Running and hiking can help sanity during "social distancing"

By Joe Ovies

National and statewide officials have asked all of us to do our best to prevent the spread of COVID-19: wash your hands, avoid touching your face, if you're sick stay home, and practice social distancing. The distancing aspect, which tasks those of us who feel fine to avoid public gatherings, is especially difficult since it disrupts much of our day-to-day routines. You can't go to the bar, you can't go to a restaurant, and you can't go to the gym.

However, that doesn't mean you can't stay active. Running and hiking can provide a source of activity while maintaining relative isolation from large groups of people. In the latest episode of the Runologie Podcast, we discuss how Strava will help runners feel connected to others through technology thanks to leaderboards and challenges.

Our State Magazine’s Jeremy Markovich also joined the Runologie crew to discuss the upcoming season of “Away Message”, where his podcast will focus on North Carolina’s Mountain to Sea Trail. The conversation covers his visits to remote places in the state, discovering new elements of your own neighborhood when you’re forced to find pedestrian routes, and using Strava to maintain a social aspect of running.