Men don’t have to worry about this.
“A homeless man has been grabbing and sexually harassing female runners on the irrigation ditch trail near Fifth Street in Wenatchee,” the Wenatchee World reported last month. Darn. This is where I like to run.
So I switched to running on the Riverfront Trail. At the riverfront, it’s hard to get into the Zen of running while dodging multiple people and dogs.
For me, running is like dreaming. Thoughts from the day- current conflicts, past heartaches, worries- drift past as if on a conveyor belt. It feels like I’m flying. By the time I get home, I feel mentally rinsed out. Filled with endorphins, I feel happy and relaxed.
“Don’t you know how to stroll?” a man asked. I laughed. “I want to get aerobic exercise,” I replied. “Speed up.” Walking alone I irresistibly break into a jog. Have been a runner since age 22.
Yesterday dense fog lifted and the sun came out. The temperature rose from 30 to 50 degrees.
“Must get outside,” I thought, delighted. Lacing up my running shoes, I decided to brave the irrigation ditch trail. “It’s been too cold for the homeless man to hang around,” I thought.
Running, I came upon a homeless man sitting beside the trail with a large daypack. He looked at me. There was no one else around.
“Oh, no!” I thought anxiously. “Wish I had my phone.” Increasing my speed, I raced past the homeless man, sprinting until well past him. Unfortunately, I had to pass him again on the return trip.
While running, a smartphone bounces in my chest pocket. It’s uncomfortable and heavy. I know I should carry it when running alone. But I resist.
Photo: Age 25, stretching before shouldering my 40-pound backpack. Olympic Mountains, WA. I still stretch like this after running.
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4 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Yeah, real tired of this shit that men don't really need to be worried about.
silverotter11
Level 9
Apr 1, 2024
5
I have a small lightweight belly/fanny pack that I tighten around my waist just big enough to fit my phone and my key fob, and some cash if I feel I'll need it on my exercise walk. While I don't run anymore, it's comfortable enough to jog wearing it.
I carry my phone with me, not out of fear, since I live in a very safe community, but out of convenience. It's my clock, phone, calendar, notepad, and much much more, for people and things I see along my way.
Women of all ages need to keep their wits about them and be aware of their surroundings in questionable areas, for sure.
When I was about 40 years old, jogging in my neighborhood in Edmonds, WA, I had quite a scare by 2 men in a white car asking me to stop, they had a question. I had a bad feeling, so I hot tailed it back home, quick as I could. I told my husband about it and he said, "Nobody is going to be after you at your age!" Later that day, the news reported a woman, slightly older than me, was sexually attacked 30 minutes after my encounter on the very same street.
Julie808
Level 8
Apr 1, 2024
4
Be a good neighbor; carry a tear gas or other non-lethal gun. It may be smaller than a phone.
yvilletom
Level 8
Mar 31, 2024
3
I will NEVER buy a gun.
I have a capsaicin (pepper) spray that straps to my wrist.
I will keep it beside my keys so I take it on runs. Thanks for reminding me.
Please always carry your cell phone, you don't know when you'll need it. I have used mine to report fires or other trouble far more than I have used it in my own emergencies, BUT you just never know. The Boy Scout thing, y'know. Be prepared!
HippieChick58
Level 9
Mar 31, 2024
8
@HippieChuck
My smart phone does not fit in my hiking pants pockets.
I tried enlarging a side pocket to fit the smart phone. But with every step, the damn phone swings and bangs against my knee. It's intolerable.
I refuse to carry a phone in my hand. I use hiking poles.
@LiterateHiker There is a device where can put a phone into and it is attached to your arm.
What @Jolanta said! Google phone holders for hiking, there are hundreds out there.
Thank you!
I don't want to strap a phone to my upper arm. That's the only method to carry one that I could find.
I wear size small. My clothes pockets are too small for a smart phone. The damn thing is too heavy and intrusive.
My daughter forced me to buy a smart phone. I only got one for driving directions because I'm directionally impaired.
Most of the time I forget to bring it.
@LiterateHiker Strap it to your leg. 
YOU try running with a phone strapped to your leg.
It would slide down and bang and hurt my ankle with every step.
@LiterateHiker My sense of direction isn't great, I have a flip phone for emergencies and I've had a AAA membership since I first started driving. I keep paper maps in my car. I LOVE paper maps. They give me the big view of where I am and need to go.
As to the running thing, pepper spray is great but a phone of some sort really is necessary
I love paper maps, too.
@LiterateHiker It's a joke.
Thanks for the clarification.
I never hike alone. Everyone else carries their smart phone. I carry a digital camera strapped across my chest (see photo).
With high exertion, I sweat heavily which then freezes. I change into a dry shirt and jacket at the top in winter. I start out wearing a jacket and take it off when I warm up.
This means I'd be unstrapping my phone on-and-off as I change clothes. It's too much trouble. Often I gobble lunch and skip drinking hot tea because I burned 10 minutes changing into dry clothes.
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