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I run alone most of the time. It is not my best choice. However, It is almost impossible to find a running partner who has about the same training schedule as yours, run about the same mileage and at about the same pace, at any given day and train at about the same time of the day as yours. So to simplify already tough task, I usually run solo.
Before May last year I did not run much, let alone outdoors. At that time, as a non-runner, I thought some of the women runners who got attacked at wee hours were partially responsible themselves. Why did they run by themselves at a time when no one was around in the trails or park? Isnt that was not a safe thing to do?
Little did I know that how heat can affect you, your body and your running and how difficult in time management to squeeze in a 20 miler training into your day.
It took me about two month to get used to running outdoors. At the beginning, I ran with a friend who runs only outdoors. I worried about the bees, dogs and snakes. I slowly learned to enjoy running outdoors. Then, when my partner got an injury, I started to run by myself. My town is rather quiet and peaceful but not completely free of violent crimes though. So I have some concerns. When weather is good, I go out at a time there are many walkers in the park. It is pretty pleasant and safe to run. It is when it gets hot or cold. It becomes more difficult.
When it was cold, at around 30F, there would hardly any soul in the park. One afternoon, I got nipped on my thigh by a dog that owner was nervously tried to control. On the same day and path, another owner nervously tried to put leach back on her dog. I talked to park workers and walkers about this. The consensus was that owners walked their untrained dogs in the inclement weather when most people stay home and the park almost empty. Since then, I carried the cell phone with me while running alone in a bad weather. All my long run training experience was in summer last year. Many times, I got up at 4pm to get ready for daybreak to go for a long run in order to avoid the heat. I usually had someone to wait for me with drinks and food at certain spot. I was supposed to make a run back to the spot in about 1 hour. I got some sense of safety this way. I also understand why runners go out at wee hours.
I heard that whistle is a good thing to carry. I ordered one but misplaced it somewhere in the house.
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