As the clocks go back…….
Do you feel unsafe running in the dark, are you worried that as the clocks go back at the weekend that you are going to have to change when you run just to feel safe, to keep yourself safe?
I’ve read several articles this weekend about how to further protect myself as a runner in the dark, that somehow protecting myself is just part of life and that I should accept it. As a female runner, before I even head out for a run this is what I need to think about,
Wear brightly lit clothing,
Make sure I don’t run the same route more than twice,
Tell my husband/daughters where I am going,
Put my Garmin safety tracker on,
Don’t wear my headphones,
Wear just one headphone,
Only run in well-lit areas,
Carry a whistle or rape alarm,
Carry some kind of weapon that won’t interfere with my run,
Don’t wear my hair in a ponytail as it provides someone with an easy way to grab me,
or just make my life “simpler” by exercising inside.
I’m exhausted before I’ve even set foot out of the house, these top tips feel like shackles of dependency and highlight my lack of freedom and independence. These articles just normalize the rigmarole that I must go through just to go for a run in the dark. And when you look at the stats that reinforce how scary the world is you can understand how fear can spread and stop me from doing the thing that I love the most, the thing that makes me feel “free”.