Back in October of 2011 I posted this on my old Trailmomma blog but I think I need to do a repost. I have been struggling all week with topics to write about lately and then one morning it dawned (no pun intended) on me as I was driving home from my workout at Breakout Fitness. It was before daylight savings and a couple was walking their dog at about 6:00 am. I know they are walking every morning because I see them but what I notice is that they wear nothing that is reflective nor do they even bring a flashlight! Yes my neighborhood is fairly quiet (especially at that time of day) however we do live on a street that is generally a passage way to those living in a nearby gated community. There is no shoulder and they can easily be struck by an oncoming car. I truly want to stop them and say please wear something reflective, not just a white shirt and bring a flash light but I am afraid they will probably freak out if I even slow my car down in the morning near them.
While government statistics don’t break down the fatality figures between runners/pedestrians and cars, Runners World did do a survey of their readers. They then posted this article back in 2010. I am sure with the large amount of smartphones and texting going on, that these numbers have probably risen more so in the last few years. In fact, a woman with whom I work out with every morning has had to battle her worst nightmare, her husband being hit by car that was going 50 mph while riding his bike. Luckily he survived but they have had to go through a series of struggles not to mention legal battles because the driver had no insurance.
I am not going to lie when I say that my heart skips a beat every time Vans goes out on a road ride. I am grateful he goes during the daytime but honestly, that doesn’t really mean much in today’s world of texting and driving.
When you add darkness to the mix, the game changes drastically and runners (as well as cyclists) need to be on the defensive. I have been running fairly consistently one night a week after work. Daylight savings has ensured that I will be running in total darkness at 6:30 pm and so I run in a variety of reflective gear and I carry two headlamps (one on my waist so that I can see and one in my hand so I can flash it at oncoming cars). I may look foolish when I leave the house but I feel safe. I also never run with headphones and I run against oncoming car traffic (never with).
Some of the items I wear are my Nathan Reflective Arm Sleeves as well as a reflective vest (I go back and forth between two brands). If I am wearing capris, Athleta’s Relay Capriss have some reflective piping on the legs for low-light conditions however I wouldn’t rely totally on that feature. I do wear one of their reflective hats as well.
A lot of people run to relieve stress and unwind, especially after work and I would say that I am one of those (especially on my week day runs) however, one thing I make sure that I always do, is stay focused and pay attention. Night running is not the time to be thinking about your day at work, what you will have for dinner or what you will make the kids for lunch tomorrow. You need to be present, in the moment and with all cylinders running. Typically I will run from my house to a local track (that has lights for the football players) and when I get to the track, I will let my mind wander but the minute I leave the track and turn on my headlamps, my brain is focused on getting me home in one piece.
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It is often on my runs home that I see other runners, cyclists or dog walkers not wearing enough reflective gear as well as drivers looking at their phones. Please be careful and think defensively! Take the initiative and light yourself up like a Christmas tree in December and that doesn’t mean just throw on a white sweatshirt.
Watch this short youtube video :
from 3M Scotchlite’s No White At Night campaign. It will blow your mind. White is not reflective. While a great color to wear in the hot summer months, it is not ideal for night runs.
With the darkness starting to consume our evenings, please be prepared. Visit your local running store or shop online. If you have an active spouse that trains at night or in the morning, considering buying them some reflective gear and encouraging them to wear it. My kids love when I dig out my headlamps. Please share this post on Facebook or Twitter, encouraging others to run safe.
After all, it is not always about you.
~Trailmomma
Good reminder, for sure. Thanks.