How to feel safer?
Too often we hear news about an attack of a female runner. Since women still have to deal with the fear of assault while running, we thought of some tips to help you to feel safer on your run.
1. Always be alert
To be alert, means to use all of your senses. Your awareness is not just consciously, but also subconsciously protecting you. Running with headphones is a major point that can
impair you awareness. Not just concerning traffic, but being aware of people and your surroundings. Headphones can indicate that you wear something valuable with you. Running with headphones you might become a bigger target than without. For your own safety, rather run without headphones.
2. Run in groups
Running alone always carries a risk. Run with a group of like-minded ladies and reduce your risk and worries. It is much more fun and safer than running on your own. Just join one of CMIYC’s group runs close to your area and stay safe. If you still want to run alone, always tell someone where you are going and how long you will be.
Find a CMIYC Group in your area!
3. Watch the clock
It is much safer to run during the day. Especially in winter, the days can get quiet short. Darkness makes it much harder for us to identify potential threats. So stay on top of your running schedule. Avoid running alone before sunrise and after sunset. Besides daylight, there are also less people around which could see you or help you, if need be. The best is to run in areas which a well-lit and populated.
4. Always trust your instincts
You have a bad feeling in your guts? Trust them! If you feel strange about a situation or a person then avoid it. It is better to be safe than sorry. As a female you are blessed with intuition, use it. If there is proof or not, if someone looks suspicious to you or gives you a funny feeling, move away, cross the street or choose another way. Don’t feel sorry, your safety comes first.
5. Use your voice
If you are in a situation where you don`t feel safe, don`t be embarrassed to use your voice. Call out for attention, scream if you have to. To shout out: ‘Fire!’ has been the most effective way to get help from the public. As a woman you must prove that you are not an easy target. If screaming like a mad one will safe you, go for it.
6. Keep valuables at home
Most criminals attack you because they want to get hold of your valuables. If you still want to take your phone with you, also for safety reason, then keep it in a place out of sight. Remember to off any kind of jewellery before your run. And again headphones will give away that you are running with a phone or music device.
7. Show others that you are confident
Always run confidently, which means stand tall, head up and focused. If someone watches you, be confident and look right in their eyes. This indicates your inner strength and shows the other person you have seen and noticed them. If you are a shy person, fake it till you make it. Confidence is a huge deterrent.
8. Know your routes
Knowing your route is key to a safe run. Avoid to look lost and especially to be lost. Perpetrators are likely to look for people unaware of their surroundings. Stay clear from running routes through isolated areas. Besides that, change your route from time to time. This prevents you from being predictable.