Safety First, Training Second

Terrible news came from Cary, NC, this week, where a female runner was abducted and murdered. Read the story here.

The GWTC Discussion List email contained some great safety tips today, so I wanted to pass them along to you:

1. Vary your running route often, even if this means running clockwise rather than counter-clockwise.
2. If running early or late (in the dark), try to find a running partner or adopt a dog that would enjoy a good daily run.
3. If possible, let someone know when you run and where (e.g., if you don't show up for work, a close colleague may know where to tell police to look for you).
4. Always run with your cellphone handy, turned on and programmed with an emergency code and GPS enabled.
5. Stay aware of your surroundings - if you run with headphones, keep the music low so you can hear an approaching runner or bicyclist (yes, bicyclist - in Tucson, AZ, there was a guy who was grabbing women as he rode by them on his bike).
6. Carry a whistle or noisemaker but do NOT wear this on a chain around your neck. A neck chain is easy to grab and strangle you with.
7. Make a mental note of public telephones (which are rare these days) and nearby businesses/homes that appear occupied at that hour; do not hesitate to run to such a place and even throw a rock through a window to set off an alarm if you believe this will scare away your attacker (the window can be fixed).
8. If you run with a water belt, it would be wise to carry a pen and paper to write down anything, including a license plate, if you feel threatened by anyone in any way (you can do this with a cellphone by taking a photo).
9. If you are comfortable doing so, run with a weapon and more importantly be prepared to use it (gun, knife, mace).
10. Take a self-defense course and again, be prepared to use the moves you are taught.

But most importantly, you guys: use your head! Be smart -- don't go running by yourself in the dark in some remote area (I'm looking at you people who run at Overstreet by yourselves). My dad always taught me that the best defense against danger is not putting yourself in danger in the first place.