What to Wear to be Safe on a Run

On Thursday, members of  Take the First Step Club met for their monthly meeting at J. Christopher's Restaurant, and Deputy Mark Mitchelson of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department was our guest speaker. He remind us of the things we should be doing to be safe and to avoid becoming victims. It was a brief but information packed presentation that will keep us all safer.

One thing we discussed was that, to be safe, it's best to run in a group, or at least with a friend. Additionally, some people carry pepper spray. Mark pointed out that pepper foam is far better because pepper spray can be blown by the wind and end up coming right back at the person who sprayed it. The Sheriff's Department has completely switched over to pepper foam.

Only a few weeks ago, a group of us was running off road in a North Tampa park when we rounded a corner to see a man lying face down on the ground in the leaves. He said he had a charlie horse in his leg?????? Nothing happened, but it did startle us and certainly made us stop and think.

I have been carrying pepper spray for a while; today, I purchased pepper foam. It's got a handy clip that's just right for clipping it to the waistband of my running shorts. I decided that was important. I had considered putting it in my Joey Pouch, but Wendy pointed out that if it's not handy, it might not be useful, and I am sure she's right.

So, as far as I am concerned, pepper foam is 'what to wear' for smart and safe running. More from his talk in my next post. Thanks, Mark.