This weekend while I was overseeing a group workout I got one of those phone calls that I dread: one of my runners had gone down during the run. “Knees?” I asked. “No, knees and face,” my assistant coach Julie answered back to me. We moved into action and transported our runner to an urgent care facility and she’ll recover from her injuries. But the incident made me think about the need for having a safety plan when you’re out running, especially when running alone.
Keep in mind that you can be injured quite traumatically an instant while running. Whether it’s catching a toe on a tree root, stepping on something that you don’t see, or having a car swipe you from the side, there are real dangers out there. One moment you’re cruising along enjoying your run, the next moment, BOOM, you’re on the ground. That’s when you need a plan to get yourself to safety.
First, everyone should run with identification. I know that many runners don’t do this and I’m as guilty as anyone else, but if you are knocked unconscious, or fall into unconsciousness from the shock of an injury, how are people going to know who you are? We recently had a runner in Portland that was hit by a car and it took five days for her family to find her in a local hospital. Wearing an ID tag on your shoe will help people identify you and contact your family.
Second, run with a cell phone. If you are alone carry a cell phone with you. If you’re in a group, make sure that someone in the group has one and that everyone knows who has it. This is the fastest way to start communication with first responders and your quickest way to get care. It is also a good practice to label an entry in your cell phone’s phone-book with “ICE” (for “In case of emergency”), if you are unconscious and someone needs to call an emergency contact on your behalf.
Third, flag down a passing car or other runners to help you out. Even if you initially feel just shaken-up, you should tell someone that you may be injured in case your symptoms get worse. You may start feeling symptoms of shock between 5 minutes and an hour or more after a fall and then you may not be able to summon help. Always be cognizant that injuries may not initially feel as bad as they may actually be.
Fourth, get yourself to a doctor or an urgent care facility to be evaluated. It’s important that you get checked out to make sure that you don’t have internal injuries that aren’t visible to the naked eye. In addition, it is important for “road rash” to be thoroughly cleaned out to avoid infections and “dirt tattoos” – dirt that is under the skin and won’t go away anytime soon.
Fifth, tell someone that you took a fall and ask them to check in with you later in the day. Again, your condition could get worse in the hours after an accident and if you are home alone you may need assistance getting help. If someone checks up on you, they can get you the help that you might need.
No one likes to think of running as a dangerous activity, and truthfully it isn’t a particularly dangerous pass-time. Following some of these steps to get the help you need if you should suffer an injury during one of your runs.
Be safe out there.
Coach Joe
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