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lone women running off road
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I run off road using a head torch and my missus and others have asked if I'm concerned about being attacked etc. I am a guy, so maybe that breeds more confidence (stupidity?) but I run over a few hundred acres of woodland and never see another soul. I also consider that the majority of people on this planet can't run as fast as me over short or long distance. (hopes)
I have to agree with other posts, why run on pavement when you don't have to?
and the risks do seem to be very low.
Stick to it my dear unless you have reason to do otherwise
If it was your lat moments, where would you rather be....... on a trail, or even worst, gettting run over outside tesco!
Life always has its risks......
Life does have risks, but its much more scenic out in the countryside and I love the feeling of not having to worry about comments from people when you run by them on the street.
I live in London and don't have the luxury of country lanes/off road but I am still very careful which streets I run down and which routes I take and stay away from certain areas that to be honest I wouldn't go through during the day. I am training for a marathon so at the moment most of my runs are in the evening after work, except for my long run on a Sunday. I try and stick to well lit areas, I have a flashing ron hill light that velcros to my jacket and I only run with one ear piece in for my i-pod.
To be honest I do feel safer when the days are longer and I would love to have a dog to run with but if you want to get out there and run theres not much you can do about it but just use your common sense.
I believe that if something is going to happen to you then if you prevent it in one area of your life then it'll happen in another part. How many horror stories have we heard of people being attacked walking the short distance from their house to the car?
I still run with both earphones in but I make sure that I'm aware of my surrounding. As I run quite early in the mornings I don't actually see many people but if I pass someone then I will keep looking back every few secs to make sure they haven't started following me.
We should let potential weirdos stop us going out and doing what we enjoy!
I agree that we shouldn't let potential weirdos stop us, but I advocate common sense over karma.
The reason people are attacked working from their car to their house is because they let their guard down. The key is to stay alert to your surroundings.
It is easy to lay the blame on victims and think it will never happen to us because we are so super careful and responsible. Reality is that everyone lets their guard down sometime and the blame lies with perpetrators only. It can happen no matter how alert you are.
Anyway off my soap box. I run off road with nothing but the trees for company and I absolutely love it. I don’t wear headphones when I run though. I say go for it, and have fun. In the unlikely event something bad does happen, it isn’t your fault. You have a right to do what you enjoy. Unfortunately we can’t always control the behaviour of others, but statistically you should be fine. I think tree roots are a bigger risk to be honest. I often worry I’ll trip over one and hit my head or something.
I'm not blaming the victims. Someone pointed out the number of people who - supposedly - are attacked near the front door and I said there's an explanation for this. Understanding this doesn't mean the victim is at "fault" (who doesn't relax near home?) or the perpetrator isn't still to blame.
I think feminist self defence needs to come back into fashion. It may be the only way we can talk about how to read risk and a situation without sounding like victim blaming.
There aren't many bogeymen around in the countryside at 5.30am. I guess they've all stayed up late mugging and robbing and stuff so they're still in bed.
It's tricky to offer advice on this one because you are only one who can make a judgement call as to whether it is safe or not. I train alone and I do run in the dark but not off road.
However, I often run along a trail during daylight hours, a run of nearly 5 miles and I have often run this and not seen a soul. However, there has been reported incidences along this track, usually involving women walking dogs which has made me a little nervous. Bearing in mind these attacks have occurred during daylight hours it seems to me that it is more about location than whether it is dark or not.
I do still run this trail but I prefer to run it with my husband or at a time of year when there is likely to be plenty of people around.
It is wise to be aware, familiarity can breed contempt, however none of us can live our lives expecting the worst to happen and allow it to inhibit our freedom and enjoyment.
If there was a trouble spot then I wouldn't go there at anytime, light or dark.
Self-defence in women is a good idea, however, if your not strong enough to begin with then it would probably lose it's effectiveness.
I live in a village with no street lights and 'lovers lanes' all over the place, poachers etc. To be honest I feel safer running across the fields and woodlands at night than on roads. It is unlikely that an opportunist wierdo will be hiding in a muddy field after dark. A lot of the time I am in my army boots, combats and backpack so if I did meet upon anyone they would prob think I was the nut job. I have never ran with music anyway, but certainly wouldnt in the dark. Like all say know your territory, think about escape routes, if you have ur house keys and have time to get them put a key between each finger and you have quite a fearsome weapon if you really are confronted to hit someone with. Also make a lot of noise and act like a complete mad woman..then run like hell.
I recently got a pup and at 8 months old now she is proving to be an excellent training partner in every way. She hears anything odd before me...usually just a disturbed bird and adds to my feeling of security. She is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier..also known as the 'nanny dog' as they are so loving and protective of children. Due to their (unfair) rep, appearance and historic use I don't think I will ever encounter a problem whilst she is with me! Short coat is also a plus...nothing worse than dirty wet dog smell!
Self defence is the way to go in my opinion, it gives you the confidence needed to not worry so much about others and the habit of being aware of what's happening around you at all times.
I train in a martial art called Krav Maga and I would highly recommend it to anyone, especially those concerned about being attacked. It's based on natural reactions and a quick intensely violent response to attack, which basically means that if someone does grab you or attack you, you respond as aggressively as possible and aim for maximum damage before getting out of there at the first opportunity.
Google it, it's really worthwhile.
One piece of advice I would give is to never allow yourself to be taken to the 2nd crime scene, this is where people will do the nasty things to you (whether rape or assault or whatever). Fight like hell if you ever get grabbed, in the vast majority of cases this will scare people off enough or injure them sufficiently for you to get away to safety.
And I do agree, the chances of it happening are quite slim and I wouldn't let it spoil your enjoyment of running off road. I regularly run off road even at night and enjoy it a great deal.