I had just sat down in my car after a workout with Stroller Warriors when I received a message from a SW friend about Eliza Fletcher— we were completely devastated. This news struck a chord— we are moms and runners, and horrific tragedies like this affirm the reality that what happened to Eliza can happen to us. Eliza was doing what so many of us do— running in the early morning hours to beat the heat, running before the morning routine gets rolling for our families, running before work, etc.
After a small chat with Kelly- the SW fearless leader- she shared her SW blog piece about a terrifying incident that occurred in the past while she ran, and useful tips on ways to stay safe. I urge everyone to take a moment to read her blog piece:
https://www.strollerwarriors.com/blog/attempted-abduction
Below are a few tips I want to emphasize from Kelly’s advice:
Run with friends
There is safety in numbers! Many SW members are training for races and need to schedule a time or day for a long(er) run. Some members add miles during the scheduled workouts days. Please let your workout leader know and we can keep an eye out for your return!
Running with friends is a reason to use the monthly discussion board organized by each chapter. Find a running partner so that you are not running alone during those long runs.
If there is not a SW chapter at your duty station, I highly recommend looking into a running group in your local area— RWB, November Project, to name a few. Athletic stores, like Lululemon or Nike, sometimes offer weekend running groups.
Take a self-defense class
Even better with your SW friends and with your SW chapter! I have seen several chapters organize a self-defense class for their chapter. This is a proactive way to bolster the safety of your running crew.
Bring your cell phone
Take things to the next level by setting up your emergency contact in your phone and on your watch. My iPhone is on the lock mode and is difficult press the numbers with sweaty hands; however, when I press the lock button- consecutively and swiftly- on the right side of my iPhone, I can immediately notify my medical emergency contacts or send out an SOS.
Furthermore, your running watch is a great safety tool. I have my Garmin set up to contact my emergency contacts when I make an abrupt stop— the incident detection function. The function is sensitive and will vibrate the wrist when triggered.
After a small chat with Kelly- the SW fearless leader- she shared her SW blog piece about a terrifying incident that occurred in the past while she ran, and useful tips on ways to stay safe. I urge everyone to take a moment to read her blog piece:
https://www.strollerwarriors.com/blog/attempted-abduction
Below are a few tips I want to emphasize from Kelly’s advice:
Run with friends
There is safety in numbers! Many SW members are training for races and need to schedule a time or day for a long(er) run. Some members add miles during the scheduled workouts days. Please let your workout leader know and we can keep an eye out for your return!
Running with friends is a reason to use the monthly discussion board organized by each chapter. Find a running partner so that you are not running alone during those long runs.
If there is not a SW chapter at your duty station, I highly recommend looking into a running group in your local area— RWB, November Project, to name a few. Athletic stores, like Lululemon or Nike, sometimes offer weekend running groups.
Take a self-defense class
Even better with your SW friends and with your SW chapter! I have seen several chapters organize a self-defense class for their chapter. This is a proactive way to bolster the safety of your running crew.
Bring your cell phone
Take things to the next level by setting up your emergency contact in your phone and on your watch. My iPhone is on the lock mode and is difficult press the numbers with sweaty hands; however, when I press the lock button- consecutively and swiftly- on the right side of my iPhone, I can immediately notify my medical emergency contacts or send out an SOS.
Furthermore, your running watch is a great safety tool. I have my Garmin set up to contact my emergency contacts when I make an abrupt stop— the incident detection function. The function is sensitive and will vibrate the wrist when triggered.
This is what the emergency contact screen will look like when the right bar button is swiftly pressed 5 times consecutively.
Run with personal defense tools
I take my dog when I am not running with SW friends or my husband. He is sweet to everyone who is kind to us, but when he senses danger, he sends a deep and echoing bark, takes a defensive stance, and he is ready to defend
I take my dog when I am not running with SW friends or my husband. He is sweet to everyone who is kind to us, but when he senses danger, he sends a deep and echoing bark, takes a defensive stance, and he is ready to defend
My running companion!
Tell someone where you are going and when you plan to come back
At a previous duty-station, I ran with my “Elsewhere” crew, with most of us leaving from different areas of the neighborhood, picking each other up along the way and the whole group joining at a central location. One friend would text, “shoes” to let us know that she was leaving her house. The rest of us would time our departure based on her text. If we did not pick up a friend along the route, we would stop to send a text to check-in. This is a great way to ensure accountability for everyone’s safety when leaving from different locations at different times.
My husband always knew when I was leaving— he would wake up with me (if not already awake), make coffee, and wait for me to come home.
When out on a run this weekend, please take a moment to remember Eliza— pound the pavement in her memory. Please remember to reach out to your Stroller Warriors community.
-Rose
At a previous duty-station, I ran with my “Elsewhere” crew, with most of us leaving from different areas of the neighborhood, picking each other up along the way and the whole group joining at a central location. One friend would text, “shoes” to let us know that she was leaving her house. The rest of us would time our departure based on her text. If we did not pick up a friend along the route, we would stop to send a text to check-in. This is a great way to ensure accountability for everyone’s safety when leaving from different locations at different times.
My husband always knew when I was leaving— he would wake up with me (if not already awake), make coffee, and wait for me to come home.
When out on a run this weekend, please take a moment to remember Eliza— pound the pavement in her memory. Please remember to reach out to your Stroller Warriors community.
-Rose
RSS Feed