Running Safety Tips That Could Save Your Life

This post has been sponsored by Sabre. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Warmer weather and longer days make it the perfect time to finally move your running outdoors. I don’t know about you, but running on the dread-mill bores me to tears, while running outdoors motivates me and makes running feel so much more enjoyable. While I love running outdoors, the one thing that always gives me pause is questioning my safety. I’ve always been a bit leery about running alone and outdoors, but a tragic incident in our small town last year gave me pause and really made me question my safety.

Last year, a former female classmate of mine was brutally murdered in our small town while out on her routine training run. The incident shook many in our local community to the core.  It made me seriously begin to question the safety of running alone and especially the stroller runs that I used to take with my children. While I took a short break from running at the time due to being nervous and scared, I finally found myself back on the bricks. I couldn’t stand the thought of not doing something that I really enjoy and that fueled my competitive spirit.

Upon venturing back into running, I was proactive at making my safety a priority. Below are a few of the key tips that I added to my running routine to make running safer and fun again.

10 Running Tips That Could Save Your Life:

Hear Your Surroundings

When running, it’s so important to be able to hear and be aware of your surroundings. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to ditch your headphones (I totally need some good, high tempo jams to keep me going), but keep the volume at a moderate level, pop one earbud out or invest in a pair of open-ear headphones that allow you to listen to music while still being able to hear around you.

Carry Backup

Arming yourself with a little backup in the form of pepper gel is a great option for additional protection in dangerous situations. Sabre Red Pepper Gel Duathlete Armband is my go-to personal safety BFF. It’s incredibly easy to use and can be grabbed quickly, if needed. The canister velcros onto the armband and can be grabbed and used in seconds to thwart off an attacker. The gel formula is preferred because it virtually eliminates airborne particles and blowback, and allows for a more direct hit.

Bring ID

Always carry ID with you when running! I slip my license into my clear phone case so that it can be easily accessed in an emergency or seen by others. You never know when you could be injured so having ID is so important so that others can help you if needed. Be sure to have your emergency contacts easily accessible too.

Be Heard

Before heading on a run, I clip on my Sabre Personal Alarm with LED light. This tiny, yet loud 120 db attention grabbing alarm can be easily clipped anywhere (I wear it on my waistband or clip it onto an armband). When the alarm button is pushed, you can alert anyone within 600 feet with a loud alarm so that you can draw the attention of bystanders in an emergency. Sabre Personal Alarm also has a light option (flashlight, slow flash, and fast flash) which I love using when running in early morning or evenings when visibility is limited. Not only can it illuminate the areas in which I run, but it can alert drivers to your presence when running.

Be Seen

Strive to wear brighter colored activewear that has reflective elements when running and use a personal light (blinking is best), especially during dawn or dusk. Drivers can easily be distracted or simply not see runners, so making sure that steps are taken to be seen is so important.

Run in Populated Areas

Avoid dark and desolate areas. Stay on well-lit and populated areas if possible. Whenever possible, run with another person or a dog. Many areas have running groups that meet several times a week that are perfect for finding groups of runners to run with.

Tell Others

When you’re heading out for a jog, be sure to tell someone where you are running and when you expect to be back. Text a friend or loved one to let them know that you are leaving and text them when you get back home. There are even apps that you can use that will share your location with someone else so that they can follow alongside your run.

Fight Back

Learn basic self-defense. Educate yourself on the most vulnerable areas of the body (eyes, nose, throat, and knees) and how to protect yourself in case of an attack. If you have a gut feeling that someone is up to no good, trust it. Move to the other side of the street, go the opposite direction and stay confident. Speak loudly and confidently. Most attackers are looking for someone that they can easily overpower or who they deem won’t fight back or get physical. Sabre Personal Safety Academy is a great resource for those looking to locate self defense and safety classes.

Variation

Don’t become too predictable. Switch up your runs and vary the time of day that you run and your route if you can.

Run Against Traffic

When running, face traffic. Facing traffic as you run allows you to react and see cars more easily. Drivers can also see you more easily.


To purchase Sabre personal safety products, check out the links below!


Do you use personal safety devices when running?

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By |2018-06-25T16:00:34-04:00May 15th, 2018|health|8 Comments

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8 Comments

  1. Vanessa Scott May 15, 2018 at 9:17 pm - Reply

    Great post!! Thank you for sharing some great tips!

  2. Jordan | Read. Eat. Repeat. May 16, 2018 at 12:38 pm - Reply

    I love this! Fear of being out by myself is something that has kept me from running in the past so that alarm is an awesome product idea.

  3. Sandy May 16, 2018 at 10:36 pm - Reply

    I am not a runner, but I go for a lot of walks and these safety tips will be very helpful just the same. Safety is so important especially for us girls when out & about on our own! Thank you for sharing.

  4. Mirism May 16, 2018 at 10:50 pm - Reply

    I’m a post lung transplant patient. Exercise is very important to my lungs health, but it makes my family very nervous for me to go off walking or jogging by myself! They worry! The products from this Post would give them more piece of mind. Thanks for bringing attention to these products!

  5. Marilyn Blanco May 17, 2018 at 4:06 am - Reply

    Great tips! Is sad to be aware of these situations, but this is the world and better be prepared! Thanks!

  6. Kelsey May 17, 2018 at 8:48 am - Reply

    Such great tips!

  7. Cate May 22, 2018 at 9:38 pm - Reply

    Excellent tips, I’ve always been a little nervous to run alone, and I always text at least two people to tell them exactly where I’m going and when.

  8. Alicia June 25, 2018 at 12:03 am - Reply

    Thanks so much for this post! I just took up running a couple of weeks ago and as a young cute female there have been times I have been worried. It’s nice to know there are some great tools out there to keep myself safe!

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