In a recent episode of the Keep It Cleaner (KIC) podcast, fitness influencer and co-founder Laura Henshaw opened up about a terrifying experience that’s all too familiar for many women who love to run.
“The other day early in the morning I was running and a car slowed down and drove next to me before driving away and then turning back around to where I was. My heart dropped and I sprinted,” she wrote in an Instagram caption.
Laura, who is getting ready for the New York marathon shared her struggle of balancing safety with the desire to train. “One of the hardest things about training for a marathon, as a woman, is safety,” she explained in the podcast clip.
As her runs got longer, she found herself torn between the monotony of familiar paths and the risks associated with trying something new.
“How will I know how to get myself to a busy road if I feel unsafe?”
Timing also plays a crucial role in her running routine. “Trying to fit the two to three-hour training runs in around work, but not too early or too late as there won’t be enough people on the track to feel safe.”
Laura vividly described the anxiety that can arise during these moments: “The feeling in your stomach sinking as you realise a car is slowing down on the road that you’re running alone on.”
It’s no surprise that many women wish they could run without constantly being on high alert.
“This feeling is real. I run with one headphone off my ear in fear of being attacked from behind. I don’t run before sunrise or after sunset and will only run where I know a lot of people will be,” commented one Instagram user.
Another user added, “I’ve been followed many times running and even when driving home from the Tan, the gym … it’s crazy the mental load that goes along with being a female and staying safe day to day.”
Unfortunately, it’s not the first time KIC has addressed the issue of safety whilst running. Six months ago, Laura’s co-host Steph Claire Smith shared on the podcast an experience that left her in tears, when a man in a car started following and intimidating her.
Too often women are left feeling incredibly scared every time they step out the door, and with good reason. An Australian woman is killed every week on average. Earlier this year 51 year old Samantha Murphy went on a run in Ballarat and never returned.
Many women can relate to that sinking feeling in their stomachs when they notice someone watching them or feel the weight of being alone on a quiet street.
Laura’s message is clear: “We should feel safe and comfortable running at any hour, but the reality is we don’t.”
It’s a reality that shouldn’t exist, and it’s so important for us to keep talking about these experiences so we can work toward a world where every woman feels safe and free to run without looking over her shoulder.
Lead Image: Laura Henshaw/ Instagram
The post Laura Henshaw Shares Terrifying Feeling All Too Familiar To Women Who Run: ‘I Feel Unsafe’ appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
