I wish there was a helmet with a rear view mirror attached to it. As I'm running somewhere, I seem to get the impression that something is behind me but I never want to look back/turn-around. With a rear-view mirror, I could see what is chasing me (if anything) and determine whether it's worth stopping to fight it.
Usually, I don't like taking the time to fight monsters that aren't going to give me a decent amount of XP.
Press forward and backward and your character runs slower. Press forward and left or right to run on an angle.
Use crystal of vision to see if something is following you. D