Be Safe

When you finally get to your big event, you will most likely be with a large group of people so the biggest safety issues will most likely be health ones such as avoiding dehydration and avoiding injury. While you are training for the marathon or the 5K, there may some other issues that you need to pay attention to.

Many people train alone and often they go to more isolated areas such as bike/running paths. Where I live some of these paths go through wooded areas which are somewhat secluded. It is always wise to know your surroundings. Be sure that you check what is behind you every once in a while. Be aware of what is ahead also. Some predatory people can be sneaky and try to trick you into believing that they have injured themselves. If you stumble upon that situation, it is best to tell the person that you will go ahead to get help, especially if you feel the situation is a suspicious one. If the injury is real, they will wait because they will realize that you are most likely not equiped to help them. If the person is scamming you, then you are already ahead and are most likely faster than they are. Whatever the situation, I would definately send someone to help, most likely a police officer or an EMS team. If they are no longer there then the police might have a description of the next potential crime perpetrater. Most people are honest but I would still approach strangers with caution while alone.

Another hazard could be animals. If an animal begins to follow you, it is best to ignore them. They can sense fear which can cause them to become afraid. If you keep walking in a calm manner, the animal will not become excited and will most likely continue on with what they were doing.

A lot of people like to exercise to music using a walkman or MP3 player. Make sure that the music is not too loud. You still want to be able to hear what is going on around you. You might not hear a bicycle come up behind you or hear a car on the road if the music is too loud with the headphones on. Again, it is a good idea to be extra cautious about your surroundings when wearing headphones. Check behind you and around so that you know what or who is nearby.

Now that I have scared you into not wanting to train alone, let me tell you that I have walked all over and at all times of the day. I have never encountered any of these problems. I have though, thought about all of these situations while I was walking and I do practice my own advice in being aware of what is in front of me and behind me. I have changed my route a couple of times when I thought that someone ahead seemed a bit suspicious.

This also brings to mind that it is a good idea to change your route often to avoid the situation where a potential stalker gets to know your routine. I have about 5 different routes that I take when I walk and I tend to not do the same one twice in a row.

I think that these are just common sense ideas and they are not meant to scare you but hopefully they will make you aware of potential dangers that could pose a threat. So when you train alone, please be safe.