I’ve heard it a million times, mostly from my mother: “Never run alone, it’s a scary world out there for a woman, always carry pepper spray with you.”
I hate those advises that discourage female runners to run outside alone. We are women, while not as strong as men because we don’t have testosterone, aren’t inherently weak, and most men are not out with the goal to attack a woman.
It takes a criminal just seven seconds to select their next victim. Criminals assess basic movements while walking — like stride length, speed, body weight distribution and arm swing.
Running is great, but sadly, women have to fear for their safety while doing it. While attacks are rare, please don’t be another statistic. Follow these rules to keep safe while running.
1. Take a self-defense class.
It improves your street awareness. It builds confidence. It works on your balance. These types of classes teaches you do two things at once without falling over. It helps develop self-discipline. It helps improve your physical conditioning. It teaches you self-respect it also helps you develop a warrior spirit. It has a positive influence on your life. It will help you with goal setting. Every woman should do this. Google them, call your neighborhood police division, check college assets.
2. Before running, ask yourself, “What if someone tries to attack me today?”
I know This doesn’t sound good, but it will help you prepare before anything bad happens. Think of how you will respond in the event if something goes wrong. But don’t let this thought scare you out of running. Don’t give this idea a chance to stop you from running. That isn’t the point by any means.
3. Don’t use Headphones.
I’m guilty of not following this rule myself. If you running while listening to music, the least you can do is to keep the volume down. Make sure you can hear things with the earbuds in. Don’t use Headphones which prevents you from hearing sounds of surrounding.
4. Always carry your phone during your run.
Whether you want to use a running app, take pictures, or be ready for an emergency, there are plenty of reasons to carry your smartphone with you on the run.
5. Don’t be predictable Mix up your routes.
Only let loved ones know where you will be running that day and don’t post your routes on social media.
6. Always run with pepper spray or a taser designed specifically for runners.
At running stores, you can easily find these. Their hand straps designed specifically for runners.
7. If you run at night, run in a well-lit area.
With busy schedules and shorter days sometimes we have to run at night. First, consider the treadmill. If you want to run outside make sure that you are running in a well-lit, populated area. Be sure to follow the usual safety precautions.
8. Trust your instinct if something feels off.
Be aware and trust your instinct. Don’t be distracted while running, and if something feels off, get out of there now.
9. Don’t look at the ground Make eye contact with other runners.
If you look at the ground or you look absent-minded or distracted, the attacker thinks that you didn’t notice them. If you look them in the eye, they know you got a good look at them and could identify them if you had to.
10. Ponytail is easy to grab, reconsider it.
Attacker can easily grab your ponytail, so consider putting your hair up in a bun instead.
11. make sure you know your routes.
Mix them up, but make sure you know where you are at and where you are going at all times. Only your loved ones should know about your routes and don’t post your routes on social media.
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