Running Safe – Check Your Route

Hello! Welcome to Runner Safety Week on Run Eat Repeat! Check out the first hot topic below – Your Running Route.

I couldn’t sleep last night. For some reason I fell asleep around 10:30pm but woke up wide awake at 2am! Wide.Awake.

I tried a guided meditation for insomnia, but that didn’t help. After 30 minutes of just laying there frustrated I got up, had some tea and read.

I finally started to fall asleep again around 4am and got in another 2 hours.

When I woke up I got ready to run and decided to drive  somewhere I don’t usually run during the week.

I switched it up because today’s safety topic is checking WHERE YOU RUN.

Vegas got up with me so we’re pretty tired today! I would love to take a nap, but they always leave me feeling weird.

Welcome to day 1 of Runner Safety Week

Monday through Friday this week I’m going to ask you to think about what you are doing to be safe while running. This isn’t just a list of random suggestions – STOP what you are doing and really think about it. Your life could depend on it.

You might be doing something risky right now that you don’t even realize is unsafe or putting you in harm’s way. Your best friend, girlfriend, mom, co-worker might be making a major mistake that is not safe. Spread the word by sharing this post or just talking about these suggestions with other runners.

I don’t want to get hurt. I don’t want you to get hurt.

I am challenging you to participate in Runner Safety Week by answering a few questions (to yourself or in the comments) to check in with your running routine. We can’t control everything that goes on in the world, but we can make choices that help keep us safer.

Take 5 minutes each day this week to make sure you are making good, safe choices when you run. So many of us are just in the habit of running – we don’t really think about where, how, why, who … anymore.

Think about your running route and answer the following questions to yourself. Make changes as needed to make sure your habits are not super predictable, make you vulnerable or unsafe.

1. Check your running route.

Where did you run today?

Did you run that same route yesterday? Earlier this week?

Do you run this route the same day/time every week?

Is this a well lit route with other runners and walkers? Is it desolate?

How many people did you see while running? Did they see you?

If you are running the same place at the same time every day you need to change up your route.

Can you run somewhere new or at a different time that is safe tomorrow?

How can you change up your running routine to make it safer?

Me: I run my usual route near my place probably about 92% of the time. It’s not just convenient, I really like it! It’s more trouble to go somewhere else to run and kind of is a bummer since I like the paths outside my door. But I changed it up today in order to try something new and get out of my routine.

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