mace?

[cody daneille]

so i was out for a run today, about a 6 miler. fargo has the airsho going on this weekend and i live on broadway(couple blocks off) a main road in fargo. i ran down another main road and noticed there was a guy in an old beat down truck following me as i ran down university. i didnt think anything of it though because i live extremely close to the airport where the airsho is obviously held and there were a lot of people lined on the streets as i ran to watch. as i was running back up broadway i noticed the airsho had begun and everyone was starting to stand to watch. so i looked over and i SWEAR to god the guy was driving up broadway at the Same speed i was running! WTF! he was leaning over the passenger seat staring at me with the window down. because he was driving so slow about 10 cars were lined up behind him. alarms went off immediatly so i stopped dead. he pulled over on the side of the road right next to me after he saw that i had stopped running. i got really bad feelings in my stomach and started walking back the other way towards some people. he sat on the side of the road for 10 or 15 minutes before driving off actually in the direction of my apartment! i was so scared i waited until i thought he was gone and sprinted home.

does anyone run with mace? and has this happened to anyone before??

[Dread Rooster]

ALWAYS! At 24yrs old and 195lbs I never leave for a long run without it, and I tell my friends to do the same. I have never been followed (after seeing pictures of myself running I can deduce why) but I have passed through enough unfamiliar woods and unfriendly neighborhoods to see a justification or two for carrying it. It protects you against all eventualities. Be it mugger, murderer, pissed of stray dog, or rabid racoon, a shot of capsicum to the face will give you more than enough time to get clear of the danger. My running shorts (nike+ dri-fit) have a convenient "key" pocket over the back side of the right hip that make it easy to carry comfortably, and that might be why I transitioned so easy to carrying pepper spray. Many brands (Sabre for sure) offer smaller sprayers with an elastic carrying strap not dissimilar from that of a water bottle or flashlight that work well for many runners. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

[cody daneille]

well i went out yesterday and bought pepper spray...i havent run outside again yet though. i run a lot of backroads here because it is so much better than anywhere else ive ran. fargo is such a small town especially when you run in the same neighborhood, ppl recognize that you run the same route frequently. ive noticed many ppl driving past me the same place and time but havent felt threatened at all. i guess i might try it today...get back on that horse. **sigh**

[Andrea]

I run with pepper spray also. I keep it in my hand so everyone I pass can see I have it. I also wear my phone on a clip on my shorts. I know it's alot of shit to carry but I'd rather be safe than dead.

[Parker]

Having been sprayed with Pepper Spray (it was required, and done in a controlled environment... not in response to something I did), I can honestly say that stuff scares the ever loving crap out of me. Seriously, most painful experience of my life.