Safety After Dark
The kids are back in school, work starts early, every day flies by and hours seem like minutes. If your life is anything like mine it is absolutely crazy!!! Every second of every day is filled with something; the only way I can fit in my exercise routine is SUPER early in the morning.
Personally, I love it. It’s before life has spiraled out of control, before everyone needs 9 million things from me, and before anyone can bother me.
Pre-life runs (that’s what I like to call my morning time) are my absolute favorite!
I get time to think, relax my brain with some good jams, and get my exercise done for the day! However, 4:30 am it is awfully dark; is that really safe to be running around town?
Today beauties, whether you’re an early morning or late evening runner, I’d like to share with you my tips for safely crushing goals in the dark.
Every morning I leave my house sometime before the 5:00 am hour and run to the gym. The VERY first thing I do is text my workout partner “On my way!” This is the first step to arriving alive. First, she knows I’m up and is aware approximately when to expect me. ALWAYS tell someone you are leaving and when to expect you back, that way if you don’t arrive they know something is wrong.
Next, I grab my fully charged flashlight that doubles as a stun gun ☺. Which brings me to my next tip, arm yourself! You never know what people are thinking or when an attacker might appear. ALWAYS BE PREPARED and have a plan.
My three favorite safety tools: stun-gun flashlight, “the Claw,” and pepper spray. The flashlight lights your path so you can see, and is already in your hand in case you need to take quick action. My husband bought me “The Claw” which is a small little contraption that attaches around your wrist that looks quite innocent. However, with a simple squeeze it releases sharp claws to be used as protection. The pepper spray I keep in my fanny pack… just in case.
Essentially, you should never follow the same path. I’m a creature of habit and I love routine, but you want to switch up you route so that you’re not predictable. I have 3 different paths that I follow, depending if I’m feeling like going a little longer, shorter, or somewhere between. Your route should consist mostly of lighted, open paths. For some unknown reason all of the street lights in my neighborhood turn off at 5:15 am. I still make sure to run on the sidewalks on major streets in populated areas.
Furthermore, something that some people may not think about, have a plan for an animal attack!!! Every region is different, but in Florida I’m always on the lookout for not only raccoons, possums, rats and these freaking dog sized toads, but gators, pythons, and vicious ducks the size of people. I find the more light you have, the more likely they are to just run away; and if you come into contact with a larger animal, my step daughter told me to poke them in the eye which should help secure your escape.
Ultimately, we won’t always have the “ideal” situation. I’d love to take an afternoon jog and grab a low key workout, but that is just NOT my life. I get up, I get it done, and I stay alive!