Runner's Emergency Kit

Peter made a very good point in his comment on my previous post. No doubt the petroleum jelly works too, but he mentioned his emergency kit.

My kit is a similar concept, containing:

• Copies of medical insurance cards, for ID and, well, for insurance;
• A $20 bill;
• An Aleve (NSAID);
• An aspirin, in case of heart attack; and
• Two Benadryl tabs in case of bee sting - I’m allergic.

That little packet weighs almost nothing, and I slip it into my pocket on every run, whether it’s a huge marathon or a romp in the park. I’ve never NEEDED anything from it yet, though I gave the Benadryl once to another runner who did get stung, and the $20 bill has come in handy more than once. I like Peter's idea of emergency gloves and headband, too; perhaps I'll add those.

Maybe more important, I always, always bring my cell phone. There were times that I left it behind, begrudging the extra four ounces, especially in a marathon. Until, that is, I broke down in a marathon and needed to let my people know I’d be lucky to finish in six hours instead of the planned 3:50 or so. Now I carry it every time, and would never buy a pair of running shorts without a zippered back pocket for that phone. I’ve used it more than once to call 911, not for myself (yet) but for some other situation. Once it was to report two over-ripe dead cows (phew!).

Today’s taper run was on the overhead track at the "club," four miles in 35:15. Good pace for today, good distance for the taper. I did feel just the slightest pain in the right heel while walking after the run. Like the very beginning of plantar fasciitis (PF) which, as I recall, began at the back of the heel before it moved to the center. My PF cured itself a couple of years ago, but "they" say it’s recurrent. So maybe it’s coming back. Just in time for my string of three or four marathons. Yuk.

Tonight I’ll be wearing The Sock, the very best single treatment for PF that I’ve found, short of surgery. It doesn’t cure PF, but it may be able to reduce or even eliminate the symptoms, at least for a while. Stretches help too, and I’ll be vigilant about those. But gosh I hope it’s a false alarm.

Splits: 9:11, 8:42, 8:40, 8:41, total 35:15, pace 8:49. I’m happy.


Salad.