Fear of running outside

Followingsea

Before taking people up on the pepper spray idea (which isn't a bad one, for the record, if you feel comfortable carrying it AND that you feel you would use it if called for), find out what the local laws are in your area. In some areas you will need some sort of permit. (Massachusetts for example requires an FID card).

Joreanasaurous

I got a dog to be my running partner. He is a coward and would most likely cower behind me and expect me to protect him, but the rest of the world doesn't know that and as adorable as he is, he also makes me feel safer.

.... Granted I also live in an old retirement town, so by the time I run, 80% of the population is in bed.

Hellbent_Heidi

I got a dog to be my running partner. He is a coward and would most likely cower behind me and expect me to protect him, but the rest of the world doesn't know that and as adorable as he is, he also makes me feel safer.

.... Granted I also live in an old retirement town, so by the time I run, 80% of the population is in bed.

I miss the hell out of my old pit bull (for a lot of reasons, but running is up there). She really was a big softie, but didn't like ANY strangers and was very protective of me, so nobody was going to bother me with that on the end of my leash :noway:

JoRocka

> stop watching craptastic TV

> run in the day light- in an area you are familar with

> buy pepper spray

> tell SO/or friend where you are going- the route you are taking and how long you expect to be

> bring your phone if you can

> don't wear head phones

> make friends at the gym to make running buddies

> join a running group

rgbushphd

A few of these were mentioned already, but bear repeating. Find a running buddy. Find a park or school that has a group of walkers/runners everyday and join that group. Unless you are comfortable with a weapon or self-defense item (taser, mace, etc.) I would not carry them, they can be used against you. Remember safety comes in groups…groups of individuals together. Carry a phone with you just incase you need to make a call for assistance or take a picture of someone/something. Run during daylight hours, run early, run later, but never run alone or at the same time.

dlbredesen

I fitness walk six miles a day, six days a week. I walk the same loop every day which starts at my house and ends at my house. My family knows my route. I carry my cell phone. My loop is very popular and usually fairly populated with walkers, bikers and runners. I carry my cell phone. I don't walk in the dark for fear of falling and getting hurt. The overwhelming fear for your safety does wear off but you must always be aware of your safety.

HypersonicFitNess

YOu need to find a local running group to run with then. Also, nothing wrong with carrying some pepper spray with you when you run. The guardian angel is very small, light weight and easy to use.

Also, if you can find someone to BIKE with you while you run. You aren't running for that long...when I was in Northern Virginia and had to run ~4:30am before going into DC, my husband would bike with me, b/c he couldn't keep up and he didn't want to run 4 miles, so I got a head lamp and he got a lamp for his bike and we biked a trail around our house. It worked out great.

Good Luck on you first 5k

doriharvey

I'm glad you posted this topic. I also feel that anxiety. When I am not anxious about being alone for safety issues I am anxious about who will see me and want to talk (I have a somewhat public job and many people know me even though I do not necessarily know who they are). I had my husband mow me a trail around our yard so i could do my exercises on my own property if I could not find a place to do it anywhere else. It is grassy and I don't want to grass stain my new white and expensive runner shoes. So I would wear my older ones that do not give me the support I need for this.

Even when walking in a small town with my dog I have had the experience of noticing a car going around the block and driving by me several times, spooked me and i refuse to do this anymore. The car had three - four young gentlemen who did not speak my language in it.

I did find a hospital in a nearby town that has a one mile walking track around a lake. This is a town I do my grocery shopping in and found using this track pleasurable on Sunday afternoon.

I also found that the running shoe store I bought my shoes from has a group run two nights a week. I haven't tried this yet, but thought it might be nice to do and I would also have the opportunity to learn from the experience of the others doing it if needed.

There is a track at the school I work at, but the friendly kiddo's I teach would wave and I am too self conscious to try this. Although I know a very few of my co-workers do.

When it rained on my outside exercise time I found running like a crazy person all over my house was kind of effective as a last resort to finish what I started. :-)

Good luck to you!

thrld

I am going to look into some of the local running clubs, though at a 3.8-4.0mph pace and not yet having run a full two miles, I'm sure I'd be a bit too slow for some of them)

Running clubs often group the runners by pace -- even if you think you are too slow, if all the groups are running the same route, that would mean you are on a route that has a lot of runners/foot traffic, so if you fall behind you won't be alone for long. Plus I bet that they have groups that are speed walking the route - so perhaps you could run while they walk. Finally, running in a well-traversed section of a busy city can be safer than running in an isolated section of a rural area. Good luck!

maybeazure

I'm the same, however (it sounds pathetic but i do actually know the people who do it) i don't want people to see me, as i'll be sweaty, out of breath and maybe having people laugh or make fun of me.. i just can't seem to put the message in my head of i'm doing something good for myself and shouldn't care what others say/think but living near people who used to bully me for being fat and knowing people who do make fun of people who jog is very discouraging
Plus my low self-esteem/confidence doesn't help

If you really want to run, do it anyway. Wear headphones, and you won't hear them if they do say something (not something I would recommend if you are worried about your physical safety). You can certainly start with something inside if that's what you want to do, but if you want to run outside do it anyway. I weigh 247 pounds and I run. I'm sure I look all kinds of graceful, but it feels good, so I do it.

I've also noticed that if I go early, almost nobody is outside, and anyone who is outside is generally over 40 and walking or running too. The stupid behavior that you describe is mostly done by young males, who are thankfully sleeping at that time.