Jogging While Carrying A Gun

Keeping fit in times of potential unrest...

Whether we like it or not, the COVID-19/Coronavirus/Beer Flu/Chinese Virus has affected your routine somehow, regardless of lifestyle. Part of that, for a lot of people, is their fitness and health regimen…

You do keep fit, right?

Being fit and healthy should be near the top of your list as a Second Amendment Radical and firearms enthusiast. In a violent encounter, you’ll be on the move, and also as an ancillary benefit, the more fit you are, the better you can handle all manner of firearms. Strength is a factor in accuracy.

For awhile, my routine consisted of various workouts in the gym. But, with our dear old friend COVID-19 around, most gyms and fitness facilities, at least near me, have closed temporarily. However, for thousands of years prior, we as humans, kept fit without the benefit of those places. So, I’ve taken up running outdoors more frequently again.

The routine requires some modification to your defensive plans, but one can still carry some ballistic goodness while getting in some good cardio. Plus, the conditioning aspect of being in the real world can’t be beat.

How I Go For A Run While Carrying A Gun

I live in a built-up area of South Florida. The 305 is famous for decent areas adjacent to really bad areas. Walk 500 feet to the left of gleaming condo towers, and you’re in a pretty seedy neighborhood staffed with some really bad folk, as it were. Even in this time of social distancing and safer-at-home policies, unsavory elements are out and about.

And, if you are out there for a jog, you are definitely out and about as well.

There’s a few things to consider, of course. I’ll break them down below.

Note: My ideas are developed from day-to-day experience and life. What works for me, may not work for you. And vice-versa. Part of what this is about to me is the free-flow of ideas. I’m all ears if you got some suggestions.

Anyways - let’s do some bullet points, as it were.

Situational Awareness

Before we even get to the specifics of carrying a firearm while out for a jog, we’ll need to go over situational awareness. You are hopefully practicing this in your daily life anyways, so doing so while out for a run shouldn’t be too difficult. A few key points for situational awareness:

Leave the tunes and audio at home. Yes, bring your phone for emergencies, but ditch the earpods. It may suck not having your favorite metal group urging you on to glory in Valhalla, or the soothing voice of some ratchet shakti priestess making you go the distance, but you’ll need your ears about you. That sudden rustle of bushes three feet to your left could be the tip-off that something is about to go down. Be aware.
Have an idea of where you are going. Yes, you’re armed, but that doesn’t give you a pass to jog through a bad neighborhood. That goes for everyday life too, by the way. The easiest way to win a gunfight is not to get into one to begin with.
Someone looks sketchy up ahead? Change your route on the fly, if possible.
Vary your route. Some crafty criminals will start to notice that you come by their patch of dirt on a daily basis. Familiarity breeds comfort, and you may subconsciously zone out after running the same route 30 days in a row. And on day 31 is when someone chooses to have a go at you…
Time. If possible, don’t go for your run at night, but if you do, stick to well-lit paths. Remember, your firearm isn’t a magical talisman to ward off assaults.

Mode Of Dress

Of course, mode of dress plays a factor - dress for the occasion, but don’t do anything to draw many eyes, as they said in The Mandalorian. Yeah, I’m usually way behind in pop-culture. I still think of dubstep as that “newfangled garbage”. Anyway - guy or girl, dress for your workout - but nothing too conspicious. Try not to wear anything obviously gun-related either.

Go “grey”. Basic t-shirt, pants/shorts with pockets.
A sturdy gun belt. Yes, wear a belt while you’re running. It’s not that uncomfortable. You don’t necessarily need pants/shorts with belt loops, the goal is to provide a mounting point for your firearm.
A decent pair of running shoes, of course.
Resist the urge to wear “gear”. Yes, go “slick” as they say. If you want to put weight on for the experience, dedicated athletic weight vests are available if you are looking to simulate the load of plates, magazines, and a plate carrier. If you’re looking for the run-and-gun experience, there’s courses out there for that. They’re fun - trust me.

Firearm Carrying And Selection For Your Run

Well, the article is about going for a jog while armed, so we’ll need to go over the considerations and compromises you’ll need to make to carrying a gun while going for a run.

Carry a firearm you are most familiar with. You may have to “dress around the gun” a bit, but if your everyday carry piece is a full-size pistol like a GLOCK 17 or H&K VP9, carry that. If the situation dictates something smaller, try to stay within the same “family”. For example, if your EDC gun is a GLOCK 17, you could scale down to a GLOCK 19 or even a 26 for your workout. All are 9mm pistols with the same “operating system”, as it were. Again, your mileage may vary - if you’re cross-trained over several brands, pick whatever suits you.
A decent holster is a must.
Don’t stress about a full load out of spare magazines. Yes, it’s kind of against what we learn and train around (carry as much ammo as you can), but in this case, you’re on the move at a rapid pace and not likely to get into a protracted battle.
As I stated above, a sturdy gun belt is a must. Using the drawstring on your pants is a recipie for disaster. For ladies, I do know that there’s a line of leggings designed to holster a firearm while running, but I can’t evaluate those. I don’t get paid enough to demonstrate women’s wear, ha ha.

Minimize Your Load-Out

With careful planning and some decent awareness, you can get your workout in and keep a minimal loadout. Gun, wallet, phone, shoes and clothes. Get out there and enjoy the outdoors - and stay fit. You’ll keep your edge, especially in these unusual tmes.

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