My wife runs . . . a lot. And I am always concerned for her safety when she is out on the trail doing her thing. So I taught her a few things to keep her safe while she is out burning up the miles on foot.

According to most statistics, running is an inherently safe sport with many long-lasting health benefits. However, because we often run alone at odd hours and sometimes in strange locations we need to be aware of how to protect ourselves. There are many steps you can take to increase your safety and which are also very easy to implement.

Run in well-traveled places and do not go off the beaten path-- everyone knows that, right? Well, here are some additional steps you can take to remain safe.

Act as if You Know--Awareness

Act as if you know what is going on around you. This is the first level of personal protection called awareness. Awareness has the dual benefit of showing any would-be predators that you may not be easy prey and it also allows you to be tuned in to your environment. A scanning of your environment can keep you from saying what so many who have been attacked often say, "it happened so fast" or "I never saw it coming." Ask yourself, what is that person doing, has that car passed you already, are blind spots coming up? This is not paranoia, but fair and legitimate questions to ponder. Which bring me to a cornerstone of awareness--intuition. As Gavin DeBecker says in his monumental book, The Gift of Fear, "intuition is your messenger of safety, which is always in response to something and always has your best interest in mind." Listen to it. If the hair on the back of your neck stands up when someone is asking you for directions; pay attention to it. They may be asking for directions to distract you. Paranoia is different from intuition in that paranoia happens in the mind and does not serve you, while intuition is what you experience on the gut level. Everyone has it and can cultivate it, men included. If you have a nagging feeling, a hunch or gut feeling, pay attention to it because it may be telling you something important.

Start Talking--Defusing and De-escalation

Sometime, regardless of all the precautions and avoidance strategies, a predator may confront you. This is when you want to go to the second level of personal protection--negotiate and communicate with your predator. This means you must stay calm-- even when your adrenaline is telling you otherwise. This is the time to make your fear work for you. Your predator either wants your valuables, to harm you, or something more nefarious. This is the time you need to understand what he wants. Listen to what he is saying; a predator who wants to harm you may not care how much money you are running with. Ask questions--What do you want? Yes, ask this even if hey have already told you what they want. This creates a dialogue with a predator. If he is talking, often time he is not hitting or trying to harm you. He needs to perform his crime quickly and without being seen by possible onlookers. Communicating with him also serves a dual purpose--it can be a distraction to his mind and it can also buy you time to formulate what your next move is.

The most important aspect of personal protection is mindset. Often, because most runners are in great physical condition, there is a tendency to think they can handle most physical confrontations. However, with most assaults and personal crimes, the physical aspect is only about fifteen percent of the crime. The behavioral, psychological, and emotional aspects are about eighty-five percent. As the saying goes, if you do not "get your mind right" first, the physical techniques and tools of self-defense may fail you when you need them most. A proper mindset is by far more important than a physical retaliation or preemption. You must stay psychologically in the moment and do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. You have to train your mind. The good news is that this is something easily learned. Run different "what if" scenarios in your own head. What if someone jumped out at me? What would I do? Where are my potential escape routes? What would I say? Are there improvised weapons I may be able to use?

Getting Physical--Fighting Your Way Out Of It

If your awareness and ability to de-escalate the situation fail you, you may have to get physical--the third level of personal protection. Prior to things getting physical, your predator is likely to give signals that he may launch an attack. What are his eyes, facial expression, tone of voice, and body language communicating to you? It could be the start of a physical attack. If it goes this far, keep in mind that your whole body is a potential weapon and your predator's whole body is also a potential target--with the eyes and throat being the primary targets to end a physical confrontation as soon as possible. The force you use must be equal to the threat you are experiencing. Anything more and you may be considered excessive. Use all of your tools, such as fingers, palms, fists, elbows, and knees to target such areas as the abdomen, legs, eyes, groin, throat, and arms, again with the primary focus being the eyes and throat. If a person cannot breathe, he cannot fight and if he cannot see, the desire to fight is seriously inhibited. End the physical confrontation as soon as possible. The longer you fight with an assailant the greater your chances of being hurt. Your job is not to "beat" your attacker--it is to get home as safely as possible.

Some Final Points

Let me touch briefly on the topics of partners, music, and self- defense weapons. According to a recent study, only six percent of runners run with a partner. Six percent! Are you kidding me? Run, do not walk to the Road Runners Club of America or locate local running groups and get yourself a running partner. There really is strength in numbers.

Now as far as music goes--leave the I-Pod at home. Not only does the gadget present a temptation for petty thieves, it can also distract you from being aware of your surroundings. If you really need the music to keep up your pace or make the time pass more pleasantly, I recommend that you practice moving meditation; becoming one with your running. Use running as a time to clear your mind. I recognize that some I-Pod diehards are not going to do what the "self-defense guy" says, so, if you must listen to music while running, please turn the volume down low so it does not impair your awareness.

Last, I am not a fan of mace, pepper spray, and other "self defense" weapons that many runners carry. The time and coordination it takes to turn the safety mechanism off, accurately aim the unit at your assailant, and press the thing down to actually get it to work is questionable even in low stress situations. The added pressure of a possible attack makes such maneuvers dangerous for you. Find a reality-based self-defense class and enroll.

Running is an inherently safe activity so do continue to run for the enjoyment and wonderful health benefits it provides. Following these simple tips will not only make it safer but actually more enjoyable for you.

About the Author: Glenn Wilson is the founder and Chief instructor of GoldenEye Martial Arts and Self Defense in Silver Spring, MD. He has more than 20 years of experience in personal protection, holds a 2nd degree Black Belt, is a member of the International Combatives Self-Defense Association (ICSDA), is Chair-U.S. Division International Association of Martial Arts Professionals, and is a Certified Affiliate Instructor in Senshido Combative Technologies under Richard Dimitri. He can be reached at (301) 318-7959 for seminars, workshops, and lectures.