Miles run by our community: 23,816

Am I paranoid...?

As a beginner, I'm not sure what is reasonable or paranoid. I tend towards paranoid so I would love to hear some rational thoughts on this. I'm wondering if I should: 1) carry mace or pepper spray for dogs and, yeah, any two-legged predators as well 2) wear reflective clothing (smart or dorky?) 3) constantly change my routes to avoid stalkers? These are things I hear about but do most women runners really take these precautions?

Currently 0.0/5 Stars.

Tags: mace, pepper spray, reflective clothing, precautions

Posted by: Roadrunner on Mar 14, 2008 | Comments: 2 | Visits: 471 | Posted in: Spirit, Gear

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Good to know. My theory has always been that I'll never say, "Gee, I wish I hadn't been so careful!" so I do like to play things safe. Still, I always wonder if I'm "normal" so thanks!

Posted by: Roadrunner on Mar 15, 2008 at 10:46 AM

Your're not being paranoid - only prepared. I can only tell you how I feel about it. I have been road-running and trail running for over 15 years in both city and rural settings. In that time I have never been chased by a dog (do coyotes count?) and only once approached to the point of feeling threatened by a male "runner." (In the end nothing happened - I was faster). Definitely NEVER run the same route two or three days in a row and absolutely wear reflective and/or easy to see clothing. Also, ALWAYS wear id on your person (I use a shoe pocket) and include on your id if you have any medical conditions. Smart women run smart!

Posted by: bmoore on Mar 14, 2008 at 09:51 PM