Visibility is your friend. Be seen. Be a peacock lit up like a Christmas tree on fire. Or something.
Face it - fashion isn't a high priority for most runners. We choose function over style. I'll use my shoes as Exhibit A on that point:
If you would have told me five years ago that I'd be wearing purple and orange clown shoes on purpose and loving it, I would have pulled a muscle cringing. But, such is the #runninglife, so let's embrace that fact and use it to our advantage. If you are running in the dark, you want to be seen. Light, bright colors are your friends. Running clothes come in plenty of neon colors - embrace them. Better yet are lights and reflective materials. A cheap, reflective running vest is a great investment. I have a Runner's World branded version of this bargain deal from Wal Mart, and it lights up wonderfully in headlights. There are a ton of products on the market now that blink and wink and light the way. You may look ridiculous, but that's okay. I think you look great (and that counts for something, right? RIGHT?) Plus, all of us night-runners are right there looking ridiculous with you. The bottom line is: give drivers no excuse for not seeing you.
And trust no cars
Always, always, ALWAYS assume that drivers cannot see you. Always give the car the benefit of the doubt, as even if you have the right of way, your bones are far more breakable than a car, and the car will always win regardless of who was "right." In my worst me vs. car experience, I actually made eye contact with the driver - I know she saw me - yet she pulled out anyway and knocked me to the ground. You'll lose a few seconds off of your time waiting - that's life, it happens. Hardships make you stronger, or something. But it is far better than being knocked out of training for a few weeks - or worse - because you lost a game of you versus car. #thecarwins
Stranger Danger
Darkness and bad drivers aren't the only enemies. There are bad people in the world too, as this recent piece of tragic news has reminded us. I don't think that there's any surefire way to prevent a horrible attack like that one, but there are things that runners can do to make themselves a little bit safer while they are out there. Running with a group is a great idea for those who have the option. Meetup.com is a good resource for local running groups, and many running stores and clubs offer weekly fun runs, especially during race season.
But what if running alone is your only option? One strategy is to take everything you know about not talking to strangers and throw it out the window. Well, maybe not everything, but hear me out: be memorable. Say hello to people as you pass them on your run. Hello, good morning, good evening, hi, whatever you can huff out at the pace you are running. Why? Because if something happens to you, you'll be more memorable. Did that sound morbid? It kind of is. But if the 6:00 news is talking about a runner who went missing from the park, I want everyone who was at the park to say "Hey, I think I saw her. I saw her right by the restrooms around 3:00. She said 'hi' to me right before she misfired a snot rocket." #idontdothat Saying hello is such a relatively effortless thing, and if nothing horrible ever happens to you while running, then at least you'll seem like just a friendly person who talks to strangers. There's nothing wrong with that.
Give A Loved One an ETA and a Route
I'm honestly not much of a route planner. I usually go out with a vague idea of the mileage that I want to run, and then I plan my route as I'm running it. This drives my husband bonkers. Fortunately, Road ID has come out with a wonderful free app that lets you advise a loved one via text message where you are and provides a real-time map for tracking. There's also a setting that will send an alert if you stop moving for a certain period of time. It is good, it is free, and there's no excuse for running without it.
No comments:
Post a Comment