This Could Happen To You, BE PREPARED.

Hi, Sorry for my absence of nine days or so. Alot has happened, Good and Bad. First I want to share with you the incident that happened just three houses down from our residence. I AM VERY SERIOUS ABOUT WHAT I AM GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU.

My day ran long as far as work and my commitments to family, so I decided to take a later in the evening run. Not so uncommon for me. And besides it was only 10pm +/-. First two nights before I had don the same and ended up extending my run my a mile or two. I which I had a somewhat "gentle" run-in with a Pit-Bull and a German Sheppard. As runners we expect that eventually we will have something like this happen and, if prepared all will pass without incident or bit marks right? So in having the "Close Call the next day I took my little girl to see the baby chicks at the old hardware store and since I was there, I picked up a 15gram bottle of pepper spray that would clip to my running shorts and really not be noticed...

On to the second night after the purchase. And a case of what I call "DIVINE SYNCHRONICITY"

I left my house for my 1/2 mile warm-up. Walk, Fast Walk, Up The HR Sync the GPS Then take off back that direction and re-passing the house onto where ever the run takes me. Just down from the house I saw a car coming erratically. Fast, Slow Fast, Slow, etc. I was cautious. Then just before they got to me they made a hard left into a driveway two driveways from mine. Put the car into reverse, So I slowed and changed direction and ran into the grass through the front of my neighbors yard and 10 feet from the front of the car. As I did this the driver reved the engine and basically put me on the hood. (remember they HAD it in reverse). At this time I can only say that it happened two more times followed by a rather large and intoxicated male passenger getting out of the car with bad intentions. I am 5' 11" and 160 lbs. Wearing only running shorts and shirt, shoes AND #1-CELL PHONE #2- PEPPER SPRAY. 911 was called, during the incident and the spray was used... I will only say this. IT WORKED and damn it, IT WORKED WELL. The car was caught within seven blocks after it left were everything happened. AND I was SAFE.

Now Listen. If you were faced with something like this, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? Are you READY? I'm telling you, I NEVER EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENING THAT CLOSE TO MY HOUSE, OR EVER! This is a small town in the middle of the Smoky Mountains for goodness sake. Look, Alot of you guys out there would say, I'm going to buy pepper spray for my wife or girlfriend... WHAT ABOUT YOU? It can save your BUTT! I am living proof. Say I had been on a long run and am at about mile 10 or 12 and TIRED. Then something happens, YOU NEED BACK-UP DUDE.

I'm sure that I will have to go to court and point my finger at the woman driving and the man who threatened me, But I guarantee they will think about it before they do it again. That is how our system works. We have to speak up. Remember... CELL PHONE and PEPPER SPRAY as a precaution, don't go living in fear, just understand the possibilities in this day in age when running alone. DC