Women- do you run alone?
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When I jog, cycle, walk or hike I generally am alone. Seriously I am more scared of other stuff that stranger danger.
Sure it may/can/does happen occasionally but the chance of being hit by a car (even when in a car) or is far greater. Purest for of fearmongering these stories IMO
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I've always run alone and never been worried about it. It's my alone time. Statistically you are far more likely to be attacked by someone you know (sad but true) than by a stranger jumping out from behind a tree in the dark. I used to run with music, but turned down very low so I could hear my breathing, the birds and any traffic that might be around. I don't run at night because there's no lighting where I run and the ground is uneven- I'm way more worried about injury than being attacked.
I have a dog now so I run with her, and I don't listen to music because I'm too busy trying to get her to ignore squirrels.1 -
I do run alone, but not ever at night. When I was much younger I wouldn't have thought twice about it, but I've seen enough stories of things happening here to unsuspecting women (and men too!!). Sad, we live in what I would consider to be a fairly safe province, but you have to be cautious!0
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geez. Isn't it interesting that if a person asks the question 'do you run alone?' the automatic assumption is that there is a danger of being attacked.
I'm more concerned about rolling down the side of a cliff and not being found for ages, breaking my ankle or starving to death, having my eyes pecked out by ravens and my fingertips nibbled by rats. This isn't because I live in a safe place, I live in a city, although carrying weapons is illegal (a gun is a crappy form of defence anyway, think about it, what can you do with a tiny round projectile except use it in an aggressive manner?).
I'm probably more likely to get attacked on a Friday night in the city centre. Hell, I'm LESS likely to walk around alone in the city centre on a Friday night than run alone. I also wear short skirts and sometimes show my cleavage.
Statistically speaking running in the morning is safer than running in the evening. I think this is because the bad guys are all still in bed or something. I run alone and I smile at all the other runners running alone. If I were attacked when running alone I'd just be incredibly unlucky as what are the chances of a bad guy actually being there, at the moment I ran past? Besides which, the more I run the faster I'll be able to run away from them.....3 -
I don't run but I do go for walks. I go down to our bay where its nice and open. At all times of the day and I'm comfortable. I dont blast my music and only have one head phone in.
I also carry a pocket knife. And my dad taught me where to hit to bring them down. Unless I'm on private property then I'm packing a gun.
There are tons of self defence products out there that just go on your key chain.
But I'm not sure why the media reminding you how to be safe upsets people so much. Yeah statistic say you're safe but it also says some of us aren't. Why not be safe?
If you're afraid of the woods because of animals. Take your head phones out and play your music out loud. 99.9% of bears want nothing to do with you and will leave when hearing you. But remember prey run. So you need to look around watch what you run by and look behind you to make sure something's not following you.0 -
girlinahat wrote: »geez. Isn't it interesting that if a person asks the question 'do you run alone?' the automatic assumption is that there is a danger of being attacked.
That wasn't my assumption from the title -- I actually thought it was going to be about preferences, maybe, although it being aimed only at women should have made me realize. However, what I and others no doubt responded to was the opening post, which did bring up the issue of being attacked.0 -
Yes, else I wouldn't be able to run.
I run at 5 am. In the summer it's light and in the winter it's dark. Don't think there is a real safety difference re: kidnappers between the two but it does feel that way. There is of course more chance of tripping and getting hit by a car when it's dark, but I take precautions for that (lighted reflective vest and knuckle lights). There is a surprising amount of traffic even on back roads in my Boston suburb, mostly commuters trying to beat the traffic I assume. It took me a bit to get used to, but now I feel pretty safe.
Yes, there is always a chance of some monster lurking in someone's lawn, but I truly think that's pretty rare. Rare enough to make national news, so it's not happening on every street every day, KWIM?0 -
The fact is that life in motion puts us at risk. Every day in every circumstance. I trust my instincts when I am out, like others, communicate where I am going and carry a phone. I am not willing to change the balance in my life out of fear.2
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I run alone with one earbud to listen to music but still hear ambient sounds. I'm more afraid of tripping and falling or getting hit by a car than attacked. I figure that most attackers are going to target someone other than the fit chick...0
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I run with my dog most of the time. I don't run with music. I run only during the day. I'm not worried about safety. Maybe I should be, but I can't let fear run my life. I'm not afraid of terrorist attacks, school shootings, etc.0
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I run with my dog, except for long run days, then I run alone because she taps out at about 6-7 miles.
I either just play music with no earbuds or only wear one. But that is more so i hear bikes coming or freaking unleashed dogs because the running trails in our town are full of people who don't think leash laws apply to them.1 -
I run alone at night with no music and I conceal carry. I'm on the outskirts of town and we have coyotes and loose dogs. I'm more concerned about that than being attacked by a person. I'm far out enough where someone could stop and grab me I suppose but...I don't think much of it.0
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I used to carry pepper spray when I walked alone. After I got my concealed carry permit, I now carry a very small gun in my pocket. However, I would not carry if I wasn't knowledgeable in handling it.
I only wear one earbud so I can hear if a car or person is coming up behind me. I walk near my home in a very rural area or sometimes on a secluded trail in town.1 -
I run alone sometimes, but not in any secluded areas, not at night, and not with headphones. I'm paranoid of every car that goes by and looks lol.0
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I run alone before sunrise, and usually carry pepper spray. Sometimes I'll use earbuds but keep the music soft. My route is on a busy road (on a safe sidewalk), so if anything were to happen there are plenty of cars driving by. I finish just in time to make sure my teenage kids are up and getting ready for school, so if something were to happen and I'm late they'd know to contact someone right away.1
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I generally take one of my dogs with me, never run with anything in my ears, and carry pepper spray and/or an open knife at the ready.0
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I live on a military base, so I generally feel safer. but I always take my dog with me and tell my husband that I'm going on a run.0
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I hit the mountains alone and sometimes so early I wear my head lamp going up before the sun rises. There are a bunch of regulars that frequent a couple of different mountains in the mornings so I feel pretty safe but a couple of the mountains that are less active I bring my big staffy along for the hike and I know he will protect me.
It's pretty hot during the day here so I tend to do most of my exercising in the morning or if I am too tired I'll wait til dark and walk the neighbourhood with my dog.
Must admit, reading this thread and the concerns some of you have makes me feel pretty lucky living in Australia.0 -
I had an app that used gps to track my location and I configured it to message my parents when I left for my run and when I came back. If they wanted they could see me on a map, and if I stopped moving for more than 5 minutes it would warn me. If no response, it would send out an alarm to my contacts with last known location.
It was really cool, but I injured my hip and stopped running for a long time.1 -
I run alone pretty much all the time. I live in a really urban setting though - so with street lights and house lights and such it's hardly ever actually "dark" in the neighbourhood I live in.
What I don't do is run outside once winter really, really hits. I live in Southwestern Ontario and we can get some pretty insane winters in terms of icey sidewalks and roads . . . I'm just not interested in slipping and breaking something. I know a lot of people run all winter outside without issue, but I head inside when it gets to that point. Other than that, I run outside by myself a lot of the year. No issues yet.
I run with headphones, and I have a running watch with a GPS signal in it incase anything happens. I don't usually carry a phone, I know I should, but I carry my keys in a secret pocket of my running pants which has a whistle on it. Since I don't run in secluded areas, if I blew the whistle someone would hear it because my city is really urban and there's always people around.0 -
Yeah most of these are things women should take the precaution to do when running by yourself. I actually prefer running in the dark, because I feel like I don't have to be focused on people looking at me or whatever.
But the usual, well lit areas, tell someone where you are, one earphone out for noises. And if I see ANYONE weird, I turn around straight then and go home.
But it's so *kitten* that this is even a thing we have to do. It makes me so angry! And the fact that this is enough of a problem that all women at some point or another in their lives have had to factor in, makes me FURIOUS!0 -
CindyFooWho wrote: »I run alone, in the dark. I tell someone where I'm going and how long I expect to be out for, remove my earphones when it feels wise to, stay in better-lit/better-surfaced areas, make sure I'm wearing something bright or reflective, and take my phone with me.
I'm more afraid of getting injured and stranded somewhere than anything else. I think about my personal safety, of course, but I'm loathed to live in fear and lose my freedoms because of crime. At the end of the day, women and girls are more at risk of harm from their male partners, friends and family members than they are from a random on the street. I am stubborn (and possibly quite naive), but I won't give up things I enjoy in response to a threat.
This! I refuse to live in fear.1 -
I don't run as much as I used to, but when I do now it's generally in a treadmill. I like to run to relax, switch off and destress - running alone outside and being constantly on guard defeated the purpose for me.0
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I run alone, in the dark and with a single ear-bud in (so I can hear what's going on around me). I wear a road ID, and use the MapMyRun app, which has a tracker that other MMR users can use to see where I am - and my husband DOES track me with it. I always let my men know where I'm going and when I expect to be back. And FWIW, I worry more about getting hit by a car (I run on a busy road usually) than any purposeful violence. My theory is that when I'm supposed to die, I'm going to die - it won't matter if I'm running by myself in the dark on a busy road or if I'm asleep in my bed. When it's my time, it's my time.
When I'm hiking, I typically take my two polar bear sized Great Pyrs with me. No one in their right mind is going to come near me with violence or deviousness in mind when they're with me. If they do... well, they deserve the butt-chewing that follows.
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Yes, or I wouldn't be able to run much at all. I take common sense precautions but otherwise don't worry more than I worry about any of the other dangers that are inherent in everyday life - like driving.2
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I used to think that way and run on bike trails before and loved it. Now that I have to children I would just not risk it... I miss it and it frustrates me but I've heard of too many things in my area and the risk to me isn't worth it. I wish I had the balls all of you have!!0
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After reading through this entire thread, I would like to weigh in (no MFP pun intended) as it is relevant to what I do. As a security management consultant currently working on developing a travel safety/security course I see a lot of parallels between the OP and my work. My advice here is based upon years of training (I’m a retired Special Forces soldier) and current best practices in both the governmental and private sectors. My own wife is one of the best at putting all of this into practice.
First, a general feeling of fear, or the lack thereof, does not correlate to “ground truth” and is typically not beneficial. Being too afraid to run because of something that happened in another city or state is simply a personal reaction to that event not based in fact. Refusing to fear anything (sometimes called the arrogance of over confidence) is essentially the same thing. One may prevent you from engaging in a fun fitness activity while the other could potentially lead a person into a dangerous situation by ignoring the warning signs. Adjusting future behavior based on personal past experience, or nearby events is something else entirely.
I tell folks that what they usually need is a mindset adjustment. For some, this is a major and difficult paradigm shift due to their current state of denial (see #2). However, this shift is essential to reach the understanding that YOU are responsible for your own personal security. Once realized, you must then accept that responsibility. When seconds count, the police are minutes away.
After that the rest is much easier. It’s a three-part process where each part interlocks with the others and it goes something like this:
1. Develop and maintain situational awareness (SA). Most veterans who have been through force protection briefings are familiar with this phrase. Boiled down, SA is being aware of your surroundings and identifying potential threats and dangerous situations. This is a mindset rather than a hard skill. You don’t need to be a spy or combat veteran to adopt good SA practices. All you need is the will and discipline to do so. Key to this is recognizing that threats do indeed exist. Poor SA is often a significant contributor to many accidents and criminal encounters. You aren’t paranoid; you’re now living in a heightened state of awareness.
2. Vanquish denial. Not believing a threat can potentially exist, or that a particular situation is in fact a threat severely reduces the chances of avoidance. Bad things happen to good people. Apathy, complacency, and denial are deadly. “It will never happen to me” and “nothing like that ever happens here” are among the many things people in denial say. Until you can vanquish denial you will always be at war with your natural survival instinct, which is the third component.
3. Trust your gut. A “gut feeling” is really that primitive hunter-gatherer part of your brain doing its job of warning you of danger by noticing those subtle signs that something isn’t right. Too many people ignore or deny (there’s #2 again!) their gut feelings. Why? Many victims have reported they didn’t want to be seen as profiling the person or people who ended up attacking them based on race/ethnicity or socioeconomic status. I encourage profiling, but profiling that is based on behavior, the situation, and the environment. If something seems out of place, or wrong, it usually is. Give yourself permission to listen to your gut. It could save your life.
The discipline part of situational awareness is making the constant, conscious effort to listen to gut feelings and being aware of what is happening around you while being distracted by other things. It takes time to make this second nature, but anyone can do it. Whether you are on a run, walking between your car and the gym, or traveling in a foreign country, these principles are constant.
Being safe is not a feeling. Rather, it is a conscious act.
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My post above was not meant to discourage women from running alone. The purpose was to arm those who do, or anyone for that matter, with some tools to improve their safety.0
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After reading through this entire thread, I would like to weigh in (no MFP pun intended) as it is relevant to what I do. As a security management consultant currently working on developing a travel safety/security course I see a lot of parallels between the OP and my work. My advice here is based upon years of training (I’m a retired Special Forces soldier) and current best practices in both the governmental and private sectors. My own wife is one of the best at putting all of this into practice.
First, a general feeling of fear, or the lack thereof, does not correlate to “ground truth” and is typically not beneficial. Being too afraid to run because of something that happened in another city or state is simply a personal reaction to that event not based in fact. Refusing to fear anything (sometimes called the arrogance of over confidence) is essentially the same thing. One may prevent you from engaging in a fun fitness activity while the other could potentially lead a person into a dangerous situation by ignoring the warning signs. Adjusting future behavior based on personal past experience, or nearby events is something else entirely.
I tell folks that what they usually need is a mindset adjustment. For some, this is a major and difficult paradigm shift due to their current state of denial (see #2). However, this shift is essential to reach the understanding that YOU are responsible for your own personal security. Once realized, you must then accept that responsibility. When seconds count, the police are minutes away.
After that the rest is much easier. It’s a three-part process where each part interlocks with the others and it goes something like this:
1. Develop and maintain situational awareness (SA). Most veterans who have been through force protection briefings are familiar with this phrase. Boiled down, SA is being aware of your surroundings and identifying potential threats and dangerous situations. This is a mindset rather than a hard skill. You don’t need to be a spy or combat veteran to adopt good SA practices. All you need is the will and discipline to do so. Key to this is recognizing that threats do indeed exist. Poor SA is often a significant contributor to many accidents and criminal encounters. You aren’t paranoid; you’re now living in a heightened state of awareness.
2. Vanquish denial. Not believing a threat can potentially exist, or that a particular situation is in fact a threat severely reduces the chances of avoidance. Bad things happen to good people. Apathy, complacency, and denial are deadly. “It will never happen to me” and “nothing like that ever happens here” are among the many things people in denial say. Until you can vanquish denial you will always be at war with your natural survival instinct, which is the third component.
3. Trust your gut. A “gut feeling” is really that primitive hunter-gatherer part of your brain doing its job of warning you of danger by noticing those subtle signs that something isn’t right. Too many people ignore or deny (there’s #2 again!) their gut feelings. Why? Many victims have reported they didn’t want to be seen as profiling the person or people who ended up attacking them based on race/ethnicity or socioeconomic status. I encourage profiling, but profiling that is based on behavior, the situation, and the environment. If something seems out of place, or wrong, it usually is. Give yourself permission to listen to your gut. It could save your life.
The discipline part of situational awareness is making the constant, conscious effort to listen to gut feelings and being aware of what is happening around you while being distracted by other things. It takes time to make this second nature, but anyone can do it. Whether you are on a run, walking between your car and the gym, or traveling in a foreign country, these principles are constant.
Being safe is not a feeling. Rather, it is a conscious act.
I love everything about this post!2 -
If I didn't run alone, I would rarely run.
I try to make reasonably safe decisions - I try to run during daylight (but can't always), I choose my routes so that I am in a well-lit, low-vehicular traffic area, I choose my routes so that I always know where I am, I take my dog with me when I can if I'm running at night, I keep my phone with me, I use good judgment with my headphones, that sort of thing.
The risk of something bad happening is small, and I won't let it keep me off the road. But I don't dismiss it, either. I try to be smart about it. My husband sometimes will hear something on the news and go on a kick where he wants me to quit running alone, but then I'm like, "fine, run WITH me" and we'll run together a few times, and one of us will be frustrated, and that's it. He runs faster than me, I run longer than him. He likes a morning run, I like an evening run. We can run together sometimes, but we really cannot run together always. I don't really HAVE any other candidates for running buddies.0
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