Shut up + Run (Safe)

This week’s humpday blog lovin’ goes out to a lady I admire for several reasons:

1. She’s not afraid to fart in public (and blame it on the nearest guilty-looking party).
2. She is blunt and blatently honest about just about anything and everything.
3. But most of all — she is a HUGE advocate for running safety.

Beth, from Shut up + Run, lost her cousin Sherry to a tragic running accident earlier this year.

I started reading her blog sometime this summer after reading her brief bio on twitter, which reads: “Stop your bitching and shut up and run!. Crude. Runner. Mom. Blogger. Yogi. Triathlete. Writer. Farter. Wine-o. Wife. Three legged dog owner.”

I tweeted at her and said that she *might* be my soul mate. She tweeted back and asked if I enjoyed a good fart (for those who don’t know me, the answer is a resounding yes).

Anywho, I started reading her blog, and one of the first things I noticed was her post about another running tragedy (after Sherry’s) and some really great safety tips (that even non-runners can follow).

I wanted to pin the article and share it around social media, but she didn’t have an image on her post. So I contacted her via e-mail and asked if it would be okay if I sent her some images.

Four months later, I finally got around to making the images. And now I’m sharing them with you, so you can share them, and together we can hopefully educate others on how to be super-safe runners (and walkers) and avoid tragic incidents like Sherry’s.

And for the record, yes, women ARE more likely to be attacked. I’m not being sexist, it’s just statistics. It doesn’t matter how badass and buff you are, you never know if the attacker is carrying a weapon, and if a particularly sneaky one immobilizes you before you can break out your guns, it’s all over.

I’m on the fence about predictability of routes. I like to have a few regular routes so if I do go missing, my friends know where to find me. But definitely don’t run the same route at the same time every day. That’s not even good for your body — it gets used to it, and you only use those muscles to run, likely weakening one side of your body.

Pepper spray with dye helps police identify a perp if he or she happens to run off.

Also, note that pepper spray is handy for dog attacks. As a small lady, I am constantly bombarded by dogs off leashes, and you can never tell if a dog is vicious or not. I love dogs, and I love MY dog, so I keep him on a leash. Rule of thumb: If your dog is bigger than a small child, it definitely should be leashed. And if a dog is barreling up to me, I’m either going to run faster, or pepper spray it. I feel bad for the dog, but seriously people, use common sense and common courtesy.

Have any tips to add to Beth’s list?

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