Spring is here, and many of you have dusted off your running shoes and taken to the city's roads and trails to get back in shape, and even train for the Boston Marathon. I thought I'd take this opportunity to provide some general information on RUNNING SAFETY.
Here are some simple tips from the Road Runners Club of America:
- Write down or leave word of the direction of your run.
- Tell friends and family of your favorite running routes
- Don't wear a headset while running.
- Always run with a partner.
- Run in familiar areas, and avoid areas that are unpopulated.
- Cary identification with you (name, telephone number, blood type) on the inside sole of your running shoe.
- Run against traffic.
- Wear reflective material if you run at dusk or at night.
- Carry a whistle or other noisemaker.
- Consider carrying a cell phone. Do not hesitate to call 911 if you feel unsafe.
In doing research for this posting, I found a wonderful website called Run The Planet. In addition to being a great resource for runners of all levels of experience, they have entire sections of their site that are dedicated to running safety and self-defense for runners. Please be sure to check it out!
Please contact me with any questions you may have about this information.
Stay safe!
Sensei Gould
