ok ok boys lets get back on subject here...
As a female runner and high school coach, this is absolutely terrifying. From now on I will carry my cell phone with me on my runs- it seems stupid not to. I thought about this the other day when I left my house for my run- No one knew where I planned to do my run, how long I'd be gone, what clothes I had on...if something was to happen to me I would be missing for hours before anyone knew it, plenty of time for someone to get me far from home or worse.
To all the girls out there, if you live on your own make sure someone knows these details when you head out for a run. Even if you must leave a note in your house, I'm sure if something was to happen investigators would be grateful to have a little bit of info.
I have told all of girls I coach in the past to never run alone, for all safety reasons (injuries, getting lost, etc), but now I am going to require that they carry their cell phones with them on their runs. Any parents of daughters of ANY age should suggest this to their runner. It may be a hassle and I may look stupid but it may help sometime- it could also help someone else too if I saw something suspicious taking place.
I have considered carrying my phone before for the sake of injuries- a friend fell on a trail run and broke her hip and had to lay in the woods for a few hours before anyone else came running through. This plus this new story scare the crap out of me.
My thoughts are with Chelsea's family.
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Coach, I am going to add to what you said with some common sense advice from a trained American miltary warrior.
A cell phone is nice but you probably will not have time to use it. A weapon is your best defense. In most cases the weapon is going to be YOU. If the person comes from the front with a weapon run the other way, not in a straight line, but zig zag and make yourself a small target. It is hard to hit a target straight on with a pistol, but even harder when the target is zig zagging. You need to know how to fight in order to kill or mame. In other words, go for the part of body that will end it. Stick your finger or thumb in their eye very deep. Grab the throat and squeeze the carotid arteries. Chop throat! Kick the groin area. Learn to fight back. Remember always go for the throat. Last move, if the person has you down bite out the jugglar. Always say to yourself "There is no way I am going without a fight".