These days, it's sometimes hard to dress properly for a run. With the temperature fluctuating so much, you could be wearing a neck warmer, an extra pair of gloves, an extra-warm mid layer, and longjohns for your Wednesday run, and on Sunday you might end up taking out the base layer and taking off your gloves halfway through the run.
I keep a running log, and that helps for checking what's worked for me in the past for different temps and weather conditions. It's kind of like keeping a dive log - and yes, that's another scuba diving reference ;)
It's all about being prepared.
And with that, let me segue into the topic of First Aid.
I've always thought that it's a good idea for everyone to get First Aid certified. I renew my certification every year through my dive club. Of course, I didn't think I'd find myself in a situation where First Aid was needed. And I didn't know how I might react in such a situation. I guess I always figured that there would be someone else nearby who knew more.
Well, on my commute home two Thursdays ago, I was very glad for my training. I had just gotten off the bus inside the subway station, and was heading along the platform when I saw a guy who was passed out just inside one of the tiny storefronts. I went inside, followed by some other commuters. At first, it was a case of "too many cooks in the kitchen" - everyone who filed inside wanted to help, but no one had taken charge, and some people were jumping into action without thinking about what should best be done.
I'm very grateful not only for the First Aid training that I get every year, but also for the one big overriding mantra of my dive club: Stop. Think. Act.
Whenever something goes wrong, you shouldn't just jump into action. It often goes against instinct, but the best thing is to stop what you're doing. Even taking a quick moment can help you to think a lot more clearly. You assess the situation, and then decide what action to take.
Anyway, the guy lying on the ground was completely unresponsive, but between myself and a few others, we were able to establish that he had a pulse and was breathing. I stopped some of the bystanders from trying to move the guy on his side, since he had fallen, and he might have hurt his head, neck, or back. As long as his airway was free and he was breathing, the best thing to do was to keep him in his current position. I recruited one bystander to hold the door open so it wouldn't be pushing on the guy's leg, and when a small crowd started to gather inside the tiny storefront, I got them to give the guy some space. At that point, it was a very short time before the paramedics arrived, and my main concern was keeping an eye on the ABCs (Airway, Breathing, Circulation).
I took over things in that situation, but it could just as easily have been someone else. I don't know if I'd be as calm in another First Aid situation, but in this instance, I went right into "Stop, Think, Act" mode. I could see that the other bystanders were hyped up on adrenaline - and while everyone wanted to help, there needed to be someone calmly managing the situation.
Again, I'm very grateful that I didn't freak out - the rush of adrenaline and the whole "Oh-my-God-I-can't-believe-that-just-happened" came later, after the paramedics had taken the guy away in the ambulance.
So yeah, I now believe even more strongly that everyone should get First Aid certified. You never know when you might need it. It could be on your daily commute. It could be at work or at home. It could be on a group run.
When you're going out for your run, you always come prepared for potential problems, right? I always carry ID, my cell phone, my TTC pass, and either my bank card or a little bit of money on my runs.
So why not also come prepared with training that could help either yourself or your fellow runners? If someone gets injured, wouldn't it feel good to know that you can help them out?
There are lots of places you can go to for certification - St. John's Ambulance offers courses, or you can ask around at your local community centre.
You might never need to use it, but if you do you'll be glad you took the time to get trained.
