A couple weeks ago I went for my semi-annual dental cleaning at the same place I’ve been going to for 30 plus years. They know all my business to an annoying degree, especially because my parents go to the same dentist. My dental hygienist, Sally, asked me if I had run anymore marathons. I chuckled to myself at what an odd question that is since I was there only 6 or 7 months before and at that point I had just completed the Chicago Marathon. I laughed even more because the answer was yes! I told her that I actually did just run another one up in Maine. She, of course, told me that she had tried running with her friends but it was too hard and it hurt her knees. She then asked me, “have you ever almost gotten hit by a car?” She told me to be careful and that running can be very dangerous. That got me thinking, why is it that I have been running almost a quarter of a century and have never been hit by a car or had anything terrible happen to me? It’s easy to think that running safety is something everyone knows and doesn’t need to be taught, but I have a feeling that some people don’t know all the safety tricks, and perhaps this might help someone.
I was lucky enough to go to a high school that had an excellent cross country and track program. You don’t get an excellent sports program without dedicated and knowledgeable coaches that care for their athletes. My coaches taught us the fundamentals of road safety. Afterall, we were 14-18 year old girls running over bridges in downtown Jacksonville with sports bras and short running shorts with no access to cell phones because those weren’t a thing yet (early 2000s). We would run through the neighborhoods in San Marco, run along the riverbank and over all the runnable bridges. I don’t remember there ever being an incident of us being in danger. The only complaints I remember were some of the more conservative staff/and area prudes getting up in arms about us wearing sports bras with no shirts. So, what are some of the safety tips I learned at the age of 14?
1) Run with someone else- Especially as young girls, we always ran in a pack of at least two or three—but regardless of gender it helps to ensure you’re safe. Sometimes we’d go on slower runs with a group of 20 or so. On those faster workout days we would run with the top 7 and sometimes break out to smaller groups if we were really going after it. We also never left a teammate behind. If one of your teammates needed to walk on these runs off-campus, someone had to stay with them. We also always ran single file when needed to avoid cars.
2) Stay on the sidewalk- We were supposed to stay on the sidewalk if possible. Some roads do not have sidewalks, especially by my high school, so the next best thing is to run against the traffic. If you run against the traffic you can see the cars coming at you. You can look the driver directly in their eyes and make yourself known well before they get close enough to smash you. If you run with the flow of traffic, since we don’t have eyes in the back of our heads, we can’t see the cars coming for us. Also, the driver can’t see your face making it harder to differentiate you as a person from some kind of road debris.
3) Tell someone where you are going- One very important safety protocol was to tell our coach which path we were taking. We had all kinds of courses memorized anywhere from a two mile out-and-back to an 8 miler that went over two bridges and through some pretty sketchy places. Our team had over 100 girls making it impossible to have a coach with us during every run.
As a 38 year old woman who predominately runs alone, what do I do now to remain safe while running?
1) Carry my phone and ID- Since I’m a mom of three and a wife I value my life more than I ever did as a teenager and early 20 something. I know that I have three little people depending on me to be their mommy, so I’m not taking any unnecessary risks while running. I bring my phone in a little fanny pack with my ID. I had to use my phone during my last marathon training. I had a pretty bad cold and felt like total trash but decided to still try and go for my 18 miler. I got to mile 15 and couldn’t go another step, at which point I called my husband to come rescue me. My sister-in-law, Sarah, had a similar issue attempting a long run recently. She prefers to do her runs at night time after her kids are in bed. A knee issue she had been battling acted up well into her long run one night. It was around 10:00pm, and she had to limp her way two miles to the closest place she could find that was open so she could use their phone. She found a Papa John’s that let her call her husband to pick her up. Not to mention the dangers of being alone at night with no protection, if that Papa John’s hadn’t been open she might have had to limp the extra 2 miles home if she hadn’t found a phone. Phones can feel bulky and annoying but they can literally save your life in an emergency situation. I use a running belt like this on runs and generally forget it is there.
2) Run Against Traffic- This is one of those tips that has stuck with me since high school. If there is no sidewalk you will see me running against traffic. I feel safer knowing where the cars are coming from. There have been times that for whatever reason I could tell the driver couldn’t see me so I jumped into the dirt/grass/whatever in time to make sure my life didn’t end at that moment.
3) Avoid Dogs- If I see a dog that is not on a leash I immediately change my route and go on my merry way. In my years of running I have been chased by big dogs that looked like they could do some major damage and little dogs that I knew I could outrun. It’s not worth it to me to take that risk. Most dogs are friendly, but some dogs have that instinct to chase and when they get to you there is no way to know if they just want to play or if they want to shred your flesh. I recently got chased by an obese old wiener dog. This little dog came out of nowhere and I’m happy to say I could out run her.
4) Take Extreme Caution if I hear a Car Motor in a Driveway- Since I do run on sidewalks if possible, especially with the stroller I am uber aware of cars. There have been many times I have been running and a car starts backing up towards me as I am running on the sidewalk. Because of this, if I hear or see a car with the motor on I’ll swing wide into the street to avoid that car. I had a neighbor that was hit by a car just walking on the sidewalk. The car backed right into her shattering her hip.
5) Communicate- Since I don’t typically run with others, if I am going on a long run or new route I’ll make sure to tell my husband. I always have my phone, but it is also nice for him to know around when to expect me back. For instance if I’m going for 20 miles that might take me close to 3 hours. I usually give him a ball park idea of when I’ll be back. And, let’s be real, he wants to know when his solo parenting duties will end too!
6) Wear Bone Conduction Headphones- I used to be so anti-running with headphones, but that was back when I was part of a team and had really great conversations while running. Since I don’t get the opportunity to run with friends often, the next best thing is to run while listening to Podcasts or music. Bone Conduction Headphones are the safest way to run while listening to music. These headphones sit outside your ear and transmit the sound through your cheekbones to your inner ears. This makes it so your actual ear can hear the sounds of bikes coming up behind you or horns honking. I’ve been using Shokz for years. I highly recommend these headphones. The ones I have are an older model and still work great for me. My husband has these and loves them. Also, their customer service is receptive and accommodating. When my first headphones stopped working they sent me a new pair!
7) Always use the crosswalk- When I was in high school, there was a local runner that was killed while running. He had attempted to run to the middle of the road that did not have a median. Those are the types of horror stories that stick with you. I always wait for my the white walk signal if I need to cross a major road. I also never play by the “pedestrian has the right of way” rule. In situations where there is no crosswalk assistance, I assume every driver is on their phone not paying attention. I wait until I see eye contact. If I do not see the driver motion me to go, I will often times run behind their car to the sidewalk or run down the street further until it is safe to cross.
8) Bring a Weapon- This isn’t one I do all of time. If I’m just running in my neighborhood on sidewalks I typically will just bring my phone. If I am running in a place that I am not familiar or if I feel a little on edge I will bring my pepper gel. This is a tiny handheld spray that I can fit in my running belt or hold in my hand. If I’m running with my stroller I can put the gel in my cupholder. I also usually have my keys because the mailbox is .5 miles away from my house which presumably could be used those for self-defense too. I’ve never had to defend myself, but it’s nice to know I could if needed. I have also seen these loud alarms that can alert people around you that you need help. I haven’t tried them, but maybe one day I’ll get one. There are also rings that are designed for runners as self-defense. Lastly, remember that YOU are a weapon. When I was coaching high school cross country, every season we would provide the girls with a self-defense class. If you have never taken a self-defense class you need to get on that ASAP. You can learn some strategies to immobilize someone that is trying to harm you. Here is an example of what you can learn at a self-defense class by Todd Williams who is a local legend here in Jacksonville. He is a 5 time Champion of the Gate River Run holding the course record of 42:22, and also teaches Jui Jitsu. Here are a few tips to get you started:
a. Think of the most painful places to get hit or kicked (throat, face, eyes, nose, ears, privates, knees)
b. Remember you have ten tiny knives attached to your fingers that can inflict some serious damage. Scratch the crap out of them! Go for the face!
c. Never forget how powerful bites can be!
d. Scream for help as loud as you can!
9) Try to Avoid Dangerous Situations- I think most runners were completely devastated by the murder of Eliza Fletcher when she was on an early morning run. This made me even more aware of my surroundings and take more precautions. The first thing I did was change my Strava to private to avoid any creepers finding out where my running routes are. The next thing I did was get pepper spray and pepper gel. Another thing I have always done is if the situation seems sketchy I avoid it. For instance, if I see a group of male workers at the end of a road I turn around. Or if I am running behind a building and see a solo truck with a man standing near it, I’ll turn around. I also try to run in the daylight where I can see the dangers approaching me. If Eliza’s situation isn’t enough to scare me into safety precautions, I’ve read enough Stephen King to imagine what the worst situations could be.
10) Reflective Clothing/Lights- Even when I run during the day, there are some places I run that are shaded or the sun can be directly in the driver’s eyes when I am about to cross paths with them. It’s always a smart idea to wear bright colors. It’s a big no-no to wear all black at night. Wear reflective vests and lights at night. I like to use my Noxgear vest if I’m running in the early morning. I will wear it until the sun comes up and drop it somewhere to pick up after my run. There are all kinds of products you can find on Amazon. Take a look and see what works for you. Sarah prefers little light clips that she clips to her sports bra or shorts.
I’m sure there are more things to consider and I’m always trying to learn new things when it comes to running! If you have any other safety tips please feel free to leave us a comment!
Happy Running and Stay Safe Out There!
-Kelly
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