me know what helps you! Glad you are still comfortable running through it!
Yes, I figure once I am ready to go back to CycleBar they will be back to no masks and full capacity. Time to trust that vaccine, I guess!
So far I’ve had two achilles appointments. She does massage and mobility in the Achilles area and my calf.There’s a lot of work to be done in there!
Despite being fully vaccinated (and more than 2 weeks past the second one), I do think it’s too early. But hey, that’s me, I’m sure my friends are really happy about it (most of them, anyway).
Although we never mask when we walk in our neighborhood. The streets are wide!
Luckily the shortage did not reach up here. I can actually remember waiting on gas lines as a teenager and not something I really care to repeat.
NY didn’t drop the mandate, but stores like Trader Joes did! So now i have to decide what I want to do when I shop. It’s really weird — how do you know when the right time is? Of course I can still wear a mask. Decisions, decisions.
Glad you’re getting help for your achilles; sorry about the elbow!
I definitely postponed a trip to Trader Joe’s this weekend. I only go there once in a while anyway ….
I remember the real gas shortages. This was mostly triggered by panic buying, so hopefully our local stations will have gas by the end of the week.
I’m with you on your concerns about the sudden change on the mask mandates. Relying on people to follow the honor system is a recipe for disaster!
I hope the PT for your Achilles helps! Calf massages can be tough – my massage therapist always finds knots that have me ready to jump off the table! LOL
Hopefully people in the process of being vaccinated will play it safe. We can’t put the rest of our lives on hold for those who are choosing not to. I wonder if it will eventually become part of the required vaccinations for school — that’s what gets compliance.
As Judy said NYS is keeping the mandate. I got my vaccine back in January but I’ve only been comfortable once my friends got theirs. And they have. They are happy to be together again. But no everything feels the same. No judgment.
I’ve had tennis elbow from tennis. Hope the pain goes away soon
It’s all very sudden. I mean, I’m in Florida, where it’s been a bit fast and loose anyway, but I’m still wearing my mask in stores and not getting into situations with huge crowds. But I guess we will see. A is going to get his vaccine before school starts, which will help us personally be more comfortable. Everyone’s re-entry will be so different 🙁
I’m with you Coco. They will likely do that here too and only like 6% of our population is vaccinated. No thanks. I’ll be wearing that mask. I just don’t get *gestures to everything* it.
I feel you on the calf massage pain – man mine has been bad! and sorry to hear abou the elbow thing as well. geez. You need a week (month? longer) with no pain!
I do wonder how it will be in school next year. Honestly I hate wearing the mask while teaching, but I know I need to wear it. I also like that mask!
We did a return to the office survey and I’m very curious what the mask policy will be both in our office (we have a whole floor) and in the building itself. Also hoping they’ll allow us to use the stairs, which they (landlord) never did.
I’m not ready to be mask free yet, definitely not indoors.