The Tactical Runner

In the wake of the recent death of Sarah Hart, murdered while on a run in Russell County, Kentucky, I have been compelled to proffer a list of safety tips for runners that may - at a minimum - provide you with some food for thought.  I originally posted these tips on RunTheVille.com, however these tips are in no way restricted to the art of running and are really nothing more than commonsense behaviors that may be employed regardless of your activity or situation.

Without further ado, and presented in no particular order, here are my top ten safety tips:

1.  Run on the left side of the road, facing on-coming traffic. In Kentucky KRS 189.570(14) states, "Where neither a sidewalk nor a shoulder is available, any pedestrian walking on or along a highway shall walk as near as practicable to an outside edge of the roadway, and, if on a two-way roadway shall walk only on the left side of the roadway." The average two lane road is 24 feet wide. The only thing separating you from a 2-ton battering ram, 12 feet away and speeding up behind you, is some paint in the middle of the road. Better that the one coming from behind has some wiggle room. At least if you have to dive for cover to avoid being clipped, you have a better chance with the one coming head-on.

2.  Tell someone where you are going. You might want to add in how far you are going and how long you plan on being gone. I'm guilty of breaking this rule. A lot. But if, God forbid, you come up missing at least someone has a reference point to begin looking for you. Someone once told me, early in my career, "You know where you are and God knows where you are, but if the rest of us don't know where you are then you and God had better be on good terms." There is wisdom in that.

3.  Turn the headphones down. I do wear headphones when I run. But the volume is never so loud that I cannot hear the car approaching from behind or the sounds of footsteps from another runner. I have ran near other runners who have had the volume so loud on their music players that I can hear what they are listening to over my own tunes. That is asking for trouble.

The Wrist ID Elite

4.  Carry ID. RoadID is great and is personally what I wear. There are also many other suppliers of athletic type identification methods out there. With regard to whatever brand you choose, when making attachment choices, consider that in bad situations shoes and other items of clothing can be lost. At a minimum I suggest having the following on your ID:

Name / Year of Birth
City, State and Country
Blood Type
Drug Allergy
Emergency Contact Number (ie. NAME 555-555-5555 RELATIONSHIP)

5.  Light up! Literally. On those dark roads/trails, pre-dawn, and after dark runs wear a rear strobe and carry some type of flashlight, head lamp, etc. Reflective clothing is nice too. Just be visible. This at least gives you a chance against being struck by a vehicle. If you are struck by a vehicle then the flashing butt strobe will make it easier for retrieval teams to find your body.

6.  Make eye contact or otherwise acknowledge people. Bad guys are going to select easy prey. They do not want to work hard to achieve their goals and picking a target that is confident and possibly going to fight back is too much work. Acknowledging the other person says that you aren't going to be an easy mark. You don't have to be friendly - smile and wave and all that other happy stuff - but at least make eye contact and give them the "grunt and nod".

7.  Take a self-defense/combatives course. Kicking, scratching, yelling and screaming are all fine methods of self-defense. Learning how to put them all together in a nice methodical manner is even better. Find a place that specializes in "real world" techniques. Fancy belts and tournament-style games of tag with heavy padding will not translate well in a fight for your life. Remember to keep it simple and don't be afraid to question the instructor on the effectiveness of what is being shown. When push comes to shove you aren't going to remember Technique #352 - Defense Against A Front Double Hand Choke, but you most likely will remember to shove your thumb through the guy's eye socket before your shin kick his testicles into next week.

8.  Take a proper position. What the hell does that mean? Actively, it means when you are running, don't allow others to corner you into a position that you can't easily escape from or that gives them an advantage. For example, a woman who is running along a wooded road is approached by a man running in the opposite direction. Both are on the same side of the road because one of them is ignoring KRS 189.570(14) . The woman takes the inside edge of the roadway, closest to the woods and the ravine that runs along the roadside. The man, who is actually a rapist, now simply tackles the woman directly off the roadway. Taking the outside may have been a safer option as pulling or dragging the woman from the roadway would require more work. Think that doesn't happen? The Aspin Hill rapist in Maryland posed as a runner while scouting his victims. Taking a proper position also means putting yourself in the best position to take advantage of natural cover, or to be able to use terrain to escape or elude someone who wants to harm you. Of course, the best defense is simply "not being there". Don't place yourself in situations/positions that anyone with any common sense would know probably isn't the safest; such as using the bathroom in a deserted park at night.

9.  Carry a defensive tool (read "weapon"). This can be a knife, a gun, pepper-spray, attack helicopter, something. What you carry is a matter of personal preference. I carry a firearm with me on all of my runs. However, for some this may not be practical or even comfortable. But regardless of what you choose, receive some type of training. Then practice with it. Regularly. When the adrenaline hits you will most likely experience a combination of one or more of the following: loss of fine motor control, time distortion, auditory exclusion, and/or tunnel vision. When that happens you will need to rely on "muscle memory" and skill. Add on top of that the consideration that you will already have been exerting yourself while running and will be winded, etc. In a life and death struggle, you are now already at an extreme disadvantage. The bad guy is going to show up fresh and with plenty of energy (remember the part about them not wanting to work too hard).

As an FYI, OC spray - often referred to as "pepper spray" or the brand name "MACE" - is a less lethal option that might give you some distraction time to escape your attacker. OC spray is generally effective (notice I said "generally" which can mean "not always") and due to the nature of its active ingredient (Oleoresin Capsicum) works on both humans and animals. OC spray can take a few moments to take effect and for maximum effective benefit needs to be applied to the eyes, nasal passages, and mouth.

10.  Last but not least is - Keep situation awareness. It is easy to zone out. All of us have done it. And I guarantee that all of us can recall a time that we were startled while in "the zone". Don't focus your vision right on the road directly in front of your feet. Keep your eyes up and look around. Other than bad guys and crazy drivers, there are pot holes, uneven pavement, hanging tree limbs, rabid squirrels, etc. Besides, there really are all kinds of cool things to see while running that you might otherwise miss.

And a bonus tip: Stay the hell off of social media sites. Or at least set your privacy settings to only allow people you know access your information and/or govern heavily what you post on those sites. A pic taken with your cell phone and uploaded to Facebook will lead the savvy bad guy right to your home. Regular tweets of when you run and where you run will make finding you a piece of cake for the analytical stalker. I could make another mile long post just out of this topic alone.

So, there you have it - my top ten (plus) safety tips for running. Bottom line is this: You are not safe. Anywhere. This is not a paranoid statement. Simply fact. There are no perimeter fences or magic force fields that keep the bad guys corralled in one location. They go where they want, when they want. And they will show up in the places you least expect them, precisely at a time that you are not expecting them. There are thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, of stories out there of runners/joggers who have been attacked:  The "Central Park jogger" who was viciously beaten and raped. Sherry Arnold, the teacher in Montana - abducted and killed while on a run in January of this year. A 19 year old runner raped in Tulsa in February. And of course Sarah Hart, wife and mother of three, robbed and murdered mere days ago.  Sadly the list goes on and on.

Bad things do happen to good people. This doesn't mean that you have to live barricaded inside your home with the windows nailed shut. It simply means that you should be prepared and have a plan for dealing with whatever emergent situation you might encounter, be it of human or natural origin. To borrow from Lt. Col. David Grossman, we have airbags in cars and fire extinguishers in buildings because we accept the fact that fires and traffic accidents can happen and that there must be safeguards against them. Our personal safety while on a run or out with our loved ones is no different.

Remember Sarah Hart

This past Thursday (June 14th), Dr. Sarah Hart of Russell County, KY - a wife and mother of three - went for an early morning run with her sister.  Sarah would never return.

According to news reports, Sarah told her sister that she wasn't feeling well and decided to turn back to where they parked their vehicles.  Instead of making it back to her vehicle Sarah came into contact with a POS (if you don't know what that means try entry number 1 here), who's name is not worth mentioning because I consider him sub-human.  This POS, who had multiple felony charges in more than one State, robbed and then strangled Sarah to death; leaving her body under bushes near the roadway.  The POS was arrested a few hours later and admitted to killing Sarah.  To further add to this heinous act, an autopsy would later reveal that Sarah was 10 - 11 weeks pregnant.  In Kentucky this crime is eligible as a death penalty case and I certainly hope that this POS doesn't rot long in prison before he rots in Hell.

The list of runners who come under vicious attack or even lose their lives to senseless violence while engaged in the activity that they love seemingly continues to grow.  The violence does not recognize geographic limits and knows no socioeconomic boundaries.  Anyone, anywhere can become a victim.  Less than six months ago Sherry Arnold, a teacher in Montana, and now Sarah Hart, a pharmacist in Kentucky.  I can not begin to even guess what the numbers are of those that go unreported or never make the news.

Sarah Hart and family.

The anger that I feel over the murder of Sarah Hart is compounded not only by proximity, but also by the inherent camaraderie that I believe all runners share.  Members of the online community of local runners of which I am a regular visitor, RunTheVille.com, have also expressed their outrage, sympathy, and personal feelings of distress at the loss of Sarah.  So much so that RunTheVille has sent a flower arrangement to the funeral home in remembrance and show of support for the family of a runner that none of the forum members knew personally.

I have been a member of units and teams where each member would go to the wall for any other member of the team; even laying down their lives if necessary.  In the running world, I don't find that much difference.  I believe that it comes from the fact that only runners know what runners endure and that unless someone has been in the same fire as you, they can't truly understand what you are talking about when you talk about the heat.

Sarah will be laid to rest tomorrow, but she will not be forgotten.  Not by her husband, her children, or her family.  She will not be forgotten by her friends.  She will not be forgotten by the community of runners whose lives were touched by her passing.  Nor will I forget.

On the day that I learned of her death, I had already put my mileage in for the day.  However, I ran a second 5K that evening in memory of Sarah and her family; honoring her in the only way that I could think appropriate at the time.  I can say with certainty that in runs to come Sarah and her family will be in my thoughts.  I hope that everyone who reads this blog or hears of Sarah's death will do the same.

Rest in peace, Sarah.  May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

Today's Top 5

Shut Up + Run listed 5 things in her blog that she was enjoying at the moment and encouraged others to do the same.  Too often the negative things that I'm raging against from moment to moment are at the forefront of my thoughts and the things that I enjoy are lost in the mix.  So I'm picking up on Shut Up + Run's theme and giving some thought to the top 5 things that I'm enjoying - at least for today.  Here they are in no particular order.

1.  Starbucks Triple Venti Mocha.

 

For the last several weeks this has become the privileged indulgence of my work day mornings.  The early mornings, long before most people have roused themselves from bed, have been a much needed personal refuge.  Most mornings, for at least the first hour or so, there is no one making demands or pulling me in a hundred different directions.  My triple venti mocha and I go quietly to the gym and spend some quality time together; I investing in much needed personal care and the venti mocha supplying silent energizing support.

Venti Mocha has also been a contributor to some of my most recent self damaging activities and for a while I was afraid that she and I would have to stop seeing one another.  But that was before my new friend Mr. Water came along to help salvage the relationship.  Now Venti and I have reached an understanding and can once again quietly enjoy each other once more.  All things in moderation.

2.  Nike Dri-Fit Long Sleeve Running Shirt

 

I found a new Nike store in the neighborhood recently and went inside to look around.  There were tons of clothing on clearance and I picked up this Dri-Fit long sleeve running shirt with the Livestrong pinwheel design on the cuff.  It fits great, looks good, and the blue really brings out my eyes.  Or at least so I've been told.  :-)

I've been wearing this thing on my morning workouts (never mind that it is June) or just out-and-about.  I've also worn it a few times on the job.  The "Run" logo on the front works on so many different levels!

3.   Flashpoint

 

I normally don't watch "cop shows" or "crime" dramas; I get enough of that in real life.  Plus, who has time to watch television anyway when you're busy being totally awesome?  However, during a rare moment of down time I stumbled across Flashpoint on Netflix and thought I would check out the pilot episode.  I was hooked.  This Canadian police drama centers around a fictitious SWAT team, which is based on the very real Toronto Police Service Emergency Task Force.  The writing is actually very good and some of the episodes have actually hit a little too close to home.

I liked the show so much I shared it with my friends.  We've also had a good time calling "bullshit" from time-to-time on some of the tactics and decisions portrayed on the show.  But then I have to remind everyone that if they were real operators the episode(s) in question would only be about 10 minutes long, and what good is that?  Plus it is a good thing to suspend disbelief every so often.

Flashpoint is currently filming its fifth and final season (I'm only on the third episode of season 4) and with the amount of free time I have to really sit down and watch the show it will last me for some time, but I'll be sorry to see it go.

4.  iPhone 4S (In An Otterbox Defender Case)

Okay, so this is really two things combined into a single unit.  The iPhone 4S is the latest and greatest iPhone iteration.  At least until this Fall when I expect that Apple will launch a new iPhone along with iOS 6.

I use my iPhone for nearly everything, and it has become an invaluable tool for both my personal and professional lives.  I slip it into my armband for tunes while on my runs (along with my JayBird wireless headphones).  I take photographs (pretty damn good ones too), video, and audio recordings for work.  I browse the web, work with e-mail, video conference, and get maps and directions on the fly with this little sucker.  All-in-all, it is damn near like being in a Star Trek episode sometimes.  And let's not forget Siri, Apple's virtual assistant.  Her voice could use a little less synthesizing, but I figure that will come when I can finally get her to talk dirty to me.

The Defender case from Otterbox keeps my invaluable companion safe and sound (Have I ever mentioned that I'm really hard on gear?).  The hard polycarbonate shell is surrounded by a softer silicone layer that resists the frequent bumps and dings that comes as part and parcel of living my life.

5.  My Own Awesomeness.

I know that sounds a little narcissistic - okay, a lot actually - but at an age where I swear I can hear the clock ticking I'm probably in the best shape of my life.  I'm also a hell of a lot smarter (in some ways) than I was in my youth.  I suppose what I really mean is that at this moment in time I'm in good health and in a relatively decent place in my life; all things considered.  Could things be better?  Of course.  But they could always be a hell of a lot worse.

Early last week I walked outside my office and stood in the streaming sunshine.  The air was cool and the day was clear and bright.  In that moment I experienced none of my usual aches or pains.  And as I stood there breathing in the fresh morning air, there was also a sense of endless possibilities and limitless potential; as though there was nothing that I couldn't do.  It is a difficult feeling to describe, but I felt alive.

Unfortunately I do not experience those feelings often enough; perhaps as a result of not slowing down or pausing long enough to take stock.  Tomorrow may be different, but for now I'm feeling pretty awesome and therefore it makes the list.


So there you have it.  My list of five things that I'm enjoying at the moment.  I'll be honest that I really had to think about this and wasn't exactly sure that I could come up with five things.  Maybe that is telling.  Maybe this is also a good regular exercise to help keep perspective.

What is it that you're enjoying?  What are the top five things on your list?  Take some time and give it some thought.

Churchill Had It Right

This blog has been mainly about my running, but more than that it also serves as a window into my life; albeit one made of frosted glass panes.  This post, therefore, is a departure from the norm.  As the title says, "Life.  One mile at a time."  Not all of those miles are flat and smooth.

People say that I'm stubborn, hard-headed, and sometimes extremely inflexible.  The stark reality is that I'm not a quitter and I absolutely do not like giving up.  On anything.  When I give up bad things usually happen and sometimes things even die - relationships, animals,...people.

My "resolve" has many times been personally detrimental because not only do I champion the just, I also have a propensity for wading into battle for the seemingly hopeless and lost causes as well; especially if I feel it is right.  And whatever I'm behind, I'm behind 100 percent; sometimes more.  That normally negatively impacts me because I've never been a good judge of when to quit.  When it comes to running and racing that has never been a bad thing, but in other aspects of life a person just has to accept that there are terminal points.  This is a lesson that in my later years I am begrudgingly beginning to learn.

Wiley engaged in his favorite pastime.

Thursday was a good example.  The family cat, that we rescued from a shelter in 2009, became ill after having an adverse reaction to a rabies booster.  We had already had some health problems early on with Wiley and had spent quite a bit on his medical care and he had been an otherwise healthy cat.  Last week, after what we thought was a routine rabies booster, his health took an acute turn for the worse and we rushed him to a nearby veterinarian hospital.  He was hospitalized over-night, diagnosed with an intestinal disorder, and returned home the next day with medications.  Thursday he became unsteady and began bleeding from his nostrils.  The family rushed him to the ER again and I met them there after work.

The diagnosis was grim.  He was anemic and his platelet count was falling.  He needed a transfusion.  The vet wasn't sure why it was happening.  I asked the vet if it could have been related to the rabies booster and he replied that it was very possible; that the immunization could have launched his immune system into over-drive causing it to attack his own body.  He stated that Wiley would need a transfusion and would have to be hospitalized for up to five days while they determined the cause of his condition.  The estimate for this treatment was between $1500 and $2000.

The wife and I went into the hallway, to get away from the kids, and began to debate what to do.  She was torn.  We had already spent over $800 on his treatment in the last seven days.  Spending another $2000, with the possibility of needing to spend more at the end of five days, was something that she didn't want to do.  She also didn't want to make the call to not treat Wiley either.  She would feel guilty, she explained, either way.  She became increasingly emotional and I was becoming angry (my default coping mechanism) because I was frustrated.  If it was money that was the issue, I could always work overtime or put the cost of his treatment on a credit card.  I didn't consider that a factor.  But my step-daughter was having major surgery the next week and my wife's concerns were that she would be left alone, while I'm out keeping the peace, nursing a child just out of surgery and an anemic cat that might or might not have a chance at making it.  For her that was a factor.

As the wife became increasingly emotional I made the decision to send her and the kids home and to take this one on my own.  I spoke with the veterinarian again and he said that Wiley only had a 40% chance of surviving even with treatment.  He also couldn't promise me that what was afflicting him would have a terminal point; meaning that after the treatment and the expense that further treatment might be necessary.  I then asked what would happen without treatment.  The vet assured me that Wiley would succumb to the anemia that night.  I then, reluctantly, asked him if Wiley could be humanely put down.  He suggested from a professional position that it would be best to do so to avoid further suffering on Wiley's part.

Hello Kitty.  Get it?

I knew what was happening in that moment.  I could feel the inevitability that I was crashing toward.  It was one of those damned terminal points that I talked about earlier.  I agonized.  Caught between what I wanted to do - be the hero who said, "Do whatever it takes.  We're not losing him," - and the quitter who just gives up and takes the easy road out.  The cards were stacked against Wiley.  That he might not make it no matter what decision I made was a real possibility.  This was the kind of fight that I liked.  But there was more at stake here than just my own stubborn ego.  The wife, the step-daughter, the finances, potentially extending Wiley's suffering...  So I did what I rarely, if ever, do.  I gave up.  I told the vet that we would move forward with the euthanasia.  The doctor nodded his head and left the room and then I did something else that I rarely do - I cried.

I have pulled bodies from wreckage, stood in the middle of gruesome homicide scenes, and watched autopsies performed on infants.  I have worked up to my elbows in other people's blood and looked down the sights of weapons pointed at other human beings.  All of it with a professional detachment that comes from exposure.  But this act of inaction, this decision not to fight, this choice of terminating the life of an innocent animal who had brought so much joy, so much frustration, so much love into our family struck something deep within me that the hardened walls of compartmentalization, that have served me so well for most of my life, failed completely.

They brought Wiley to me so that I could say goodbye to him.  He was weak and just laid in my arms as I stroked his fur.  They had placed an IV line in his leg through which to administer the fatal cocktail.  I'm not sure how long it was before the vet came in, perhaps ten or fifteen minutes.  He told me that he would give Wiley an injection of Propofol that would relax him and then on my "go" would give him the injection of Euthasol that would stop his heart in about 20 seconds.  I nodded for him to go ahead and he injected the Propofol.  Wiley's body shuddered and he gave a deep sigh, then his eyes became very heavy almost immediately.  I paused only for a moment before I told the vet, "Whenever you're ready."  He injected the small syringe of green chemical slowly into the IV and placed the stethoscope on Wiley's chest.  It didn't take 20 seconds.

They brought Wiley's body to me in a cardboard box.  Inside he was wrapped in the blanket that the family had taken him to the hospital in, and had been placed in a black plastic bag.  I sent a text to the wife and told her to pick a spot in the backyard to bury him.  The ride home was filled with rapidly developing scenarios in my head for how to approach the children about Wiley.  The end result was there was no predetermined scenario.  I walked in the door and my youngest daughter asked where Wiley was.  I told her as softly as I could that he had died.  She cried and as I held her she repeated over and over again that it wasn't fair.  I agreed.

We buried Wiley in a quiet and shady spot in our backyard.  There was little ceremony.  The kids wrote notes to Wiley that they placed on the box before I covered it over and then the wife and kids planted irises on top of his grave.  Adding to my guilt my wife would tell me later that my youngest daughter asked if daddy was going to lock up the people who had killed Wiley.  How do you explain to a six year old that you're the one who pulled the pin?

The days following Wiley's death have seen the children bounce back, as kids do.  They still talk about missing Wiley and visit his grave, but they have moved on to an acceptance that I wish I could share.  I know that some would consider this crazy; making this big of a deal over putting down a sick cat.  Perhaps it is deflection or transference on my part; not so much about Wiley as it is about all the times that I should allowed myself to be emotionally connected and didn't.  I don't know.  But I can't shake the feeling that I gave up on him and that the result of my giving up was that this animal who was as much a fixture in this family as anyone died.  Never mind the rationalized logic of the decision.  I still feel like I failed him, and in turn my family who loved him as much as I.

I had just returned from a pre-dawn run and was changing clothes.  Wiley began rolling in my sweaty Under Armor running shorts.  If only my wife loved me as much.

It was Sir Winston Churchill who said, "Never give in--never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense."  I have done my best to stay true to those words, even if I have stumbled and fallen a few times along the way.  And while I will miss Wiley and his annoying nipping at my hand for attention, his passing (and my guilt over it) will serve as a reminder of the consequences of giving in and giving up.  And that reminder will strengthen my resolve.

Goodbye, my friend.  Thank you for all the love that you shared in our home, and the lessons of how a good nap, especially in the sun, is sometimes more important than anything else.

Wiley Cat (2009 - 2012)