There are some wonderful off-road routes around Taunton – along the canal, over the Quantocks, through the Blackdown hills. Yet more and more often, I find myself hitting pavements and tarmac.

I wrote recently about the joys of running alone. But a downside of solo running as a woman is a tendency to stick to roads to feel ‘safe’.

I used to drive my husband crazy with my talent for devising running routes that took no account of personal safety. Isolated beauty spots, inner city drug dens – I’d gaily map out circuits through them all.

These days, my running obsession’s mellowed somewhat. But maybe I’ve gone too much the other way in being safety conscious.

Pick a trail run or other off-road route, and you don’t have to travel far to be alone. One of my favourite routes is the Taunton-Bridgwater canal, but a couple of miles in and the ramblers, cyclists and other runners are few and far between.

I find myself feeling anxious, looking over my shoulder, eyeing others with suspicion, on the lookout for potential danger.

Ironic that my worst running experience happened on a road route in the middle of the afternoon. An egg, thrown so hard from a passing car that it left a large round bruise on my back where it struck. And yet, it’s away from the roads that I get nervous.

Nowadays, technology helps. Using a running app means I keep my phone with me. And there are even apps like iRun Safe and Running Safe, that can track your location and alert friends if you get into difficulties.

But still I censor my routes. Sensible precaution, or am I missing out? As a runner, do you run off-road alone or stick to the roads?