I rarely watch the news, but happened to turn it on last night. Sadly, the top story was a tragic ending to the search for a young man who hadn't been seen since going out for a run Thursday night. This happened about 5-10 minutes from where I live, which is otherwise a very safe, quiet community. They haven't released many details, but it got me thinking - what safety precautions do you take when you head out for a run?
I've never been a night runner. For starters, I think my husband (and my father, if he were aware of it) would wear holes in the carpet pacing back and forth while he waited for me to come home, and I'm okay with that. I'm lucky to have people that care about me so much. Even though I often run in the morning when it's still dark, somehow that seems different. Typically, though, I run when it's light out and the streets are busy with people.
If I do head out it the dark hours of the morning, I wear my headlamp and blinking clip-on light. I try to wear reflective clothing and stay on the sidewalk unless absolutely necessary. I keep my music loud enough to hear it, but low enough that I'm still able to be aware of my surroundings. Even when I'm in the midst of a hard-core run, I try to stay aware of what (and who) is around me. Most importantly, I always wear my RoadID, which displays all of my important information. I hope I'll never need it, but I'm not willing to take that chance.
I never used to carry pepper spray, but a little over a year ago I was attacked by a friend's dog. Ironically, I always thought if that happened, it would be while I was out for a run. Nevertheless, as soon as I was able to run again, I went out and bought a handheld pepper spray to carry with me on my runs. I'm not terribly good about remembering it, but probably should be.
I apologize for the seriousness of this post, but like it or not, it is something we all need to think about. It doesn't matter who you are or where you live. Let's work together to make the running community a safe one. How do you keep yourself safe during your runs?
I didn't get to see much of the story, but Overland Park caught my eye since that's where we moved from... sad to hear that is how this ended. I do frequently run in the morning dark, but I generally assume the crazies are passed out at that point :)
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