It was a normal Saturday morning in 2012. My running group at the time had their regularly scheduled long run … like every Saturday. I was training for the Marine Corps Marathon, but there were many runners training for a variety of fall races. With less than 2 miles left in the run, a woman in a different pace group collapsed. She stopped breathing. Thankfully, an emergency medical technician (EMT) happened to be driving by and was able to administer CPR and get her to the hospital quickly. But what if that EMT hadn’t been driving by? What if no one had known what to do?

What if that had been your running partner or friend? Would you have known how to respond?

Last month, I got my first aid and CPR certification through the American Red Cross. Although I registered for the training as a requirement for my running and marathon coaching certification, I quickly realized that we can all benefit from having our first aid and CPR certification – regardless of who we are, what we do or where we live.

Through the training, I learned how to respond to common first aid emergencies, including burns, cuts, and head, neck and back injuries. I also learned how to respond to cardiac and breathing emergencies in adults, including how to administer CPR and use an automated external defibrillators (AED). (There are specialized trainings for infant/child CPR, which is great for people with children or those who are around children on a regular basis.) I took the training with just 5 other people, so it was intimate and we were able to do lots of role playing and actual demonstrations.

What surprised me most about the training was how exhausting giving CPR can be. I didn’t realize that you will likely hear ribs breaking and cartilage moving during the process or that it is so tiring to provide round after round of CPR (we practiced with dummies). Additionally, I learned how important it is to carry basic first aid and CPR supplies with me at all times – from having a basic first aid kit in my car to having a key chain that includes things like gloves and CPR bags, which the Red Cross provides here. I have vowed to purchase some of these so I am prepared in case of an emergency. Running with a Road ID (I like the shoe tag) and a cell phone is also important for being able to call 911 and having personal information and emergency information readily accessible.

With running and everything we do in life, there are always surprises. We never know what might happen to us – and hopefully nothing ever will – but the best thing we can do is be prepared for circumstances beyond our control so we can be as helpful and responsive as possible. If I had a friend that collapsed while running, or if I collapsed myself, I would want someone to have the skills and instincts to help them or me. I highly recommend that we all consider getting our first aid and CPR certification, which is good for 2 years at a time.

As Benjamin Franklin always said, by failing to prepare, we prepare to fail. Be safe out there.

Do you have your first aid and CPR certification? Have you ever been involved in an emergency situation or had to administer CPR?