My training for the Wasskally Wrabbit Ultra next year is going pretty well. I've incorporated a good strength routine, upped my protein intake and am logging more miles than the past two years. Some injury weight has come off, but there's still a long way to go. My long run is also getting longer so I've been caught running with a flashlight to finish up a run at 7pm and running out and backs to make sure I make it out of the trails before dark, because, you know, Big Foot.
So I was online the other day, reading through running posts when I saw one that caught my eye. One of the local runners asked if anyone ran alone out on my favorite trail system. I said I did and that often I never see another living soul out there. Then came to barrage of posts from other runners (all women) who said how unsafe that was, that they never run alone, that they wouldn't go out into the trails by themselves and (gasp) close to nightfall. When I read that I questioned myself. Am I being too lax with my safety? Am I taking huge risks by running alone as a woman?
I thought about what I do to "protect" myself. I always carry my phone (not really for safety but because it has my music, my running app and my camera on it, but sure I can call someone or 911 if I needed to). I usually carry my car keys with me (which, with the amount of crap I have on that key ring I'm pretty sure it qualifies as a weapon). And on top of that I've taken judo (blue belt) and self defense workshops. I feel confident I can defend myself.
I also thought about where I run. It seems to me any attacks on women runners in my area have happened within the city. I run a good distance outside of the main city core and it is inaccessible to anyone without a vehicle. Then there's also the distance I'm usually out. I'm not hugging the entrance, I'm usually a good 5km from where anyone would walk up to or park.
To be honest, the only time I have been harassed out on a run, either physically (pushed) or verbally (usually idiots screaming from cars) has been in urban areas. If I run within the city I stick to the main roads. If a venture through a green belt trail then I do it before dark and usually when I know other people are likely to be around walking their kids from school or walking a pet. I realized I actually take more precautions when I run on the road.
So are these other women runners wimps? Do they come from upbringings where women were sheltered and feared for their safety so they feel they have to run with someone else or not at all? My own mother is the mother of risk takers. From a young age I watched her travelling the world, to places like Columbia, Bosnia and northern Africa BY HERSELF. She had amazing adventures and at the age of 60 is currently planning a solo trip to Romania. So I'm pretty sure that's where my attitude about venturing out on my own comes from. Thanks Mom. Thanks for not making me fearful of everyone and everything around me. Thank you for giving me the confidence to go for a solo run on the trails by myself without batting an eye. I can't imagine achieving what I have in running without the confidence to go and get my goals for myself, by myself.
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