Welcome to Wednesday Word, a weekly linkup for everyone, not just health and fitness bloggers. Each Wednesday you will have a single word prompt to write about. Let your imagination run free and share with your readers your interpretation of that word, or simply use it as inspiration for your post. Today’s word is radical….. I’d love to have you link up, and if you do, please remember to follow my six simple rules.
Radical – very new and different
from what is traditional or ordinary;
very basic and important
~ Merriam-Webster
On Sunday, I wrote about how I love the freedom that running gives me and how my freedom had been interrupted with the news of the recent attack and attempted attack on our favorite running trail.
On Wednesday, a women walking on the W&OD Trail was attacked by two men who came out of a wooded area, but she managed to escape when a biker rode by and startled the attackers. Then on Thursday morning about twelve miles west of where the previous day’s incident occurred, a female off-duty sheriff’s deputy was running on the trail and managed to escape without being touched when she saw her would-be attacker approach her with a box cutter. In both cases the women were alone on the trail, but escaped physically unharmed.
Since the attacks, I’ve thought quite a bit about my recent careless practices when running. I’ve always had two rules – never run on the W&OD Trail alone and never wear earbuds while running. This summer I’ve broken both of those rules on many occasions.
With Ragnar DC just two weeks away, I’ve been running mid-day to stay acclimated to the heat. This has meant running alone instead of meeting my MRTT friends for our usual early morning runs. Since I’ve been running alone, I’ve been listening to music to help make the time go by faster and I’ve continued to run on the W&OD Trail.
My biggest concern had been running upon one of the black bears that have been roaming the neighborhood all summer, and as a result I carried pepper spray – when I remembered it. Fortunately, my runs have been uneventful and not only have I not seen any bears, but I haven’t seen any scary people either.
Knowing that I need to make some radical changes to my running habits, I’ve come up with these six adjustments which can easily apply to anyone:
- Switch back from running alone to running with friends
- If running with friends isn’t an option, pick routes in highly populated areas
- Don’t run with earbuds and listen for unusual noises
- Scan all around, not just forward toward the horizon
- Avoid running during nighttime hours
- Carry pepper spray and know how to use it
It’s sad that we can’t just go out and run whenever and wherever we want without a care in the world, but even though running gives us a freedom that many of us rarely experience in any other way, we have to be realistic. Making these few changes can make all the difference in the world and keep us safe.
What radical changes could you make in your running routine to make you feel safer?
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Next Wednesday’s Word: Plethora
Welp. I’m in violation of many of those. I run in the (somewhat) dark sometimes. I usually have earbuds…but I always have the music low enough that I can hear anything around me. I don’t carry pepper spray (that needs to change). That said….I seldom ever run the same exact route day after day, not do I run the same exact distance. And, I seldom ever leave the house at the exact same time LOL. I’m in a pretty small college town, and we have ample street lights near the campus, so I have never felt unsafe. And, I have been lucky.
Kimberly Hatting recently posted…Let’s Get Radical
Please stay safe out there and be extra alert!
Excellent post Deb. I run to and from work every day, and my run home is always late at night in the dark. I live in a town of 20,000 and it is inhabited with deer, bears, cougars, wolves, coyotes, badgers, skunks and the odd strange person. I don’t carry pepper spray but I do run with my dog who is very alert. I confess that I run with music and try and alter my routes home every few days. I think the smartest change I’ve made lately is wearing a very bright headlamp and also putting one on my dog.
Thanks, Jade! Oh my goodness, it sounds like a dangerous commute for you – stay safe!
Ugh. I hate that this is an issue. I try to run on busy trails or populated neighborhood routes. I haven’t carried pepper spray for years. Being attentive is important but you won’t always notice everything.
I know… A few evenings ago my husband and I were taking a walk just before it got dark and he asked if I’d noticed a guy sitting on an electrical box we’d just walked past. I hadn’t, but feel that I was being less observant since I had my husband with me. It was a scary realization of how easily we can miss something so obvious; and with that in mind, just what are we not seeing?
I recently started running without my earbuds too for similar reasons— great tips to scan the horizon and not just what is straight ahead of you…I hate that this is an issue but unfortunately its not going away!
Lauren recently posted…Radical Running: A Sneak Peak into Ultra Training
Sadly, you’re correct – it’s not going to go away… Stay safe!
I don’t run with music (and run alone most of the time). I do use the free road Id app so my husband knows when & where I’m out running.
I also have to be very good about dynamic stretching before & foam rolling afterwards to prevent injury! Not so radical, I know, but important.
Judy @ Chocolaterunsjudy recently posted…Totally rad — good or bad?
I’ve used the Road ID app, too. We also use Glympse for following our runners along on their legs during Ragnar so we know when to expect the next runner to come into the exchange. It works really well and gives live information of exactly where the runner is at any given time during their run.
Stay safe out there!
Right now I’ve been running more in my neighborhood instead of running on my beloved paths. I don’t have people to run with. So for now, I’ll play it safe.
Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home recently posted…Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?
It’s better to run smart than with regrets later. At the same time, it’s such a bummer that we can’t enjoy our favorite trails…
These recent attacks and so disturbing and scary! I am very grateful to have our MRTT network to keep us safe
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner recently posted…Reston Century Bike Ride & Sassy Cyclist
I was thinking the same thing. With so many in our chapter, I can almost always find someone to run with.
This is exactly why I run in my neighborhood…day in and day out. Others remark how boring and monotonous it must be. I choose safety. There are always other people out and about, even in the dark wee hours walking dogs and running. Thanks for the linkup.
Boring, but safe (and smart)!
I was running alone today and I was thinking of your last posts about the attacks. I do carry pepper spray but do you think that will work on a bear? I often worry about running into bears and strange people.
You know, I’m not sure if the little hand held pepper spray bottles would have enough in them to ward off a bear or not. I haven’t even tried mine to see if it works and now realize that I really should. In fact, I’d carried it a year before I realized that I’d been carrying it backwards and if I’d needed to spray something, I would have sprayed myself in the face. I know that they make “bear spray” and I’ll bet it’s in a bigger bottle with a stronger spray.
I usually only run in well lit places, and always tell my family my route.
Michelle recently posted…Shrimp with spicy red sauce over zoodles!
Both smart decisions. Stay safe!
Pepper spray! I have a tub/canister or whatever you call it but forget to take it with me. Normally I run on the treadmill or with friends on the weekend. But sometimes I run after school and it is usually dark by the time I get home. I run on a busy street with lights to help me feel safe. But I do not listen to music and am constantly looking around me to make sure no one is following me.
Zenaida Arroyo recently posted…My Marathon Training Must-Haves and a Giveaway