Lone run: staying safe

Hi. I am trying to get back into my running but feeling timid as a good friend recently had a fall and spent many long hours alone and injured on the fells because she didn't have phone reception and her family thought she was visiting someone. Is there an app or forum where one can sign in before setting off on a run and sign out when back? I live alone so won't have anyone waiting for my return, and my nearest family members live some distance away so I wouldn't want to laden them with this responsibility.

Not really,

If driving to the start of the run you could just leave a note on the dashboard saying due back at time X?

Another option,

Google calandar create an appointment that sends an email alert. You could set the alert to an hour or two after your expected return, and if you get back in time you just cancel the appointment. Otherwise it gets sent to somebody that can raise an alert.

Hi Kate...

I can't really help with an app suggestion (i still record my training with pen and paper!)

But i'd just recommend reducing the risks where possible... If you can let someone know, then do so. Carry a phone. You may be able to get a signal if the worst happens. A text can sometimes get though if a phone-call won't (another option for 'signing' in and out), and calls to emergency services usually get through... the one time i had to call 999 on the fells it got straight through. Take a map and compass even if you use a gps.

I personally wouldn't let it stop me from going out into the hills alone. Usually safer than the city streets. In our club we had an incident make the newspaper where a lady member of my club group was followed by a masked man through Coventry, and i had a bit of an 'altercation' with a large group of teenagers one dark night on a club run through the streets.

If driving to the start of the run you could just leave a note on the dashboard saying due back at time X?

Another option,

Google calandar create an appointment that sends an email alert. You could set the alert to an hour or two after your expected return, and if you get back in time you just cancel the appointment. Otherwise it gets sent to somebody that can raise an alert.

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Thank you for these useful suggestions. I live on the fells so usually simply head out from my back door, but will use the dashboard note idea when I drive further afield. And great idea using Google calendar in that way. Thanks again.
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Thank you for these useful suggestions, DrPatrickBarry. I live on the fells so usually simply head out from my back door, but will use the dashboard note idea when I drive further afield. And great idea using Google calendar in that way. Thanks again.
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Thanks for your prompt reply Travs. I agree with all you say, but good to be reminded about map and compass, even when I think I know the local fells so well. And yes; I too feel most safe when on the fells. I just don't want to be a numpty and end up wasting Mount rescue time or create family worries.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Travs

Hi Kate...

I can't really help with an app suggestion (i still record my training with pen and paper!)

But i'd just recommend reducing the risks where possible... If you can let someone know, then do so. Carry a phone. You may be able to get a signal if the worst happens. A text can sometimes get though if a phone-call won't (another option for 'signing' in and out), and calls to emergency services usually get through... the one time i had to call 999 on the fells it got straight through. Take a map and compass even if you use a gps.

I personally wouldn't let it stop me from going out into the hills alone. Usually safer than the city streets. In our club we had an incident make the newspaper where a lady member of my club group was followed by a masked man through Coventry, and i had a bit of an 'altercation' with a large group of teenagers one dark night on a club run through the streets.

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"Altercation" Travs?

Don't leave us dangling!

Don't want to take over Kate's thread... but very quickly, i was heading back to the track after a club session on the roads, and was chased down the road by about 8 teenagers on bikes, apparently for committing the crime of looking at them. Long story short... i dished out a few threats of extreme violence in their direction, whilst grabbing the biggest one firmly by the throat, but wary of getting a knife stuck in me, i made a fairly swift exit.

The poor lady who was followed by a masked man was on the face of it a lot more serious, and the story made the papers and i believe, Runners World.

Kate you are very fortunate to be able to run on the fells as and when you please!

Hi Kate, I think Travs has pretty much nailed it on the head. I am 99.999% sure that a 999 text will get through without a phone signal at least that is what our first aid tutor told us.

Indeed an emergency SMS should eventually get through and should keep trying until its does.

If you have a smart phone, consider using an app such as the Ordnance survey 'OS Locate' which allows you share your location with contacts. I think Strava (premium) also offers such functionality.

However, IMHO there is no real substitute for telling people where you are going, an approximate route and ETA and then letting them know when you return.


Not sure on the dashboard note idea - who would know where to look and would that not just be an invite for somebody to break into your car?

Ooer, that sounds scary! Twisting an ankle in a freezing bog suddenly doesn't seem so bad.

Sounds like you should consider a PLB like a Mcmurdo FastFind. There have been few land resues in the UK (some bloke in Ennerdale last year) but they have been used for thousands of maritime and aviation rescues.

PeteS is right Strava has a GPS tracker thing through the premium service. They have recently unbundled the service and you can just have the tracker for a relatively cheap amount :)

I would not leave a note on the dash of my car as it is only telling opportunist thieves how long they have got to break into your car to see if there is anything worth stealing or even maybe steal the car or parts off of it, a growing crime in remote areas

Register your mobile for the emergency SMS scheme info here :-


https://www.psni.police.uk/globalass...rgency_sms.pdf

And take the phone with you but be mindful that a mobile phone is not the most reliable piece of kit in the hills i.e. not waterproof, suspect battery life etc

more info here :-

http://https://www.grough.co.uk/maga...ountain-expert

I personally use a spot satellite tracker, but will be updating to a Garmin inreach mini very soon, review and info here :-


https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2018/05/...th-review.html

Not cheap but what price do you put on peace of mind, however the S.O.S button on the tracker may just save your life should you be unfortunate enough to have to use it
and if you were in that situation sending text messages may not be an option.

I'd suggest wrapping your phone up in a buf/set of gloves - helps protect the phone but also keeps the battery less cold as they can sometimes peg out in the cold.

A friend slipped on ice near Slippery stones at top of Ladybower ressers, cutting leg badly. Phone had no signal then battery drained quick due to cold. It took a passing moutainbiker to help raise the alarm, by which point they were pretty cold.
Despite this I'm still pretty poor at taking phone with me when I venture out. Must do better!

I am very envious of those who have fells outside the back door! I run in the Chiltern hills, and in wilder places when I can get there. Much safer than city streets so far as human predators are concerned, but the worry is the broken ankle in the middle of a field or a wood. I have a family who will eventually notice I'm not back, and I tell them where i'm going. I suppose I am relying on being able to send a text, so I haven't got a foolproof solution.

How about this app Kate? https://backpackers.com/the-cairn-ba...eeps-you-safe/

https://www.roadid.com/pages/road-id-app

I use RoadID (the actual wrist ID, the lock screen info, and on occasion the app itself). It does depend upon your phone a) having signal and b) having power, but the app is free so worth using even if it's just as an interim solution till you find something more suitable.

I've been looking at this issue myself. I always run alone and my main concern is dropping down in a ditch somewhere with a heart attack and not being found until its too late. Though I've got my phone, who knows if you'd even be in a position to call 999?
I think some kind of location tracking is a good idea for lone runners. Strava does have the beacon facility in its premium subscription - you can just have the safety bundle if you wish.
I've been playing with a few other apps, and this one https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...oid.safetymapd (Life 360 Family Locator) looks promising. Gets the Editor's Choice badge on the Play Store. Obviously this is only any good with a data connection, so may not be ideal for your personal circumstances.

And if it's not been mentioned before, take a trusty whistle with you, an essential piece of kit for every fell runner.

We (my wife and I) have iPhones and using the find iPhone app she able to see where I am (vice verse). The other week I went round Kinder the dark and fog and she was able to see, as she went to bed, that I was 3/4 way round and heading back to the car in Edale.
This works for us, but has obvious limitations and relies on me sticking to the route I’ve told her; but she uses it as a reassuring measure when I’m out for long things rather than a tracker/rescue beacon.

Thanks, BusyLizzie, for responding. Yes, it's the broken ankle far from base that makes me cautious. I have relatives - sons - but they don't live nearby and I feel it would be a bit of a load on the nearest one to text him each time I set out for a run and when I return, so hoped there might be alternatives. I'm grateful for all the responses here.

Ah, this looks most useful, thanks Don'tfearthesweeper! Just what I hoped existed. What a pity it's only available for iPhones when I have a Samsung. I'm sure the android version will appear soon.

Thanks for this suggestion, Ben Heathcote. I'll check it out.

Sounds like a good idea, felltrumpet, and useful to have it here for others with partners.

Yes; a whistle!
Thanks for the reminder, bigfella.

999 call does need a signal but not necessarily on your network, it can operate on any network.

Emergency services will try and call back but they can only do this on your net work..

Text service also needs a net work but can get through when you briefly have a weak signal.

if you use os locate etc, you can use this to text location and send a message,

Personally when out on a long wild run in Scotland I send the route to my wife with times points(usually a summit) where I will text progress but also a finish time so she knows when I'm off the hill. If wife is away then I send it to a reliable mate.

I wouldn't leave message in a car that's asking for trouble but I may leave a note at a local police station saying my car is xxx and I'm going to xyz returning by ..TT.TT. I will call to say I'm back

A whistle - thar's such a good one, thank you!

...and knowing what signal to blow to say you need help?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by IanDarkpeak

...and knowing what signal to blow to say you need help?

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here you go https://coolhikinggear.com/do-you-kn...istress-signal

Not much help to Kate and aimed at visitors, but George Fisher in Keswick used to do route plan notes, you wrote out your proposed route and timings, tick off the kit list what you are carrying and how many in the party. This would be left with someone at the accommodation where you were staying, easy to pass on to MRT if you were overdue. Afterwards each route plan could be posted into the shop, a monthly draw was made from the submissions for a small prize. I'm sure many of us already adapt versions of this for our days out. Lots of sound advice above, what a helpful bunch of folk we can be!

When I was running/waking YHA to YHA solo in the lakes a few years back I dropped an email to the hostel outlining a rough planned route and latest predicted arrival time. A few replied but others mentioned they had it when I arrived.

If you have a mobile,and use WhatsApp, there is a faculty to share live location. You can set the time that people can watch your journey.

iPhones ( and others? ) you can use “findmyfriends” so that your friends can see where your phone is

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-47136308

Bloody hell, he must be right hard. I was worried about attacks when running trails solo in British Columbia.

Just thought I'd add an update on the app I mentioned earlier in this thread - Life 360. After using this app for a month, I can't sing its praises enough. It provides real time location data for other people linked to your 'group' (you both/all install the app and link it with a code), showing it on a map, and providing alerts if you want when they are at certain points i.e. home. The app even reports on the battery status of linked accounts. Doesn't seem to be a resource hog either.
Obviously you need to have a signal but, for example, the wife tracked me round the recent Hope Fell Race and then turned up at the finish with a drink and flapjack just before I did!

I'm late to the party on this one but one I use is called Viewranger (it's free in standard form) . This has a free function called Buddy beacon. It periodically pings your location. You set it up with a pin and then your chosen person can track you with this. If you stop moving then they know there is an issue and know exactly where you are (grid ref etc) . You can upgrade to OS grade maps but I just use the standard free ones which doesn't include every footpath but its good enough.

I also do a lot of my running alone and have a WhatsApp with a group of friends that we use to let each other know if we're heading out somewhere remote and then check back in when we're safely home.

Having a few people in the group is useful because it doesn't rely on just one person seeing the messages and/or checking up on you and they don't need to live locally. Helps if they can understand a route map/description though!