1. Listen to music at a reasonable volume
When people run, they tend to blast the music to get an extra kick out of their session. Listening to your favorite tune is fun, especially as you can synchronize your pace to the rhythm of the beat and feel like you are almost flying (no exaggeration?). BUT, it can also get you in trouble. If the volume is too loud, it makes it harder for you to hear what is going on around you in terms of traffic for one but also in terms of a potential treat. Make sure you can react fast by turning the volume to a reasonable level!
2. Carry a personal safety alarm
Carrying things can be annoying when running but some of them are necessary. As more and more attacks on female runners are being reported, gear yourself with a portable personal safety alarm that can easily attach to your clothes or on your keyset (Did you say defendme? ?). This kind of tool will come handy in case of unwanted attention and equipped with a loud siren, they will scare off a potential attacker. As we say at resqme, “be heard, stay safe!”.
3. Be aware of your surroundings
It is probably best not to go for your run too late at night, so you can have maximum visibility on what is going on around you. Always remember to dedicate enough attention to the people around you so you can spot quickly if someone has ill intentions and if you need to ask for help to bystanders.
4. Tell your family/significant others where you plan to run
Always good to tell your family or friends which path you are going to take and how long your run usually lasts. This way your loved ones will make sure to react fast, should something unusual occur. There is also a variety of apps out there that will allow them to track your run in real time, check-in on you and make sure you are safe.
5. Enjoy your run
Of course, it is important to be careful and plan for a potential emergency but don’t forget to enjoy your run without worrying constantly! Take some time to appreciate the beauty of the landscape and the shining sun (if like us, you live in beautiful Santa Barbara, although we are aware that sun is not exclusive to our city ?) and get the most out of your session. You got this!
Bonus: if you want to kick butt during training, here is the resqme team running playlist that will guarantee motivation, performance, outstanding results and a beach bod (OK maybe not): https://bit.ly/2TAh7t2
