Risks While Running: When Is It Too Unsafe?
A peaceful run last week overlooking Lago Nahuel Huapi in the Patagonia lake district of Argentina.
Staying safe while running is always an issue, but as Morgan and I find ourselves running in some rather far-flung places during our year abroad, safety has become a top concern. Two days ago, for instance, we left the kids in our cabaña and went to run a remote dirt road above the town of Bariloche, Argentina, in the Andean range of Patagonia. Our picture-perfect run suddenly turned threatening, and tense moments ensued. We were running through fresh spring snow (remember, it’s spring down here!) overlooking a lake, and the jagged snow-capped mountains jutted up in front of us. We had taken the following precautions before heading out:
Morgan on the remote road we ran above Bariloche a couple of days ago.
- running with an IPhone that has a GPS to track our whereabouts
- running with shoe tag IDs with info for emergency responders
- not running with headphones, to keep an ear out for cars and anything/anyone threatening (though Morgan listened to his IPod part of the time, when we were together and away from cars)
- running together
- informing our kids (ages 11 and 8, and the 11-year-old has had “safe sitter” babysitting training) of where we’re going and when we’ll be back, and giving them instructions on how to call the hotel’s front desk if they need help and can’t reach us on our cell
- instructing our kids to stay inside, doors locked, and giving them safe activities to do while we’re gone
- mapping out our run ahead of time
- carrying extra water and gels
- dressing in layers in case of unexpected weather
We noticed as we started up the road that several luxury homes had scary-looking dogs roaming the property, and the dogs would bound up to the fence line and bark as we ran by. Big dogs are everywhere in Argentina — many seem collectively owned and wander from house to house, and most seem harmless — but here in the ski town of Bariloche, a frightful number of square-jawed attack dogs are mixed in with the sweet-tempered Labrador mixes. We guess that homeowners use the dogs to help protect upscale vacation properties during the unoccupied off season.
I ran ahead of Morgan up the long hill climb, but I kept circling back so we were never too separated. We were nearing the top of the mountain, and I was a couple hundred meters ahead, when I glanced back and saw that an over-sized, broad-chested Rottweiler had bounded into the road and was now in between Morgan and me. The dog wasn’t exactly chasing Morgan, but he was trotting alongside him, barking, with his big-jawed head turned toward Morgan. Morgan slowed to a walk.
The road right before we met the dogs.
And then, behind Morgan, a second fierce-looking Rottweiler appeared and started to bound up. Morgan stopped, and the two dogs also stopped briefly. They appeared to be working in a team, and Morgan was in the middle. We must have crossed onto private property (though there were no fences, no no-trespassing signs), because these looked like guard dogs ready to do their job.
I’m a dog person and know how to read dogs’ body language. And I know about Rottweilers because I had a friend who used to breed and show them, and she’d tell me about all the attack-dog things they’re capable of if they’re trained a certain way — like if you reach for something in your pocket, they might leap on you, knock you down, and attack your arm and neck.
I walked to rejoin Morgan and spoke to him and to the dogs in a feigned sing-song happy voice. “So what do you say we walk casually back, slowly, with no sudden movements? Nice dogs!”
Morgan answered, “Yes, good doggies! Remember, don’t run. Don’t make eye contact. Let’s just have a nice walk.”
We exchanged more pleasantries in a happy voice. The dogs were standing still, assessing the situation. In my peripheral vision I could tell they looked ready to spring, but I avoided looking at them directly while in my mind I pictured them bounding forward, rising off their haunches … and I thought about dog bites and jugular veins and blood. I wanted to run but knew not to provoke a chase.
We began strolling down the hill, ever so casually, while the cagey dogs walked around just a few yards away, and I said, “So this is interesting, isn’t it? Isn’t it beautiful out here? Good dogs, cute dogs … la-la-la … happy sounds, right?” And Morgan responded with something such as, “Yes, good doggies, and remember to keep your hands in sight, no sudden movements.”
A stock image of what Rottweilers can be trained to do.
Slowly, carefully, a wider space opened between the dogs and us. I wanted to turn back to get a last look at them, but didn’t; I knew they were watching our backs. It was the most vulnerable I’ve felt in quite a long time, and as we carefully walked, a panoply of “what-if” scenarios ran through my mind: of one or both of us mauled, of our kids abandoned back at the cabaña … it was all terrible to think about.
We made it back fine. But the haunting experience has me reassessing whether and when it’s too risky to run. We’re going to run no matter what, so the question is, how do we minimize the risks? One might say it’s better to run on well-traveled roads than remote roads and trails, but the crazy drivers and narrow-shouldered roads make the main roads quite risky in terms of getting hit by a car.
And what about leaving the kids — is it safer for Morgan and me to run separately, so one of us is always with the kids, or together, so we can help each other if something happens on the run?
Wild animals and reptiles are my worst nightmare. I don’t fear human assailants very much (because I believe they choose their victims, and they’re more likely to choose an inattentive walker than a strong runner who’s aware of her surroundings); rather, I fear mountain lions, big dogs, snakes and the occasional feral pig. With that in mind, I’m researching pepper spray and would like to begin carrying it, but I have to figure out how to get it shipped to us while we’re traveling abroad.
In the meantime, I’d appreciate advice in the comment field below from other runners about how to minimize the risks while running, and thoughts about when (if ever) it’s okay to leave the kids behind during travel to go out on a run.
On a happier note — I’d like to briefly mention two other things about running abroad: Check out the website RunAbroad.com, which this week features a race I recommended. If you want to spread the word about a favorite race or find a destination marathon, it’s a great site.
Also, here’s a fun video of the Nov. 14 trail marathon, the Salomon K42 in Villa La Angostura (near Bariloche in Argentina), that Morgan and I are training for. We need to get in some hilly trail runs to prepare for this!
Tags: Argentina, Bariloche, marathoning, pepper spray, Rottweilers, Running, running abroad, running safety, Salomon K42, trail running, ultra running, Ultrarunning
October 27th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Even in America I have strong misgivings about leaving children that age alone under the circumstances you described (both parents leave to go running in a new area, trails, isolated). . Just my opinion. Even with the training your daughter had I’m skeptical that your kids would have remained calm and rationale had you both failed to return.
Add to that the circumstances of being in a foreign country and the story becomes even more disturbing, as far as imagining what potentially your kids might have had to deal with.
Running alone with a clear itinerary for the spouse that stayed with the kids would have been far better, in my opinion, when you evaluate the worst case scenarios.
Parents are never perfect. We live and we continue to learn. Every day.
October 27th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Great comment — thanks, Sarah.
I definitely hear your concerns re leaving the kids alone. I should have clarified that we do that only for “short” runs (under 1.5 hrs max) and when the kids are very comfortable with the environment (e.g. they know the people at the front desk of where we’re staying well and have back-ups to call for help), and also early morning when they want to stay in bed and watch TV anyway. When we go out for anything longer, such as a long weekend run for marathon training, we get a babysitter.
But still, it’s horrible to think of what could happen if both of us were hurt and didn’t come back. The fact we’re in a foreign country should have given me more pause. Then again, running solo is dangerous too. I feel much safer running with Morgan. It’s a balancing act.
Also, when traveling, where do you draw the line between never leaving the kids and occasionally going out on a date with your spouse? An hour-long early-morning run with Morgan is arguably safer (even without a babysitter) than the two of us going out to a restaurant at night, given the risks of car accidents, etc.
Ugh, this is all depressing to think about! It’s important to think about, though.
Thanks for reading the blog and commenting.
November 3rd, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Sarah,
Dave has been trying to run and keep in marathom shape here in Kenya. He hates running on pavement and in traffic, so is always looking for a trail. He can safely run around the university campus, which is pretty large and mostly paved, but it’s not his preference. He has been warned by locals not to go out of the campus and if he does, he should not run on a schedule but rather various times and locations. The danger here is from muggers, and the fact that he is easily targeted because he is white in a sea of Africans. Despite all the warnings, he does venture outside the campus and runs along the railroad track or on well-traveled dirt paths that join local communities. Because I don’t run and the girls are in school, leaving them at home during a run isn’t an issue for us. The few times we have gone out at night, we got a babysitter, and we also have neighbors we can rely on. It’s a difficult issue to handle if you need to train in unfamiliar places. My best advice would be to ask the locals what is safest and then follow their suggestions within reason. Fortunately, Dave has never felt threatened while running outside the campus. However, he was not able to train enough to run a marathon that just happened last week (plus I had booked a weekend trip for us).
November 9th, 2009 at 1:20 am
I had a lot of trouble with dogs when traveling around South and Central America. I was bit twice and growled at all the time. I was always very wary until I learned a trick from an 8-year-old boy. He wasn’t afraid the dogs. Any time they came near he would grab a rock and stare ‘em down. Obviously these weren’t Rottweilers, but the trick seems to work with all the strays wandering around town. The locals often shuck rocks at an aggressive dog, so they generally back off when you have one in your hand.