This week has been wonderful so far! Tuesday morning I caught up with an old friend while running and this morning I am meeting a friend for a 5 mile run too!  I absolutely LOVE the company of running with other people and often feel like I could go forever as long as I have something to talk about and someone to talk to.

Are any of you training for spring races?  Currently, I’m not training for anything 🙂 Just running for fun!

While I love running with people, sometimes that isn’t a possibility.  So, I feel like I have been very aware of my running safety habits lately.

Recently, I feel like I have seen on the news or heard of female runners being attacked while out for a run.  Not only that, but some of my family has been making sure I am extra cautious about where and when I run.

Because I am in an area that is new to me due to our recent move, I’m definitely reassessing my running safety and I wanted to share some of the things I think about and do when trying to increase my running safety.

These running safety tips are great for people of all genders, and can be helpful for walkers too!

Plan The Route Before Running

I am probably the least directionally inclined person I know, so I really have to focus on where my run is taking me.  By planning my route the night before, I am able to pick more interesting routes and I can include Brian in the process, which means he will know where I am running.

Tell Someone Where You Are Running and How Long You Plan to Run

If Brian isn’t home, my typical routine is to shoot him a quick text saying I am out running with or without the dogs or another person and I tell him where I am running.  When I get to the halfway point, if I am alone I will tell him that I am headed back home and when he should expect me to be there.  This is so helpful and gives Brian and me a piece of mind.

Wear Bright Colors

I’ll be honest in saying that no matter what time of day I run, I feel like many drivers I have encountered do not seem very in tune with the fact that people may be walking or running where they are driving.  They simply roll through the stop sign or four way stop light without even looking both ways.  Because of this, I am really trying to wear the brightest clothes I own when I go out for a run so that I am visible.  This is also helpful for bikers and other runners.

Run Without Ear Buds

I LOVE running with music, but I find that I am able to be more aware of my surroundings without music and ear buds.  When I’m listening to music or a podcast while running I totally zone out which could cause me to forget where I made a turn, allow someone to sneak up on me, or trip and fall (which has happened twice here in Indiana!).

Run With a Buddy

I typically run with my dog Bernie or a friend.  For me, this isn’t only a safety thing but it also helps me pass the time and catch up with people I care about.

Carry Mace

This is something I just recently started doing.  I found this small mace that velcros an elastic strap to the hand that is pretty easy to use.  It wasn’t expensive either.  Hopefully, I never need to use it but it’s there for those unfortunate emergencies.

Question of the Day:

• How do you stay safe when running or walking?