How can a female runner arm herself against threats

[Lazyfaire]

One thing that sucks about pepper spray is that its not a good close range weapon. Secondary exposure is extremely likely. It also takes a second to cook before you get full effect and its not incapacitating.

And the wind direction would matter plus I just don't think it would be effective enough unless you moved closer than my 20ft rule. In a calm practicing environment OK, but in a stress situation distance is better and she can outrun him but not out grapple him.

 

[DirectDrive]

Buddy or large well trained dog

 

[Lazyfaire]

Buddy or large well trained dog

8 minute miles are tough on dogs (heXX, they'd suck for me too. I always ask if there is a parking lot i can drive to!)

 

[Ura-Ki]

Situational awareness is a big one! How many runners are concentrating on things other then what is around them? Spray is good, but has significant down sides! I say personal protection should be done in layers, a Pistol, Spray, and a Knife! There is no one answer here, put as many options in her hands as possible and let her decide what is best! Even a little PPK in .380 auto is better then nothing!

 

[Tony617]

I ride a bicycle sometimes and so I have a pistol ware holster that I keep my FNX-9 in. I have a striker fired gun as well but I do not put that in my pistol wear holster ever. A revolver should be fine as well. I did put an XD40SC in my holster as well but you have to depress the back of the grip as well for it to fire.

Holsters - Pistol Wear, LLC

 

[American123]

Small pistol, small fanny pack. Problem solved. When I run it involves a HPG chest rig, also holds my phone and wallet and keys, but I would presume most women would favor a small unobtrusive fanny pack of some sort than the HPG chest rig. (Because looks matter....)

I would say the larger issue isn't what to carry or how to carry it, because those are easily figured out and remedied. The larger issue at hand is whether she is willing to carry it and use it to defend herself with it if the time came. At the moment, it sounds like you want your friend to carry and she hasn't pursued that choice. Welcome to the plight of most men who carry.

The left has done a great job of demonizing guns and labeling them as "unfeminine and scary," a lot of women don't want to carry just because of the social stigma that can be accompanied with it. Hopefully your friend is wiser than to listen to those notions.

 

[MikeInOr]

A 938 is a very nice gun but too heavy for carrying while running IMHO. I certainly could not imagine trying to run with a 939 stashed in a bra. I think a 938 would be much more likely to be found in her dresser drawer than on her person when she needed it.

A LCP is much friendlier while running... or possibly a Keltec P32... both weapons I carry.

I don't care for a belly band but it does hold a small gun secure a during a lot of bouncing. The one I tried wasn't very convenient for a quick draw. I think she will have to look at several carrying solutions to find the one that works best for her.

 

[Lazyfaire]

Small pistol, small fanny pack. Problem solved. When I run it involves a HPG chest rig, also holds my phone and wallet and keys, but I would presume most women would favor a small unobtrusive fanny pack of some sort than the HPG chest rig. (Because looks matter....)

I would say the larger issue isn't what to carry or how to carry it, because those are easily figured out and remedied. The larger issue at hand is whether she is willing to carry it and use it to defend herself with it if the time came. At the moment, it sounds like you want your friend to carry and she hasn't pursued that choice. Welcome to the plight of most men who carry.

The left has done a great job of demonizing guns and labeling them as "unfeminine and scary," a lot of women don't want to carry just because of the social stigma that can be accompanied with it. Hopefully your friend is wiser than to listen to those notions.

Her ex owns guns and she is used to them but at this time does not own/carry her own. But she does worry about her security when she does run alone. Just talking at this stage. End of the day it will be her decision, not mine which route she chooses to go.

 

[DirectDrive]

Her ex owns guns and she is used to them but at this time does not own/carry her own. But she does worry about her security when she does run alone. Just talking at this stage. End of the day it will be her decision, not mine which route she chooses to go.

Take her to a range that rents guns.
That would be a way to start the process and she'll see what she might like.

 

[Lazyfaire]

Take her to a range that rents guns.

I did suggest that and especially English Pit rents them. Relatively close to her place too.

 

[DirectDrive]

I did suggest that and especially English Pit rents them. Relatively close to her place too.

If she's close to English Pit, then go to SafeFire.
It would be a better experience at SafeFire especially as the weather gets worse.

 

[bbbass]

Treadmill... no more smog, traffic, BGs, leers, catcalls, and she can use all the audio acoutrements she wants. And have coffee ready for when she's done.

 

[Lazyfaire]

If she carries a .338 Lapua magnum she'll only have to run 10 miles so I'd do that.

Haha. Typical POG. More people 'liked' this post than any others! Well done people!

 

[Certaindeaf]

Haha. Typical POG. More people 'liked' this post than any others! Well done people!

I was just nipping the "It has to be featherweight!" objection right in the bud.. a preemptive strike as it were.

 

[CamoDeafie]

I've been seeing this at the local gun shows lately, "Concealed carry leggings" or spandex shorts with a similar concept to the belly band holsters.... Of course this would mean the runner would need to be wearing something relatively loose fitting up top, but as this is Oregon; a hoodie is usually worn, or a lightweight sweater top.... in the hot summers though, there's some interesting issues there, as I've noticed quite a few young women like to go out wearing just leggings/tights and sports bras without shirts.

 

[titsonritz]

A partner or two, strength in numbers.

 

[nammac]

Buddy runs are best, if not maybe someone that will ride a bike with her.
Honestly the worst thing I see is idiots wearing earbuds. That right there allow no S.A. at all.

Go review some police reports, 99% of these are people that are struck from behind, a gun why great may not work as well, when momentum sets you off balance. Its actually worse then if you were just walking.

This is what I do with my wife when she's training, I'm pacing on a bike behind her, fully armed...

 

[CamoDeafie]

ANything in the State laws saying she can't be carrying openly a machete?????

 

[Stomper]

Light, easy to conceal......

 

[American123]

Her ex owns guns and she is used to them but at this time does not own/carry her own. But she does worry about her security when she does run alone. Just talking at this stage. End of the day it will be her decision, not mine which route she chooses to go.

Pardon my long winded response, but this is a matter that I am am very passionate about and I believe some of the conversational tactics described will be of benefit as I myself have gone through this situation already with my fiance.

It appears your friend obviously isn't anti-gun, but is rather neutral if she is willing to be around them, but chooses not to own herself. Best thing you can do for her IMO before trying to get her to carry is to normalize the practice by helping her encounter information or people (women) she can relate to who already carry and/or carry while jogging. That and making any range encounter fun, not overly long, not overly training focused, but fun.

When it came to my fiance. She was in the exact same boat. She grew up around family firearms, owned none herself, and it wasn't until she started to be acquainted with information about other women carrying and seeing other women carrying that she could identify with, that she began to deem the practice something she could participate in. I also worked very hard to make every single firearm related activity we ever did very fun to build the mental association paring. We are finally at the stage that she is regularly carrying concealed. At the moment, only via purse carry which was not preferred by me, but gaining ground is important and considering we have gone from no CPL now to a CPL and purse carrying, that's a win that can be built from.

I believe women by nature are far more interested in doing things that other women are also participating in, look at everything they do, often it centers around "other women are doing this in large numbers" at least far more so IMO than guys who more on average tend to not care what other people are doing and choosing to do what they want irrelevant of others.

If it were me, I would approach it very carefully and identify how she may already be taking steps to protect herself, but examine how effective those methods are and the likelihood of them being successful compared to carrying a firearm and using that method instead when faced with a violent encounter. The reason why this is an important strategic method of conversation is because if she is already taking steps to protect herself, i.e. pepper spray, pokey jewelry, knives, she has already decided that she wants to protect herself, but does not understand the reality of what failing in that situation might mean. If we are being really honest about it, if she is considering being attacked while she is jogging and what she is defending herself against what that means for a woman is any or a combination of the following: robbery, serious bodily harm, rape, kidnapping, torture, enslavement, murder. When put in that perspective then in all seriousness why would any women want there to be any chance that their method of self defense would be inadequate or fail. Because failure means being at the mercy of the attacker, or lack thereof. When faced with those potential consequences of not being able to effectively defend themselves the small inconvenience of carrying a firearm pales in comparison if it can stop those outcomes from being experienced.

An argument I regularly use is the following: If I carry everyday of my entire life and never need to use it to defend myself, a loved one, or another from a violent attack that is a small inconvenience compared to my entire life being turned upside down if it happened to me, a loved one or another and I was unable to prevent it from happening because I chose not to carry. When viewed in that method, it is the cheapest insurance a person will ever purchase and possibly the single easiest and effective method of preventing evil from being inflicted on a person or their family.

That is where I think the discussion can be won for women to carry. Especially if they are already thinking in a defensive capacity but are not carrying, positioning the discussion in that manner.