I went to a retreat this weekend, and one of the things I was thinking about was what refreshes me. Three of the things were exercise, silence and the out-of-doors.
Which made me wonder if I wanted to start running. Because that could combine all three. (Just thinking about trying it somehow on cardio days - I'm not giving up my weight-lifting!)
So, here's my question for you ladies who run: how do you handle safety issues? That's kind of a weird question, because I actually feel safe walking by myself in our neighborhood, but running seems different somehow. Maybe it's all those news stories that seem to involve bad things happening to female joggers. On the other hand, those female joggers always seem to be running through parks alone in the dark . . . anyway, I'd be running on main streets in the (early) daylight.
Is this something you're worried about? And what precautions do you take? Thanks for the input!
ETA: I'm thinking about driving over and running on the university track. That'd let me run barefoot (it's an artificial track surface), which is how I'd want to go, I think. Plus, that might help a lot with my safety concerns. Anyone tried a track instead of the street or park?
-Jessica
Thanks for answering my
The track sounds like a good idea in terms of safety, especially since it seems to always be well lit. Also, running on a track is much less likely to give you shin splints than running on concrete.
ReplyDeleteI don't run at dawn, dusk or night. I also run neighborhoods or heavily frequented paths. This is because 1) I have been followed a few times this last year and 2) I don't live in the safest of cities.
ReplyDeleteSomething I have been thinking of, also, is wearing a small fanny pack and carrying pepper spray in it. Haven't done that yet, but have thought about it. But, yes, I agree with feeling less safe running than walking. I think the problem is that, for whatever reason, men stare at women when they are exercising. I don't understand it because I am certainly not at my *best* when sweating in my jogging clothes, but I can't seem to stop attracting attention.
With barefoot running, though, you might be safer on pavement. Less rocks to look out for.