Can you believe the 21 miler is in 4 days!! (Don't panic, you can do this!) This was always my favorite benchmark. It gives me that last little boost in confidence that I really can finish the marathon. On my run this morning I was thinking about the route and couldn't help but want to say a few things about safety. It would be a shame to get this far only to miss the marathon because of an injury.

I haven't seen Eric's final version but if 90% stayed the same, you're probably heading over the St. John's bridge. (Yay!) For the first timers, this will be a great chance for you to run the bridge before race day and will make it a little less intimidating. However, everyone needs to remember that the roads are NOT closed to traffic. Be aware of where you are, where the crosswalks are and make sure you follow all laws in regard to crossing the streets. Also, remember that we share the road with other runners and cyclists. Stay out of the bike lanes as much as possible. If you are running in a bike lane and a cyclist comes up on you, they have no choice but to move into traffic. Well, they do have a choice, they could hit you...but most will just move into traffic to pass you and then mutter something about rude runners.

Also, here's where the 2 abreast rule is critical. There is a lot of traffic out there, even on a Saturday morning. Most cars and trucks will not slow down, even when they see tons of people running along the side of the road. There will be bottlenecks, just be patient. On one of the runs earlier this season, I was following a group of runners and we hit a bottleneck. One girl huffed and puffed and then just darted into the oncoming traffic lane to get around the holdup. That's a good way to become a hood ornament. Relax and enjoy the 30 second pause.

Leave your iPods and MP3 players at home!! If you can't hear someone calling out a warning or a cyclist letting you know he/she is coming up on you, you can get hurt. A few weeks ago JR and I were riding along the East Esplanade and JR called out to a runner, "Coming up on your left!" She didn't hear us because she had her music blaring in her ear. When we came upon her, we about scared her into the Willamette. When we were coming back to CNF I saw tons of Portland Fit runners with their iPods and MP3's. I know it's tempting to get lost in your music to pass the miles away but it's really REALLY not safe. Use the time to think about your race plan and how your body feels; what's working and what's not. This is your last chance to tweak your race plan. (Notice I said "tweak" not re-do. If you change too many things on this benchmark and something doesn't work, you won't know the cause of what went wrong.)

Carry a map of the route with you. It looks like there will be a lot of turns and yes, you can follow the people in front of you, just be aware that wrong turns happen. The roads won't be marked like they are on Marathon Day. You want to make sure you can hit all of the aid stations. Also, if you get separated from the pack, you want to make sure you stay on the right route.

Carry ID. RunDougRun shared a story of a cyclist who was hit by a car (the car took off) and because he was wearing his RoadID, his doctor had his medical records faxed to the hospital before he arrived. If you don't have a RoadID, carry some sort of identification on you. We've had some accidents this season so we know it can happen.

It looks like it will be in the low to mid 70's on Saturday. Perfect running weather! But you still need to make sure you hydrate really well.

Remember what your coaches and AC's have been teaching all season: YOU are reponsible for your safety!!

Good luck everyone, you can do this!!

Sharon

PS. Coaches and AC's jump in if I missed anything!

Bump........

Thanks for all these timely reminders!!

Everyone be safe this weekend........
Hydrate this week and get plenty of rest

Sharon:

Thank you very much for an excellent post! Very thorough and right on the money!

Eric

Just want to add:
Run/walk on the left hand side of the road.
Run/walk on the right hand side of sidewalks and pedestrian paths.

Otherwise looks like you covered everything, thanks!

What kind of accidents have runners had this year?
I was not aware of that.
I would like to know so that I can avoid mistakes.
TX

"What kind of accidents have runners had this year?"

Awareness helps you avoid the situation or react properly if you find yourself in a situation.

Typically, accidents occur during lack of awareness and lack of caution by you or other person.

Runners have fallen, nearly been hit by cars, bikes, trains, other...
You get in the follow mode of the person in front of you and you don't see...changes in path, curb, hole, railing, bike, car, don't walk sign.

Lack of awareness... listening to music, buddy, fatigue, heat, thirst.....
It's frustrating when I'm telling people in my group... "Bike!" and they don't get over and stay 3 people across and I see the biker want to ram them... that just creates an unsafe environment.

Other more subtle injuries....running with pain, lack of hydration all of those thing....chafing and see Sharon's post again. She did a great job.

Be a good runner. Warn those around you of cars, bikes other runners. Watch your step. Tell them to scoot over and quit hogging the road (with a smile!).

Be a shame for someone to miss a marathon because of an injury suffered on a training run.

See ya'll Saturday
Tony

Sharon,

Your reminder is very timely and informative. I was listening to the radio this morning and they stated that yes the hit and run accident rate has increased this year. Regardless if the driver is unskilled, drunk, on a cell phone or simply not paying attention for a multitude of reasons, we as runners can help decrease our chances of mishap by paying attention as Sharon and others mentioned. Follow the rules of safety and courtesy when running. I always carry my ID and health provider information whenever I go for our group runs or I am running on my own. As a fellow rafting/kayaking friend stated "An accident is never planned" so be aware and be smart on your runs and in life as a general rule.

Take care and enjoy the 21-mile run.

Jogger hit by car, hurled down embankment

http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_..._.725c93f7.html

Geez, I run in that area!! You never know...

"An accident is never planned"

The word accident is very "abused" these days. Most "accidents" can be prevented simply by paying better attention. This is on the part of the driver, cyclist, runner or walker. Too many distractions are causing too many "accidents". Think about how many times you hear about accidents being caused when the individual was distracted.

Be careful, pay attention and be careful again,
Doug

wow! 4 blocks from my house. Although, I always run on the sidestreets, not multnomah blvd, b/c speed limit is 40 (and people go much faster!) Fear of getting hit by a car (even if following all the rules) is why I don't run on this road. I hope he'll be ok.

the roads are closed for the marathon. Unless you are slower than the 7hour time limit, then you may have to avoid the cars on your own.

Nice job to everyone that finished the 21 miler!!! The weather was perfect for a long run and everyone looked great passing me at mile 12.8.

Most everyone did an awesome job of crossing the street and max tracks safely. However, there were a few people that couldn't hear me call out that there was a car coming because they were wearing head phones. If you must run with music, I would suggest uncovering one ear. You can still hear your tunes but you can also hear traffic, other runners, volunteers, etc.

Less than three weeks until the big day!!

Good job everyone,
Sharon