Alright, ladies! One of the top concerns about running is safety, right? But I don’t think it’s talked about enough. Running is something we do to feel free and enjoy ourselves. Worrying about something happening to us on a run is the last thing you want to have to stress about. Unfortunately, there are way more incidents that occur with women running alone than most people realize. So I wanted to talk about some of the things that I do to keep safe out there.
1. Garmin/strava LiveTrack – One of my favorite things about Garmin is that it has a lovely feature called LiveTrack. It will automatically email your contacts the GPS location of your route as you run as soon as you click start on your watch. It can also connect with Strava which can text contacts your location when you start a run. I use the email as a backup incase the text is not able to send.
2. RoadID – they make the best endurance athlete id’s that you can where on your wrist or your shoes. These id’s contain your emergency contact information. That way if something were to happen to you on a run the authorities would know who to contact. You can also add if you have any health issues – if you’re on certain meds for example.
3. Invisawear – It’s a necklace but they do have bracelets too! If you squeeze it, it will automatically contact 911 who will contact your specified contacts or dispatch emergency personnel to you! Don’t worry, you can’t just hit it and it go off, you’ve got to squeeze it pretty good. I learned about this from a friend a couple years ago and I haven’t had a run without it since. Their support is awesome, by the way.
4. Make sure you’re clearly visible – Especially in the dark, having great lighting and wearing reflective or super visible clothing is huge! There are so many options out there these days. I have an amazing waste light (highly recommend) from UltraAspire that has three levels of lighting. Petzel also makes great headlamps too!
5. Communicate your route to someone including where you’re planning to run and an estimate of when you’ll be back is always a good idea.
6. Garmin inReach mini for those runs where you won’t have a cell signal – those amazing adventures on remote trails. I got mine when I did Grindstone 100 after my blood clots. Best part – I was able to text with my family with it, even without a cell signal!
8. Self Defense classes are always a great idea regardless of whether you’re a runner or not!
9. Mace, pocket knife, gun – I have a couple of friends who carry a pocket knife and even a gun. There are specially made knives and holsters just for runners.
Tell me friends, do you have anything to add to the list?
