I signed up for a half marathon in April. Yes this is part of preppijng as I have some different points of view on how and where I train. I do not wear earbuds or listen to music. It is a distraction and you need to be aware of your surroundings when you run. I run out in the country so I have to watch for four legged critters and slithering critters. Those that slither are the ones I hate.
I also have two German Shepherds. I run with each of the dogs separately but also do sessions with both of them. It is great training time and I do train them for hand signals and non-verbal cues. They have both provided protecteion for me on runs. It is interesting how quickly some will back off when there is a German Shepherd making their presence know. The other thing is I know my neighbors for a ways. We do tend to know each other by our dogs, I know when someone has moved in or out, I am aware of what is growing and different elements of each season. There is also the knowledge of how I can get myself, family, and the dogs out either on foot or in a vehicle. The is a physical benefit to this as well. I work different muscles when I run. It helps in keeping me healthy both physically and mentally.