Patience; the new endurance sport.

funny, but the way you describe this is exactly how I feel! Sometimes I'd like the excuse to beat the crap out of someone; however, I'd like it to happen in a 'safe' environment :)

Me too, we should take our dogs down there and sick them on him.. or maybe just let the cops catch him.

I agree. Somedays I want someone to attack me when I am not tired and I can use my martial arts training to kick his butt. Or, on one of my rare trail days when I actually remember I have a concealed carry permit and can tote along a revolver.

Guys really can't understand how frustrating it can be to feel unsafe on a lot of runs. I have family members who freak when they hear I can't sleep and have gone on a long run in the middle of the night. Luckily, I am old and not cute like the rest of you.

Old and looks has little to do with it! The sicko will attack whoever he thinks he can overcome. Please be careful out there.

I can't believe you said that Maureen-- you are totally cute enough to get attacked....(Terrible joke, sorry). Yes everyone be careful shall we? I never run without my hand strapped Pepper Spray and I often pack a little something extra. I hate that it has to be that way, but that's the way it is. The 12 years I lived on that trail I took it upon myself to vigilante the place. I called the cops so many times for people selling drugs, masturbating in the bushes, parked in the parking lots for more than an afternoon. One time I caught a major offender. I took this last attack personally because I moved away and felt almost like it was my fault for not trolling the area. People always asked me how I could run on that trail so early or late, and wasn't I afraid. I always said--everyone get out there. Get out there in groups, in pairs, but DO NOT let the creepers think this is their private spot. I won't be there anymore to do my part in keeping the place patrolled.

Luz - I hope you were patrolling the area and not trolling the area. Big difference. :)

Thank you for the compliment and I'll have to take your word for it. After all the years of abuse I went through I have absolutely no self esteem and cannot find anything attractive about me.

I don't mean trolling in the online sense, but I did always put myself out there and made a big deal in the neighborhoods asking other people to get out there too at council meetings, etc. At first I got area police telling me to be more careful and to only go in pairs, during reasonable hours. But my plan was to get more people to use the trail--not cut back on my usage. I wasn't trying to provoke an attack, but I made sure to use my trail when and how I wanted to. I was not about to let it go to the creepers. I took owership and responsiblity for the area and I always ran prepared for confrontation--I've had some pretty scary and weird experiences over the years. I resent feeling vunerable, and so I did sometimes go out with a vigilante attitude. So in that sense--I was trolling AND patrolling if that's what you mean. That's kind of why I took this most recent attack personally. It was on my segment of the trail but me and my dogs are no longer there to take up space and look would be preditors in the eyes as I run by to let them know I see what they're up to, and that I'm ready to take them on. I honestly feel like I made a difference for trail users over the years I was there. I got a lot of people to use that trail as the area developed over the past 10 years (it used to be so rural!). Some people didn't like my dogs because I let them run w/o leashes (even though they are trained to heal) but I ran that way every day to create a kind of chaos that told preditors they were not welcome. I don't know anyone will ever care as much as I did about protecting that space.