I JUST DIDN'T SEE 'EM!
"Running Safely"

In our continuing effort to provide information to make running as safe a possible for our friends and readers, this page is dedicated to running safety as it relates to "ROAD SMARTS"; "WINTER WEATHER"; and animal encounters, including "MOUNTAIN LIONS", "BEAR", "COYOTES", and "RATTLESNAKES"; and last but not least, "LIGHTNING".

ROAD SMARTS

A funny thing occurred the other evening when a group of Tahoe Mountain Miler club members took off on an "after dark" run in the Tahoe Keys. Several of the members had recently purchased or received new running apparel for Christmas. As we began to compare notes, fabric content, winter weather durability, fashion coordination, etc. someone finally made the comment, "did you realize that we're all wearing predominantly black?!" Well, we all had to swallow our pride and admit that we had violated one of the cardinal rules of running after dark (which happens a lot during the winter months) "Wear reflective material if you must run after dark".

That reminded us that we must regularly think about running safely. We're always at risk in today's world, but there are a number of things we can do to make our runs safer. Some of these tips will seem strange to people in some areas and all to poignant to others. As we continue in our running ventures let’s all take a moment to refresh our commitment to safety by remembering the following tips:

  • If you must run on the roads, consider the following: always run against oncoming traffic. This makes you more visible to the driver (especially if you're wearing light or reflective clothing) and also provides you with that split-second or two to dive to the side, if necessary.

  • Carry identification. Carry your name, address, a friend or relative's telephone number and your blood type on the inside sole of your running shoe or tied to a lace. Include other relevant medical information.

  • Carry 35 cents with you (thank you Pac Bell!) for an emergency telephone call.

  • Don't wear jewelry.

  • Whenever possible, run with a partner. If you run alone, make sure your friends or relatives know your favorite running routes. Leave your routes written down somewhere, either at home or in your car. If possible, inform someone about which route you'll running.

  • Run in familiar areas and alter your route pattern. Know the location of telephones, businesses and stores on your routes.

  • Avoid unpopulated areas, deserted streets and overgrown trails if running alone. Especially avoid unlit areas at night. Run clear of parked cars and bushes.

  • Stay alert. The more you are aware, the less vulnerable you are.

  • Practice memorizing license tags or identifying characteristics of strangers.

  • Don't wear headphones. Use your hearing to be aware of your surroundings.

  • Ignore verbal harassment. Use discretion in acknowledging strangers. Look directly at others and be observant. Keep your distance and keep moving.

  • Always! Always! Always assume that drivers do not see you, especially at intersections. Plan ahead so you can anticipate their movements. It will always be to your advantage to run behind automobiles preparing to enter main thoroughfares, even if they acknowledge your presence.

  • Run against traffic so you can easily see approaching automobiles.

  • Use your intuition about suspicious persons and areas.

  • Carry a noisemaker or pepper spray (get trained in use of the latter).

  • Call the police immediately if something happens to you or if you notice anything out of the ordinary during your run.

  • Carry a whistle or noisemaker. Some runners carry pepper sprays in case of dog attacks.

    • WINTER SAFETY

    These additional "Winter Safety" tips are taken from the Road Runners Club of America's Cold Weather Running recommendations.

  • RUNS IN COLD WEATHER can be some of our most wonderful experiences; they can also be some of the worst if a few key safety rules are overlooked. Hypothermia, frostbite and falls are some of the risks.

  • CLOTHING OUTER LAYERS SHOULD BE LIGHT-COLORED OR REFLECTIVE. Light colored material is visible even without a strong light source. Reflective materials work only if there is a light source. Blaze orange becomes poorly visible at night. However, during snowy days, dark or bright colors provide visible contrast and attract solar energy.

  • WEAR CLOTHING IN LAYERS. Warm air will be trapped between the layers. Use clothing with vents and zippers to allow excess heat to escape as you become warm. On windy days the outer layer should be of wind-resistant and "breathable" material; the innermost should be a "wicking" fabric, such as cooolmax.

  • AVOID OVERDRESSING. It is better to feel a bit underdressed and chilly as you start out. As you run in your layered environment your temperature will rise about 20 .

  • PLAN YOUR RUN. It is preferable to run into the wind at first and with the wind behind you on the way back. Check on weather conditions prior to your run.

  • HAT AND GLOVES ARE CRUCIAL TO BODY WARMTH. You can take them off as you heat up and pull them back on when needed. More than 25% of body heat can be lost through a bare head.

  • IF ROADS OR TRAILS ARE ICY STRONGLY CONSIDER NOT RUNNING. If snowy, pay attention to the soles of your shoes. Shoes with the "nubs" give better traction in snow.

  • DRINK WATER. Because humidity and the temperature are low, sweating is not as profuse, but vital fluids are still lost on every run. Be sure to drink plenty of water daily.


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    ADDITIONAL SAFETY COSIDERATIONS

    Now let's discuss trail-running safety for runners in areas where encounters with wild animals are becoming more frequent and how best to deal with these encounters. We'll cover the current line of thinking as it relates to mountain lions, bears, coyotes and rattlesnakes. Finally, we'll cover the prominent weather feature that has the potential to turn the best of us into a piece of bacon - lightning.

    WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU ENCOUNTER A MOUNTAIN LION?

    Let's first talk about something most of us are all too familiar with because of the tragedy faced by Barbara Schoener. In 1994 Barbara went for a trail run on one of her favorite courses near the small California community of Cool. Unfortunately, a female cougar also inhabited this area with a young offspring. Barbara did not survive the attack that most likely took her by surprise. Fortunately for the rest of us, preventative knowledge will go a long way towards allowing us to return safely from our daily runs. I hope to provide each of you with information that will make you more aware of how to successfully deal with potential wildlife encounters. Let's first talk about potential attacks by Mountain Lions.

    There's been very little research on how to avoid mountain lion attacks. But mountain lion attacks that have occurred are being analyzed in the hope that some crucial questions can be answered: Did the victim do something to inadvertently provoke an attack? What should a person who is approached by a mountain lion do--or not do? The following suggestions are based on studies of mountain lion behavior and analysis of attacks by mountain lions, tigers and leopards:

  • · DO NOT RUN ALONE: Run in groups.

  • · DO NOT APPROACH A LION: Most mountain lions will try to avoid a confrontation. Give them a way to escape.

  • · DO NOT RUN FROM A LION: Running may stimulate a mountain lion's instinct to chase. Instead, stand and face the animal. Make eye contact. If you have small children with you, pick them up if possible so they don't panic and run. Although it may be awkward, pick them up without bending over or turning away from the mountain lion.

  • · DO NOT CROUCH DOWN OR BEND OVER: In Nepal, a researcher studying tigers and leopards watched the big cats kill cattle and domestic water buffalo while ignoring humans standing nearby. He surmised that a human standing up is just not the right shape for a cat's prey. On the other hand, people squatting or bending over looks a lot like a four-legged prey animal. If you're in mountain lion country, avoid squatting, crouching or bending over.

  • · DO ALL YOU CAN TO APPEAR LARGER: Raise your arms. Open your jacket if you are wearing one. Throw stones, branches, or whatever you can reach without crouching or turning your back. Wave your arms slowly and speak firmly in a loud voice. The idea is to convince the mountain lion that you are not prey and that you may be a danger to it.

  • · FIGHT BACK IF ATTACKED: A hiker in Southern California used a rock to fend off a mountain lion that was attacking his son. Others have fought back successfully with sticks, caps, jackets, garden tools and their bare hands. Since a mountain lion usually tries to bite the head or neck, try to remain standing and face the attacking animal.

    • Next, let's cover how to deal with bear encounters.

    BEAR BASICS

  • · The best rule of thumb is " KEEP YOUR DISTANCE" and they will reciprocate.

  • · Don't try to get a "closer look" by approaching a bear.

  • · Always try to make the bear aware of your presence.

  • · Always leave them an easy route to escape.

  • · Never try to corner a bear for any reason.

    • IF YOU SHOULD ENCOUNTER A BEAR:

    While black bears are capable of severely injuring or killing humans, they rarely attack or injure people.

  • · Keep a cool head at all times.

  • · Don't turn your back or run. (You'll look like food)! A black bear can outrun Olympic sprinters. Running can stimulate the bear's predatory instinct to attcak.

  • · If there are 2 or more of you, stand close together to appear more imposing.

  • · Make loud noises, such as shouting.

  • · Try to avoid direct eye contact. Bears seem to find this threatening behavior.

  • · Consider the tree hanging technique only as a delaying tactic.

  • · Throw rocks near the bears. Do not try to hurt the bears!

    • Safety instructions for dealing with grizzly bears are different from those for black bears. Grizzly bears do not inhabit California but populations do exist in Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and western Canada and Alaska. If you run in these areas please contact your local fish and game agencies or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for safety suggestions

    IF A BEAR ATTACKS:

  • · Again try to keep a cool head at all times.

  • · Yell for help, it you may be closer than you think.

  • · Stop, drop and cover your neck just like the civil defense drill you learned in school.

  • · Most of your vitals are easier to get to from the front so stay on your knees or stomach. Roll back to your knees if the bear turns you over.

  • · If the bear persists, and only as a last resort, resist with all your might. Try to grab a stick or a rock, a knife or whatever you have, and fight for your life. Your survival could depend on your fierceness.

    • WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF COYOTES STALK YOU?

    If you live on the West Coast it is probably common for you to see coyotes. Coyotes quickly lose their fear of people and become bold, even aggressive. If Coyotes begin to frequent your running trails, let them know they are not welcome. Make Loud noises and throw rocks towards them. It is essential that they retain their natural wariness of humans.

    TIPS TO MINIMIZE CONFLICTS WITH RATTLESNASKES WHILE RUNNING

  • · Stick to well-used, open trials.

  • · Avoid running through thick brush or willow thickets.

  • · Do not step or put your hands where you cannot see.

  • · Watch all snakes from a distance and be aware of defensive behaviors that let you know you're too close.

    • REPORT ALL ENCOUNTERS OR ATTACKS BY WILD ANIMALS

    If you are involved in a face-to-face encounter with, or an attack by, a mountain lions, bear, coyotes or rattlesnakes, contact the California Department of Fish and Game 24 hour dispatch center at (916) 445-0045. The threat to public safety will be assessed and any appropriate action will be taken. Also report any sightings of dead or injured mountain lions.

    Finally, let's address one of the leading environmental problems for runners and other outdoor enthusiasts - lightning. Since most of us want to return from our daily runs without looking like a piece of bacon; it will be worth your while to read the following.

    LIGHTNING SAFETY RULES

    If you plan a trail run in areas where thunderstorms are common, check the latest weather forecast and keep a weather eye on the sky. At signs of an impending storm--towering thunderheads, darkening skies, lightning, increasing wind--tune in your NOAA Weather Radio, AM-FM radio, or television for the latest weather information.

    If you are caught in the middle of a run when thunderstorms occur, do not stand underneath a tall isolated tree or a telephone pole. Avoid projecting above the surrounding landscape. For example, don't stand on a hilltop or ridgeline. In a forested area, seek shelter in a low area under a thick growth of small trees. In open areas, go to a low place, such as a ravine or valley. If you are in a group in the open, spread out. Keeping people several yards apart.

    Remember--lightning may strike some miles from the parent cloud. Precautions should be taken even though the thunderstorm is not directly overhead. If you are caught in a level field or meadow far from shelter and if you feel your hair stand on end, lightning may be about to strike you. Drop to your knees and bend forward, putting you hands on your knees. Do not lie flat on the ground.

    FIRST AID

    Persons struck by lightning receive a severe electrical shock and may be burned, but they carry no electrical charge and can be handled safely. Someone who appears to have been killed by lightning often can be revived by prompt action. When a group has been struck, the apparently "dead" should be treated first.

    The American Red Cross says that if a victim is not breathing, you should immediately begin mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, once every 5 seconds to adults and once every 3 seconds to infants and small children, until medical help arrives.

    If both pulse and breathing are absent, cardiopulmonary resuscitation--a combination of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and external cardiac compression--is necessary. Only persons with proper training should administer this procedure.
    Victims who appear only stunned or otherwise unhurt may also need attention. Check for burns, especially at fingers and toes and next to buckles and jewelry. Give first aid for shock. Do not let the victim walk around. Send someone for help. Stay with the victim until help arrives. Be prepared.

    A Red Cross first aid course provides excellent instruction on how to render aid to a person who has been struck by lightning.

  • SEVERE THUNDERSTORM: Winds more than 57 mph or hail 3/4 inch or more in diameter.

  • SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH: Severe thunderstorms are possible.

  • SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING: Severe thunderstorms have been sighted or indicated by radar.