Being safe on the run.

The other day while running on the trail in Wheeling I happened to let my mind wander and started thinking about how dangerous a routine run can be. Although we hear very little about runners or walkers getting hit by cars or being abducted it does still occur. While I also believe many of these instances could have been avoided, they will always be a part of what we do as runners and walkers. Here are a few tips that I have come up with to keep us safe during our workouts.

I’m not a big fan of headphones while working out. To me it tunes out the world around us. You may not hear a car coming up from behind on a rural road or even a biker passing you on a trail. When I approach a runner/walker from behind on the trail I always try to cough or make a noise as I get closer top passing them. Sometime I notice they have their ipods on and they didn’t hear me, only to watch them jump as I trod past. Keep the music at home.

Traffic. We simply cannot avoid it entirely. Never assume that a driver sees you. Even though I am always running against traffic I try to make eye contact with the driver. Here is another trick I use. I have a few routes on rural roads that make rather sharp turns. I always look down at the painted white line to see if it’s more worn then the painted line along the straight away. If it is more worn then I know that drivers will have a tendency to cut that turn short thus limiting my space to run.

            When I cross streets I always come across those drivers who want to go right on red. If you are approaching from the right then more likely then not that driver is only looking left before turning. Again, if I don’t make eye contact with the driver I either go around the car or wait until they have made their turn.

Dogs. Many times I try to vary my runs and maybe add a new route to my arsenal of training runs. The first thought that runs through my mind is “what is the dog situation?” Too many people just let their animals run free and if you’ve ever been attacked by a dog then you know the fear of going one on one with a fierce dog. I’ve been bitten 3 times in my career. None that was very serious but vile enough to draw blood and then seek out the owner to see about rabies shots.

I recommend that women not run/walk alone. A few years back while doing tempo runs with a group one of our female runners had fallen off the male pack and we were running through a highly questionable part of town. A man tried to impede her progress and luckily she kept right on running. None of us thought that anything like that would occur but it does happen from time to time. Run or walk with a friend or group.

Hope some of these tips help you be more aware of the dangers of being out on a run or walk. Enjoy the summer and keep safe.