Safely out on the Run

Last week I wrote about an “incident” I had while out on a run. So I thought I would keep that theme going again this week and give you my top tips (in no particular order, of course) for staying safe while out on a run. So here we go!

• Run with a friend.

There is safety in numbers, plus it is great opportunity for a little “catch-up” with a girlfriend. And as an added bonus, it seems easier to head out the door on that run if you know someone is waiting for you and counting on you to be there!

• Let someone (spouse, BFF, etc) know your approximate distance/time/route you will be running.

If I head out, especially after dark, I like to let the hubby know about how far I plan to go and where. This way if I’m not back within a reasonable amount of time, he would know where to start looking for me.

• Carry a cell phone.

I know many of us would like to be “unplugged” for our runs and that is fine. But carry it with you. That way in case of an emergency you can call someone for help. You might also want to make sure that the GPS on your phone is turned on, so if something terrible were to happen, you could be tracked.

• Protect yourself.

I have never taken any sort of a self defense class, but it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea. I have been told one “move” by a friend who does teach self defense: If grabbed by an attacker, stick your thumb in their eye and a finger in the ear and try to bring the two of them together. This will hopefully result in the attacker releasing you and you can either fight back or run like hell. I am also protecting myself by carrying a small can of pepper spray with me. I wear it on a lanyard, where it can easily be tugged off and sprays up to 8 feet. This could be helpful against an attack of any sort, canine or otherwise.

• Run with man’s best friend.

Take your dog with you. This way you are not completely alone and a potential “attacker” could be deterred by your canine companion. Plus, dogs love to run!

• Think before you … share.

Gals we are living in a wonderful age of networking. But think about this: If you are one who shares your run routes on different social media networks – you could be putting yourself at risk. I think it is great that we share our accomplishments of our workouts with others, and I find that it helps me to stay motivated reading about others’ workouts BUT if you put your daily route online, and update your status as you head out the door on that run – you are giving someone A LOT of information about you. Information that could easily be used against you. So please, just keep that in mind when you are posting online.

• Be visible.

Picture the scenario of You vs. a Car, can you guess who is going to win that one? Make sure you are wearing clothing that makes you visible to drivers – this is no time to go with “but black makes me look thinner!” Keep the ninja gear at home and embrace the high vis yellow! An armband with a light is also a good idea or at the very least, if you run with your iPod on an armband – switch the backlight to being always on. Do your part; no one wants to become a hood ornament!

• Be alert.

I am one who loves to run to music. So if you are like me, just keep the volume down low or run with only one ear bud. That way you can be aware of your surroundings at all times.

• Go with your gut!

Ladies, we are very intuitive. Trust that gut of yours. If you look down a street and get a bad feeling about it, turn and go another direction. Always better to have trusted your instincts than to look back with regrets.

You are all brilliant women, take care of yourselves, follow your instincts and stay safe out there!