by Marjorie Wise

Created on: October 13, 2008   Last Updated: October 20, 2008

Google the news for "jogger" and you might be surprised at the results. On just the first page were six references to joggers being injured or attacked in a ten day period.

* A coyote bit a female jogger in Los Angeles.

* A woman was hit by a car in New Hampshire.

* A man was hit by a deer Pennsylvania.

* Shots were fired at a jogger in Canada

* Dogs attacked a jogger and his dog in Georgia.

* A man tried to abduct a teen-aged girl in Daytona Beach who ran ahead of her cross country team.

That's page one. The next page gives snippets of attempted sexual assault and physical assault of female joggers. Where do these attacks happen? Chicago, Florida, Missouri, England, Australia, and everywhere else where criminals reside. That just about covers the globe, including where you exercise,doesn't it?

Getting exercise is important to you but so is your life. Being obsessed about safety isn't really necessary but a few precautions are. Think before you set out on your run and you increase your chances of getting home safely.

* Exercise with a partner. There is safety in numbers. There's always someone else who wants to run or walk when you do. If you have a dog, take him along and let him get exercise when you do.

* Let another person know when and where you're going to be jogging and how long you expect to be out. Courtesy dictates that you let that person know you got home safely or work out some other arrangement so they aren't let wondering if you made it home okay.

* Stay alert to your surroundings. The woman bitten by the coyote didn't see it but it saw her. Keep your head up and use your eyes and ears. Pay attention.

* Stay in well lit areas. Avoid alleys and poorly lit streets.

* Keep to the path. Trees and shrubs make perfect hidingplaces for people who shouldn't be there.

* Stay with the group. In two instances, young girls who ran ahead of their team were approached by men intent on abduction. Stay with the group.

* Wear reflective clothing no matter what time of day you exercise. A variety of day or night vests are available for about $20, a small price to pay for not being bounced off the hood of a car.

* Bicycles and helmets go together. Wear one.

* Remember that pedestrians face traffic, bicycles go with traffic.

* Forget the headphones. You can't hear that dog or bad guy behind you if you're ears are full of music.

* Vary your route. Bad guys look for routine, so change your route and time a little each time you run or bike.

* There's not much you can do to avoid being shot at by a nut case except to stay away from areas that you know to be unsafe. If you're new to the locality, ask local law enforcement about safe and unsafe areas.

* Wear comfortable clothing but avoid outfits that reveal more than they cover. That's asking for attention that you may not want.

It almost makes you want to stay in, doesn't it? Forget that. Don't let safety issues scare you off from doing what you want to do. It's just good sense to be prepared and be cautious, no matter where you are or what you're doing. The safest risk is the one you didn't take.

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