Safety First

I just took a runners world survey on safety.  It prompted me to assess my own safety habits, as well as alert other runners to some risky behaviors.

Running with music can be very dangerous.  I use my IPOD maybe once a week or every few weeks, not nearly as often as I used to.  Depending on how high you keep the volume on your IPOD, you may not be able to hear other runners, cars, or even animals approach you until it is too late.  I cannot tell you how many times I come up behind another runner or walker, and they don’t notice me until I am either right next to them or have just passed them.  How well will you be able to protect yourself when caught off guard?

Another important safety precaution is to avoid posting your running routes on any social networking site.  I am aware that many people post theirs routes on Facebook.  That is just asking for serious trouble.  How many of your “friends” do you really know?  How well could you possibly know everyone in the online running group?  Even worse than posting where you’re running is posting when you’re running.  That is like putting a sign up saying: I will be here at this time and will be very preoccupied, so it’s a great time to attack me. 

I always run with ID and a cellphone.  In fact, I take my complete wallet with me.  After the New York Road Runners Club announced they were taking away the bag drop for the New York Marathon, message boards and running sites were flooded with peoples’ worries and concerns about what to do with their personal items during the run.  I was shocked at the amount of people who stated that will leave their wallet, hotel key, money and cell phone in their bags.  I use a fanny pack to hold everything and have not had any issues using it when I run.

How do you keep yourself safe when running?