Need help getting over my fear to run. (Read 1249 times)

I just moved into a new house, which is great, but I am scared to go running in the new neighborhood. (It's not really a neighborhood, because it's out in the country.) I found a great route that goes through some nice rolling country with farms all around. The problem is I'm scared to go. I'm scared of dogs, or getting run over or someone throwing something at me from a car. How do I get over this? I used to run in the country all the time and never had an incident. I used to run through neighborhoods in a different state and never had anything bad happen. But I got used to running around a school, pushing my DS so there were no cars or dogs,and now I scared to get back on the road. The school is a little to far to drive to now for running, unless I am taking DS with me. But I really want to run from my new house. How do I get past this fear? Anybody been scared to run a new route? I plan to take my cell phone and pepper spray, but that's not really lessening my fear. Thanks for any advice.

I think Turbo's right. The best way to conquer a fear like this is to just face it. Deep breath, and out onto the road with you! You can do it!

I ran a new 4 mile route last year near my house, but I was concerned about dogs. I drove it by car first and then I rode it a couple of times on my bicycle to check it out more - it was okay. It's one of my favorite routes now.

Try running it with someone else, at first.

...and run *against* traffic. Can't stress this enough.

This happened to me!!!!! It's very different, and it takes a lot of getting used to. I hated it at first. I still fear it from time to time. The thing I hate most, is feeling like I'm gonna get hit. I run with id, pepper spray, cell phone, etc. I let someone know what route I'm planning to take. If I change plans, I call. I will NOT do a long run, when my husband is not home. You have to be very careful, alert, etc. Do not use an IPod. My outside runs now, are filled with wildlife sightings, and I have made some new friends with some horses. There are many great adventures to be had running in the country. Try to keep an open mind. I somtimes enjoy my run so much more because of it. Email me if you'd like to talk more about it. anyaharris@comcast.net Good luck

You really just gotta get out there and do it. The more time you spend thinking about it the more time you will lose from your running, and the bigger the monsters you create in your head. I used to only run around my town here locally because I'll admit I had some small fears, however, now the only places I will run are out on the back roads. I love,love, love it! It's quiet, I get a better run due to the rolling hills and I get to look at and enjoy the farmlands. Just.Do.It.!!

I have been hit by a car, I have been bit, and I have had things thrown at me (the worst thing thrown at me was a full beer can, although I was riding a bike and not running.) It really isn't that big of a deal and most of it can be prevented fairly easily. I'm not going to cut & paste everything into this thread, you can easily search these forums for things that I've reiterated or written on here. I'll link to some articles that I've written on the subjects though: 1. How I avoid getting hit by a car (again) - includes 7 steps I almost always take when I head out the door. Haven't been hit since. 2. What side of the road should you work out on? - Basically, against traffic as a pedestrian, with traffic otherwise is the simple rule of thumb. Be aware that you probably have a legal obligation to do that. 3. Running in the dark - not something that you are likely to do right now, but most of the tips for running in the dark can be used during daylight hours as well - a blinking light might not work quite as well in the day time but it can still draw attention to you. 4. What to do when a dog wants to chase you - What I do when a dog chases me, as well as some advice from others that I don't necessarily do but might still work. 5. Track vs Treadmill : What's the difference? - This will give you a bit of an idea of what you can expect when you start running outside compared to running on a treadmill. The quickest advice I could give you has already been stated, HTFU and do it, find a running partner, and be both predictable and visible to traffic.