It REALLY SUCKS that when I head out the door to run I have to think about the possible dangers of running alone. I’ve lived in my quiet, safe and small upstate NY town for 20 years. The solitude of the back roads and minimal traffic were perks to settling here right after I had kids. Rarely did I worry about people. But it seems lately there are too many things stealing the joy of going for a run alone.
Just last week a local runner was victim to a guy exposing himself to her as she ran along a road I’ve run too many times to count. When she told me where it happened I was truly shocked. This summer a local teenager was followed by a guy in a van who then attempted to grab her. It’s so shitty that as women these are scenarios we have to worry about every time we head out the door. Having to be hyper vigilant is stressful. Lately every van I see or car I notice slowing down, triggers fear and endless thoughts of what I would do if they approached me. It immediately sucks the joy out of going running and being outside.My husband and sons never run with that burden. Of course I’m happy for them, but it’s a concern they’ve never personally experienced and can’t relate to.
They do, however, have to be more vigilant running in our area thanks to construction vehicles speeding carelessly up and down our road, drivers who drive these back roads like they’re in a city, people on their phones clueless that you’re even there, and the insane amount of dogs that run loose and chase us, jump on us and have bitten us several times. Noone is immune to the safety hazards.
I hate the fact that there are several roads I no longer run due to what ifs. More dogs than ever are running loose while the distracted/aggressive drivers are practically everywhere. A few years ago I rarely gave a second thought to where I would run…there are so many awesome routes to choose from. Now, I hardly run any of them and THAT SUCKS!
It frustrates me and to be honest, triggers resentment for having to debate whether I should run a certain road because what if someone decides to do something stupid or terrible. The fact that women are urged to carry pepper spray or whistles for protection, to be extra alert and stick to populated areas (which still means more cars and dogs) is so frustrating to me. I hate that the “answer” is for US to be more careful.
Up until recently, I never worried about being attacked or followed while running any of my local roads. Sure, the thought of a bear would enter my mind if I heard rustling in the woods, but these came and went quickly. I used to know where every dog was and most of the time they were trained or tied up. Now there are new dogs popping up constantly, and the owners don’t seem to think twice about letting them run loose. And by the way – yelling “he’s fine” as your giant jog is jumping on me and growling, doesn’t help AT ALL!
I don’t know how to change things, but I think we can all do a better job of making people aware. Normally, I try to find the positive in every situation and look for the good in all people. All of these recent events have made that difficult lately and that makes me sad and a little bit angry. What I CAN do is take all of the necessary precautions, do my best to stay alert, but also remain in the moment enjoying my run. I can’t let fear win. We all need to be aware and to look out for each other. So, PLEASE, when you are driving, especially on a nice quiet back road, SLOW DOWN AND PAY ATTENTION!!! Then when you’re home, TIE UP YOUR DOGS and finally, if you notice something or someone suspicious PLEASE SAY SOMETHING!
My fellow female runners — how do you feel about running alone and what precautions do you take? To all runners in general, have you noticed an increase in distracted drivers where you live or have you had scary encounters with dogs? Has fear caused you to change the way that you run?