Ladies-How do you stay safe while jogging alone?
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Yes, one of my main concerns on my jog around our office is there is a railroad track and lots of empty dirt. Scary! I am always looking around and the good thing it is very busy around lunch time and some people at other work offices have started walking.
My friend once gave a pepper spray when I was in college and had to walk through dark and lonely parking lots. To big to carry around.0 -
Last year, a newspaper article circulated about an old coworker of mine who tried to rape two joggers in Galveston, TX. The first twarted him because she was wearing a fanny pack and he couldn't get it off of her. The second one got away because she was jogging with a piece of pipe and she hit him with it. I thought that was pretty amazing. Both joggers were out very early in the morning - 5:00 am, I think - and the first one said she didn't hear him approach because she had headphones in. I would suggest not using headphones when you jog and carry something that can be used as a weapon (i.e. a taser or pepper spray). Better safe than sorry.0
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I walk, as I can't jog, but I live in the country and walk on country roads, and once, on a very secluded dirt road with woods close on the sides and a lot of space between houses, I had two guys in a van (closed van at that) slow way down and look at me intently. I was 60 at the time and wearing sweatpants and a t- shirt. If I'd been young and pretty, who knows? Still, it unnerved me to the point where I've never taken that road again. I wouldn't have been able to outrun them, didn't have a cell phone.0
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Retractable batons are glorious things.0
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Go on a circular route around a safe block rather than doing a massive circuit where you go further from home.
Run during daylight - during the day or early morning is good
do mall walking
run in a CCTV area
run around a supermarket car park0 -
Run earlier, maybe in the morning?
Pepperspray (depends on the law I suppose)
Wear your hair up in a bun because this way it's less easy for people to grab your hair
A GOOD PAIR OF RUNNING SHOES0 -
I've lived in some very large cities, in some fairly rough neighborhoods. If you don't feel safe running alone outside in your neighborhood, you basically have 3 choices: continue to run outside at your own risk and feeling unsafe, start running indoors, or drive to a different, safer location to run (still at your own risk). Anything else, from being more confident to carrying a weapon...all of these things give a false sense of security. The attacker is the wildcard in these situations. If he grabs your hair and throws you to the ground, knocking you out before you have a chance to react, your weapon was worthless. If you choose to run outside and you choose to run alone, you are already accepting a less safe running environment. You make it even worse by plugging in some earbuds. Best advice...find a buddy. Or two. Or ten. Put up signs to start a running group for women at your library or gym or grocery store. Or run in a controlled environment, like the gym or at a school track, where you can plug in your earbuds and just go.
It sucks that we can't feel safe doing something as simple as exercising, but the best way to remedy it is to gauge and try to minimize the risks.0 -
Compression shorts with a holster built in.
That's hot!0 -
Well I jog by the sea..there are a lot of old men there, but old men are weak and frail.0
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First of all you should never run by yourself especially with ear phones on. There are too many weirdos out there and just waiting for the opportunity to pounce on you and you may end up dead so it's not worth that chance. Either find a running buddy or use a treadmill. In our society it just isn't safe anymore0
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When i jogged outside in the mornings (long ago), i use to go to the canals/riverside as there were not many crazy *kitten* people staring!!! ... you could if you wanted, just walk - sure it'll take a bit longer to burn up to the jogging calories but it'll look normal!0
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The mind boggles.
Knives? Guns? Mace? All illegal in the UK.
Don't run in stupid places. Be aware of secluded corners. Don't be afraid to kick up your heels and run faster if something doesn't feel right. Better you sprint off and be thought of as weird than ignore your spidey sense.0 -
The mind boggles.
Knives? Guns? Mace? All illegal in the UK.
Don't run in stupid places. Be aware of secluded corners. Don't be afraid to kick up your heels and run faster if something doesn't feel right. Better you sprint off and be thought of as weird than ignore your spidey sense.
Sounds like easy pickings for the criminals there. :ohwell:0 -
The mind boggles.
Knives? Guns? Mace? All illegal in the UK.
Don't run in stupid places. Be aware of secluded corners. Don't be afraid to kick up your heels and run faster if something doesn't feel right. Better you sprint off and be thought of as weird than ignore your spidey sense.
Sounds like easy pickings for the criminals there. :ohwell:
You'd think so.
Lower rates of robbery
Lower rates of rape
Lower rates of murder0 -
Compression shorts with a holster built in.
This also comes in compression top.0 -
i run the same track it is in a populated area, there is a area along the way it seems a little scary soo i run really quick and take my headphones out so i can hear everything. i do own a treadmill but it sorta boring i like the outside.0
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You'd think so.The mind boggles.
Knives? Guns? Mace? All illegal in the UK.
Don't run in stupid places. Be aware of secluded corners. Don't be afraid to kick up your heels and run faster if something doesn't feel right. Better you sprint off and be thought of as weird than ignore your spidey sense.
Sounds like easy pickings for the criminals there. :ohwell:
Lower rates of robbery
Lower rates of rape
Lower rates of murder
Our knife crime is higher. The few muggings I know of have been at the end of something sharp. Although it's no less terrifying, people do tend to survive being stabbed more often than shot.
Carrying a gun means there is now at least one gun involved in this hypothetical attack, and that increases your likelihood of getting shot by a great deal.0 -
There is nothing you can do about knob heads who pull over in cars.... He was obviously just an ignorant fool.
If you got the compression pants with a gun in them - what would you do - shoot him in the head - a bit excessive for just whooping you and telling you - you look good....
If you had a dog - you were on your lunch break so doubt the dog is at work with you.
What I would do - is have a set route at work. Tell work you are going for your run, and when to expect you back.
Join a group, convince a mate she should come with you... find a running pal....
Wear a tag on your shoe.. we have these tags that have "in case of emergency....." contact details and allergy information.
Run in busy areas.
carry a phone with quick dial emergency services.
Ignore **** heads.0 -
when I lived in the bay area I always took my dog and a knife.0
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I learned my lesson the hard way - a year and a half ago I was running alone in my neighborhood around 8pm, when a man tried to attack me - successfully fought him off, thankfully, but it scared the everliving crap out of me.
I love running, and I LOVE running alone, but it simply isn't worth the risk to me. I found a running group that I join on the weekends, and on the weekdays I run with a friend, or on the treadmill I bought for my home, or at the gym...0 -
Compression shorts with a holster built in.
^ I want those shorts sooo bad.
I want my butt to look like the one in those shorts!0 -
The mind boggles.
Knives? Guns? Mace? All illegal in the UK.
Don't run in stupid places. Be aware of secluded corners. Don't be afraid to kick up your heels and run faster if something doesn't feel right. Better you sprint off and be thought of as weird than ignore your spidey sense.
Why is mace illegal?0 -
They just made "weapons" across the board illegal to carry. Basically anything that is carried solely to cause bodily harm on somebody else I guess.The mind boggles.
Knives? Guns? Mace? All illegal in the UK.
Don't run in stupid places. Be aware of secluded corners. Don't be afraid to kick up your heels and run faster if something doesn't feel right. Better you sprint off and be thought of as weird than ignore your spidey sense.
Why is mace illegal?0 -
I didn't read the entire thread, so forgive me if this has been mentioned already but for me, a really important way to stay safe when out walking/jogging alone is.....
LISTEN and OBEY your "instincts"...you know, that Still Small Voice that says..."Don't go this way, go that way" OR "take this way NOT that way, etc. I can't emphasize enough how urgently important listening to "That Still Small Voice (which some call "instinct" is) Also, many bad guys & GALS "hunt" for their victims. You should ALWAYS carry yourself with the "spirit" or attitude of I'm one crazy so and so and PLEASE give me an excuse to kick your natural born tail if you even THINK about messing with me. ALWAYS be alert (not paranoid...but AWARE, and READY to jack someone up if they even dare to approach you in anything less than a polite and kind way). Ya know, the ole I'm a CRAZY B and if you're itching for some trouble, I'll scratch your eyes out and then some! Also have this attitude towards not just "men" but women and even (stray/vicious) dogs and/or wild animals too!
In other words, ALWAYS carry yourself with the "air" of if I'm going down...I'm taking your nothing tail with me and it's going to be a fight for the death--I'm NOT going down...YOU ARE! It's funny how when you carry yourself with this attitude, bad guys and girls and even animal (the four legged kind) can "sense" it and will NOT choose you as their victim, but will instead be looking for someone unawares, someone listening to those blasted ipod thingys, messing with their hand (you know the iphone thingys) someone not paying attention, someone who has an air about them of being an "easy" prey/target. Again, if you carry yourself like I'm so in the mood to kick someone teeth down their throat (ya know, the Clint Eastwood "make my day punk") kind of spirit/attitude, ya know...the don't start none, won't be none--BUT if you start some, IT"S ON way of carrying yourself--you may be just fine walking or running alone.0 -
I don't live in the greatest area although a lot of the direct neighborhood is friendly with me but still. I always carry a pocket knife and I usually jog with my dog. He's a black lab/husky mix and although he is a sweetheart, people can find him pretty intimidating0
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The mind boggles.
Knives? Guns? Mace? All illegal in the UK.
Don't run in stupid places. Be aware of secluded corners. Don't be afraid to kick up your heels and run faster if something doesn't feel right. Better you sprint off and be thought of as weird than ignore your spidey sense.
Why is mace illegal?
Because it can be used as an offensive weapon, I guess.
In any case, despite having done kickboxing and suchlike, so could concievably beat the living crap out of a large proportion of the population, the most important things to keep yourself safe are a) common sense, b) awareness and c) getting out of a situation before it gets nasty.0 -
The mind boggles.
Knives? Guns? Mace? All illegal in the UK.
Don't run in stupid places. Be aware of secluded corners. Don't be afraid to kick up your heels and run faster if something doesn't feel right. Better you sprint off and be thought of as weird than ignore your spidey sense.
Why is mace illegal?
Because it can be used as an offensive weapon, I guess.
In any case, despite having done kickboxing and suchlike, so could concievably beat the living crap out of a large proportion of the population, the most important things to keep yourself safe are a) common sense, b) awareness and c) getting out of a situation before it gets nasty.
:drinker: 0 -
I didn't read all the responses so I apologize if I'm repeating, but there is an app called "Circle of 6". If something happens to you or creeps you out you can hit the app and it will send out an instant emergency message to your top 6 contacts. It will also tell them where you are. This, along with mace or another form of protection would be smart.
I used to run by myself all the time at a couple of our local parks. Last summer two women were attacked and I haven't gone by myself since. Not by my doing, but my husband's. I live in a small town too, so it was a pretty big deal. When I run either I go by myself in our neighborhood, or my husband or son go with me.0 -
You have to out-crazy people. Sometimes, when someone is walking towards me, I get a crazy eye going that says "Don't mess with me!"0
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1) I jog using my iphone as my music (in hand so I can call someone if need be).
2) I make sure someone knows where I went and how long I plan on being gone
3) I make sure not to play music too loud so I can hear if someone comes up behind me
4) Pepper spray0
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