Before a Run
• Develop a plan on how you will respond to any medical emergency or an attack BEFORE you are confronted with any type of emergency. During an emergency or crisis is not the time to develop a plan.
• Ask yourself before every run – Am I being as safe as possible on THIS run or would I let my daughter/son/wife or other loved one run under these conditions?
Some Useful Tips
• Try to get a running partner or two. The safest number is a group of 3 or more.
• Leave word with someone or write down where you plan to run and when you will return.
• Carry some I. D.
• Consider carrying a personal protection device such as pepper spray with you IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH CARRYING IT AND WILL USE IT. If you are not comfortable with pepper spray, consider carrying some type of noise maker such as a small air horn or a whistle with you. A cell phone is not your first line of defense if you are attacked by an animal or a person.
• If you choose to wear an iPod or other headset, keep the volume down so that you are aware of any traffic or unusual noises.
• Avoid unpopulated areas, deserted streets, lonely trails – and especially avoid unlighted routes at night
• Vary the route and the time of day that you run.
• Make yourself aware the locations of fire stations and where police can usually be found and think about possible escape routes in case of any confrontation.
• When in doubt, follow your intuition and avoid potential trouble. If something seems suspicious, do not panic, but run in a different direction.
• Run against traffic so that you can observe the approach of automobiles. Making eye contact with drivers lets them know that you see them and also will put any potential assailant on notice that you are aware of them.
• If you are running before sunrise or after sunset wear reflective clothing and possibly a flashlight or strobe type lighting.
• If you want to carry a cell phone in case you need it to call 911, but do not want to carry one for fear of ruining the phone, consider carrying one of the prepaid cell phones (usually about $20 – $30) or an older unused cell phone. Any cell phone whether activated or not is still capable of dialing 911.