Trust Your Instincts - Running And Personal Safety

In my running experience I've had several very uncomfortable encounters with strangers that I felt posed a threat to my well-being. Lucky for me no danger ever materialized but I don't believe that would've been the case had I not taken precautions when I sensed danger. Other threats to my personal safety came from dogs and motorists. With regards to motorists, some were drunk, some were negligent and others were just too excited to be on the road. Despite close calls, nothing serious ever occurred and I'm thankful to God for that. As they say, God helps those who help themselves and I consider taking precautions helping myself while God does the rest.

Many runners take pride in their appearance and go out equipped with fancy looking clothes and gear. An early morning runner is likely to meet with thieves on their way back from 'work'. I recall numerous incidents that involved me meeting what I felt were unscrupulous characters. Let me tell you about the time I believe instincts saved me from a trip back home naked.

This is how it went down:
I got up very early one morning fired up for a planned run. I took out my gear and flashy shoes and took off into the darkness just before dawn. It was early days in my running adventures so I didn't equip myself with accessories to enhance visibility like head torches. Basically, I couldn't see further than five meters but I persisted. It didn't take long before my instincts and the fear they triggered improved my vision dramatically. Suddenly silhouettes became more pronounced 50 meters away. Initially, I was too proud to acknowledge the fear I felt on a solo run on a narrow road with what was 5 or 6 adult males headed in my direction until it happened. I saw things unfolding ahead of me. What was initially a closely grouped together clique of individuals abruptly split in two with the other group going across the road. At this point it was clear what they were up to and my big boy pride deserted me. I stopped advancing and swiftly took off in the opposite direction. In the end, I made it back home safely with the help of adrenaline. I don't know what would've happened had I continued to run towards this clique but you know what? I wasn't willing to find out. I wasn't willing to get assaulted and find myself trekking back home naked because my flashy gear had been taken from me

Here's my advice to enhance personal security on a run:

• Don't take any chances, trust your instincts. If something or someone seems off, you must immediately take stock of your environment and calculate an escape if necessary. If dogs are the issue then you should read this blog post and learn how to protect yourself. If a person or people are the issue you must immediately put as much distance between you and the person or people making you uncomfortable. Cross the road, or run in a different direction or turn back - do everything necessary to maintain and even increase distance. If motorists are the problem, adopt a defensive approach to your running and keep yourself as far from harm's way as you can
• All runners should carry a personal alarm on all their runs. This is in place to ensure that if anything adverse happens you will be able to draw attention to the situation
• All runners should wear visible, reflective clothing as well as reflective accessories to increase visibility for themselves and motorists. See more on this here

Always trust your instincts and take all the necessary precautions before and during every run.