Women Running Alone

I run alone, usually in the evening. Most of my runs are at a large city park with dedicated jogging trails that tend to be crowded and are well lit. I also run on some mountain biking trails that are a lot less crowded, but still busy enough and near people.

The main thing is situational awareness, staying alert, and carrying myself "confidentially".

By biggest problem is actually loose dogs or snakes when I'm on certain nature trails.

I don't run but I spend a lot of time outside late at night on break and the like. It's a relatively safe neighborhood but I still carry pepper spray in my apron when I leave work and there is an easily accessible pistol. I've also got some mma training and self defense. So yeah while I feel safe there are some areas I just don't go alone late at night.

I can understand where you are coming from. We had several attacks in my quite little neighborhood. They caught the person but it really has me more aware of the surroundings. Luckily it has started to get lighter and the weather is getting better so more people are out.

Have you tried looking for a running club? There are tons of them out there with many people at different fitness levels. If you go to a gym perhaps ask them if there is a running group there. I know my gym has one.

Good luck!

Great advice here. Pepper spray, sirens, self defense, carry yourself with confidence...

And, if you do become victim, don't be afraid to have the balls--their eye balls--in your hands.

I run to and around a park that has a good amount of people, I stay alert, but still run with music. And i'll generally run with a folded knife in my hand. It's probably not smart but it makes me feel better. Sometimes I'll run with pepper spray but I don't trust that I guess.

I was thinking about looking into a taser...

I never run in secluded, dark areas. Thankfully, there is a nice lake I run around in my subdivision. When I venture out of my subdivision, I will make sure I go to parks or on trails with other runners, cyclists, and/or walkers are at.

I have an app on my cell, Road ID, that I use. When I start my walk/run, I send a notification to the people in my contact list on the app. These people can see my route and track me to know where I am. If there is no movement out of me within 5 minutes, it sounds an alarm on my cell and my contacts' phone. This happened once, and my cell let out this loud alarm and my boyfriend called to make sure I was ok. I had stopped to talk to a neighbor and forgot about having the app active. At least I learned it would work. :-)

We all must be safety conscious, know our surroundings, don't be in dark, secluded areas, and let someone know where we are at all times.

Goodness, carrying a knife in your hand? I can't imagine. I figure I'm statistically more likely to get hit by a car while running compared to any abduction situation. There is a reason these things are newsworthy - they are exceedingly rare. Don't run at night, keep to popular paths or busy streets and you'll be fine.

Seriously though, a gun??

apennock wrote: »

Goodness, carrying a knife in your hand? I can't imagine. I figure I'm statistically more likely to get hit by a car while running compared to any abduction situation. There is a reason these things are newsworthy - they are exceedingly rare. Don't run at night, keep to popular paths or busy streets and you'll be fine.

Seriously though, a gun??

They make hip holsters for both handguns and knives. Some shops carry gun belts specific for active people like hikers, runners, etc. In most states training and a permit is required to carry a gun legally anyways. I don't leave home without mine even though I've never been assaulted or run into a situation where I felt I needed to use it. I have it hoping won't need it, because if I need it I'll be glad that I have it.

veganbettie wrote: »

They aren't super rare though and not all of them hit the news.

It's a legitimate fear to have, and really you shouldn't dismiss others fears.

Also, this ^^^^^.

Since you live in an urban area, check out meetup.com and see if there are any running groups.

Check out mrtt (moms run this town---you don't have to be a mom) and see if there is a local chapter. I love my mrtt group here!

apennock wrote: »

I'm not dismissing the fear - it totally does happen. I run during the daylight and make a conscious effort to run in well populated places or roads. When I lived in rough neighborhoods, I carried pepper spray on my belt loop. I've read the statistics of attacks in areas I live in and try to stay informed of the danger. I still cannot fathom carrying around a gun holster on a run because it seems absurdly overkill.

But I think that's beside the point. Obviously you just need another dog!

A good article, if a few years old: http://www.athleta.net/2012/07/31/running-tragedies-and-how-to-stay-safe/

If you're comfortable with guns then it wouldn't really be overkill to you. I'm not super comfortable with them so I would agree with you, I couldn't imagine running with one.

In all honestly I've gotten spooked running during the day time too. It's a scary world out there sometimes. I don't walk around in fear constantly but there is that looming in the back of my head especially after I became a mother.

And I agree. rescue all the puppies!!!! lol

You need a new dog! Or run with scissors. No one would ever mess with someone running with scissors.. I mean come on!!

Carry a concealed weapon--whether it be a knife or a pistol. They make all kinds of concealment gear. Sign up for self defense training to learn how to defend yourself with a knife, pistol, or your bare hands. There is no reason to remain in fear. Empower yourself with the necessary knowledge and skill. Also, never run with headphones at max volume. Always keep your situational awareness up. Learn to not put yourself in dangerous situations as much as possible. Look up your state's laws on concealed weapons and get the necessary permit(s) and training.

barbecuesauce wrote: »

The gun idea--sounds like you've seen too many movies. I dislike carrying my phone, let alone a gun! It's going to be banging against you if you go at any speed, and besides, people are killed by their own handguns all the time--including by perpetrators who have disarmed them.

It's all about personal preference (not the movies that I've watched) and how I was raised. I carry one because that it is my choice for personal protection, I also carry a hunting knife and mace on my key chain. 75% of the time I can probably get to my knife faster than my gun or my mace anyways. But of course after my dog was properly trained I felt more comfortable running with him without my gun, which did not bang against my hip while I ran because the belt holster that I have keeps it firmly in place.

OP I like the advice about running with a group if you're alright with that, I personally prefer to run alone though. Also getting a 2nd dog is a good option as well but make sure it is or is old (young) enough to be trained how to spot danger/predators and know when and when not to attack certain people. If you choose to carry any type of weapon make sure you get proper training with it and a permit if necessary, and I highly recommend taking a self defense class no matter which option you choose cause you never know when you might need those skills.

Your fear is not irrational. My sister was attacked and barely survived being raped on a run alone 3 years ago. You have been given some good advice here, and some I'd flush down a toilet, never to be seen again. I have never felt safe running alone since she was attacked. Here are some valuable things Law Enforcement told us regarding running safety for women:
A. #1 deterrent to becoming prey is having a human running partner(s). Perps are looking for easy targets, and having a friend to sound the alarm ups their risk exponentially. I really would check for running clubs in your city. Most stores that sell running shoes have info on them. My co-worker joined one, and he said there are elites starting with the slowest, they all go at their own pace, and most of them wait around at the finish of the run for the slower runners & they go enjoy a beer together afterward. I wouldn't feel like a beer after running, but they seem to enjoy it! The point is, there is never one slow runner alone at the end of the pack. There are usually 3 or 4 people at each fitness level running together. Also, when I was in Cross Country in High School, our coach used to allow a woman in our community join us for practices. She wasn't a mom. She didn't know anyone on the team, but when she met the coach she expressed just this fear of running alone and he told her she was welcome. At the start of the Cross Country or Track season, most of the runs are what you would consider 'beginner' level & they build from there. I'm sure a community college or university coach may be open to this as well.
B. A large dog is also a very effective deterrent. I know yours is injured. Mine is too small to be scary to anyone. I seriously am adopting a large dog to feel safer on my runs. A 2nd dog would be an adjustment, but there are so many deserving animals out there in need of a home and love.
C. Pepper spray can stop some attackers. It can also fail in the event the predator is high on Meth, Bath Salts (yes, they are real), or crack. However, a large dog can disable one of these men on those drugs and make it physically impossible for them to carry out their ill intent. A dog's instincts are sharper than ours, and they are much better at reading an approaching person's character than we are. They are faster to react. We might fumble our pepper spray, or botch readying our gun, but a large dog will already have leapt to our defense as our pepper spray is falling to the ground. I intend on carrying pepper spray while running with my new large dog. A back up plan is good, too.
D. Large, open area parks with other people running/walking are a safer place so long as there are not dense trees/shrubbery planted near the trail. In my sister's case, she made the mistake of being on a popular running trail in the center of our city at daybreak. Large portions of that trail are open, but some some areas have dense shrubbery & that's where the attacker was hiding.
E. Of course, being aware of your surroundings and carrying yourself confidently helps deter some evil A-holes. In my sister's case, she was about as confident a woman you could ever meet. She carried herself strongly. Her vulnerability was in being alone, not in looking shy.

I really hope you are able to find a solution that's best for your situation. I had to chuckle at some of the comments about neighborhoods or communities being 'safe'. It's these nice, safe areas that predators often set up shop, because people have their guards down more. I am in no way trying to feed a phobia, but your fear has a valid reason for existing. You can minimize your risk by following some of the good advice you've been given here. And yes, it is male privilege that would cause a man to dismiss this fear.