I am a mom of three boys, and trying to keep my boys safe is a full-time job. There is always something that they can get into and get hurt. However, as a mom, I tend to put myself and my safety on the back burner at times. Can you relate?
Sometimes the only free (me) time we get is once all the children are sleeping soundly in their beds and the husband is watching a game on the television. Unfortunately, the days are getting shorter and that means it gets dark sooner. Running safe at night is a big concern and something that we all should take seriously.
I do most of my running during the day, either solo or while pushing my two youngest boys in the double jogger. When running solo or running with children, it is very important to keep your guard up and to stay safe while running. Running during the day or night, we must always do our best to run smart.
Safety is key. Our children and family need us! Check out my top ten running safety tips to keep you running safe! When you are finished reading the tips, be sure to enter the SUPER FUN giveaway below (night running vest and road ID) to keep you safe while running!
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Tell someone where you are going and when you are expected to return.
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When you come in contact with another person while on your run, make eye contact with them. Show yourself as calm, confident, and in control. If you appear that you are strong and not fatigued you will not be marked as an easy target.
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Use your instincts. If you think or feel running near a person or street is not safe. Listen.
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Carry pepper spray or other safety device that can easily be held in your hand while running. This is great for not only human attacks, but also for animals.
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Run in familiar areas. Yet vary your route and time slightly from day to day. You don’t want to be too predictable with your running routine that would make you an easy target.
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If you can, run with company. If running with a group of friends is not an option, try running with a dog.
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Be prepared. Knowing what the weather will be and preparing for your long runs are key. You don’t want to be dehydrated, bonk because of poor nutrition or freeze due to not being prepared.
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Make sure that you are visible to oncoming traffic (and even pedestrians). Wear reflective clothing. (The ragnar night running vest I am giving away is perfect for this!)
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Wear (or carry) identification while running. (The RoadID has many great products!)
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When listening to music, make sure you can hear the activity around you. Be aware of your surroundings. I love my yurbuds because they are not only comfortable, but they also allow me to hear my music and surroundings.
These are just ten of my running safety tips. I am sure there are many more, and I would love to hear your favorite running safety tips below. But first, I want to keep you safe while running and offer you a giveaway!!
Ready to WIN some great Running Safety Gear!? Along with the Ragnar Race Series, I am giving away a ragnar night running vest and Road ID shoe tag to keep YOU SAFE while running!!
All entrants will also be eligible for other prizes! So be sure to enter this giveaway to join in on all the fun!
The giveaway will close on October 28th at 12:01am.
You must complete the Rafflecopter form below within 48 hrs of this post being published to win. Yes – you read that right – you have until October 28th, 2012 at 12:01 am to enter.
ALL entries collected from the Ragnar Swagnar Relay Giveaway will be entered to win bonus prizes, so be sure to enter the giveaway of the 12 great participating blogs!
Now that you have read this blog and entered the contest, be sure to visit Stephanie at her blog Fit Mom In Training. I’ll be passing the virtual relay baton to her on October 27th. Check out her blog for your chance to win the next prize in the Ragnar Swagnar Relay!
I try to always run with a buddy or at least tell someone where I’m going. I don’t usually run at night, and I like to go in well traveled areas!
Love love love ragnar! And I’m so in need of some safety gear. Especially as winter gets closer and closer. I always take a head lamp but my current beat is Si uncomfortable that I usually leave it at home.
I would love to say that I wear a headlamp and reflective gear when running at night, but I would be lying. I do, however, always make sure to tell someone where I am running and always carry my phone. When I was training for MCM, my poor husband actually followed me around the neighborhood in the car to make sure that I was safe while fitting in those extremely long runs. Needless to say, I could use some new safety gear!
I map my run the night before and always make sure someone knows where I am going
I always run with my phone in case of emergency. When I run in the dark I always run with our German Shepherd. I love how well I can still hear the things surrounding me when listening to music with my yurbuds. They’re awesome!!
To be honest, I could probably do better at safety. But for now I just got a headlamp and I stick to roads with sidewalks and streetlights. I live in a tiny town so I end up running back and forth through “downtown” a lot but I’d rather be the weirdo than run someplace less safe.
I use knuckle lights when its dark in the AM great tips!
I run without headphones. I also do a lot of running on a bike path. I have started getting better about carrying some sort of id or a cell phone.
Great tips! If I run at night, I will definitely keep these in mind.
I don’t usually run in the dark but I would if I won this vest. If it is early morning or dusk, I don’t bring my music. I want to hear everything around me
I try and keep safe running practices all the time. bright colors. don’t run with music. and run with friends. but this stuff will help for other times!
Great tips. I run in a rural area and running in the dark in the mornings is typical this time of year. My safety tip for road running is to run were you can see traffic coming towards you. This way you can react to the cars movement or lack there of, if the driver chooses not to give you space.
I run with my 2 dogs for safety, although I should probably carry ID in case I got hurt…
i stay safe by running with a whistle, some running pepper spray, and my iphone flashlight app always on. there are reflectors on my camelbak also.
I wear my husbands old Army PT reflective sash!
I run with reflective gear/neon colors and always tell someone where I’m running/how far so they know when to expect me back.
I stay safe by telling someone my route, running on lighted streets and looking out for cars
I usually always run with a group or buddy. I also always carry my pepper spray, just in case. Hopefully, I will never have to use it.
I am new to running. This will be my first winter to run. I am in desperate need of safety wear!!
I carry my phone and my husband knows my route – but we have the find my iphone gps locator.
I stay safe by running with friends, telling my husband my whereabouts, mileage and approx time, I also enable the GPS on my phone.
I run with friends in familiar areas!
I always wear a RoadID when I run. Lately I make sure to also have my phone with me as well as my pepper spray (more for protection against an animal than a human in my mind). I’m a single gal, so I admit that someone doesn’t always know where I’m going though.
I run at night with a very, very, very cool headlamp. Ok, I look silly. But I can see what’s in front of me, and help others see me!
I stay safe while running by not using the same route every day, wearing bright colors, and keeping on roads with street lights at night – only “safe” ones though.
Awesome website you have here
I always run in the parts of my neighborhood that has the best lighting, the widest sidewalks, and the most houses. And I always wear my ugly ugly reflective vest. I may look horrific, but you can definitely see me.
I am a volunteer with our count parks as a a trail watch volunteer… we help the rangers keep an eye on the trails… One of the benefits is this nice bright green vest and hat that makes sure everyone can see me… best safety feature ever lol
county not count
Hi Kristina! Did you receive your Ragnar Night Running Vest?
Great tips for running safety and so very important! I run at night rather often and always wear a headlamp, carry a cell phone, and often with a buddy (my hubby).
I never run after dark, I run only in my own neighborhood, I carry pepper spray and my cell phone with me at all times, and I have my ID bracelet securely on my arm!
These are great tips! I try not to run when it’s totally dark out, but this time of year, I usually end up running when it’s dusk. I always carry my phone with me and tell my husband where I’m going and to look for me if I’m not back by a certain time, too!
I like to run with a headlamp and flashing tail light similar to what is required for Ragnar. Nothing wrong with being overly cautious!
Great Tips Rachel!!
I also try to make eye contact with drivers to make sure they see me too. I do have some Knuckle Lights, but am not a fan of running alone at dark…gives me the heebie jeebies. 🙂 So I grab a friend and we head to the track for our 5:30am runs…not only can we run at our own pace, but we can also squeeze in speed work if we need to and still keep tabs on each other since we’re never more than a 1/4 mile away.
I tell someone my route and expected time back. I always have ID on me. I only wear one earphone at a time. I stay in well-light, high traffic areas.
I stay safe while running by wearing my reflective vest and LED light:)
Safety is of utmost importance to me when running. I bring pepper spray, wear reflective clothing, and try to run with a friend whenever possible. It can be scary out there for women these days, so I like to follow the Boy Scouts motto of “always be prepared”.
Great tips!
Did you mention carry a cellphone? Maybe I missed it, or maybe it’s just taken for granted, but lots of folks like myself don’t “need” the cell phones because they have iPod Nano or something. Whatever, the ability to call home or 911 is essential. But I need to get a Road ID bracelet and some pepper spray too.
I try and always run in the light and now that it’s dark I go to the gym. My hubby always know where I’m going outdoors and I try not to always go the same way/same time etc.
I love to run in the evening when it is cooler in Florida but if a friend can’t go with me I shit my running to the cooler morning when it is still cool but brighter out.
***Shift! I shift my running to the cooler morning. Typo… Sorry!
I think this is such a great idea! Hope I win!!!!!
I stay safe by running with a buddy, wearing reflective clothing and telling people what path I am going and how long I will be gone.
I always take my phone with me and at night I run with a buddy! safety in numbers!
Thanks for the safety tips. I was recently told of a great trail run. Before running it, I drove to the spot where the trail starts and then drove to where it comes out. I looked beautiful, but very secluded. I did part of that trail one time (with my mace in hand) and felt nervous the entire run. Although it was beautiful, I won’t do it again alone. Luckily I was safe, but I should have listened to my first instinct that said “not alone”. Safety first!!!
I just found your blog, and love it.
When I run after dark I either run with a friend or with my dog. I try to remember to wear a headlamp as well.
When running at night I try to always run with a friend or with my dog.
I just run to run. I’ve never really stopped and thought about safety pro cautions. I just get up and go and time usually isn’t on my side, it would defiantly take me sometime getting used to all the extra little gadgets to bring with me on a run. Im not invincible by any means, so maybe I should give it a little thought. It’s never to early to start I guess.
Great tips!
I’d love that vest! I prefer to run at dusk and my family always worries. Maybe this would help calm their fears?
I don’t run at night, but I do make sure my husband knows what route I am going to run on and I have an ID bracelet as well.
Safety is key! I live in a relatively safe neighborhood, but even so I am very careful. My other favorite safety tip is running opposite traffic. Running on asphalt agrees much better with me than concrete. I get some funny looks from drivers, but I am always aware of who is coming towards me and I can move if I feel like they don’t see me. Sometimes, on my early morning runs, I find myself running practically in the middle of the street!! (when no cars are around of course)
I try to run with my dog if I am running at night, a big black lab scares anyone away!
Great ideas. Sometimes we forget about these things. Great reminder
I have only ran at night during my relays but loved it! I stay safe by running with my sister. We live near woods that are open to hunting and have trails so we are always on the look-out for vests and bright colored clothes.
I run with a partner (my sister). We run on trails mostly where it is hunting season so we are always on the hunt for vests and bright colored clothes.
I run at night a lot. So I try to wear bright colors as much as possible. I also make sure to always tell a family member my estimated route. Although it varies sometimes, it is usually around the same. I also keep my phone on me at all times!
I stay safe by wearing the brightest gear I can find, and I run the roads facing traffic. When I’m in the woods, I pay attention to my surroundings and try to judge any oncomers appropriately.
Perfect timing! I’m thinking about hauling my butt outta bed early to run which means I need some new safety gear!
Great advice. I tend to forget about safety measures since I run mostly in familiar places. A much needed reminder.
I run at night and I carry a headlamp and try not to wear dark clothing! Luckily a lot of my running shirts are bright colors!
My BRF and I run at 5:30 am. It’s middle of the night dark at that time and we both wear headlamps and reflective gear. Can’t have too much safety gear!
The when I run at night I wear a head lamp and as I approach a car coming towards me I make sure to flash my hand in front of the light just incase the driver is distracted
I don’t usually run at night, but now that it is getting dark earlier, I will probably be out as it is getting darker. I always take my cell phone and tell my husband when I should be back.
I like the tip about running with your dog… a run without a dog just isn’t the same 😉