Since November first, the title of this blog post has been the story of my daily life. Most days I get up (after staying up too late the night before) make coffee while half asleep and then plop down in front of my computer. A few minutes later, I'm staring at the many words that I've written for NaNoWriMo this month and I'm paralyzed by how far I have to go before the 30th. I literally wrote 20,000 words and shut down mentally. WTH brain? WTH?
Anyways, at some point I get frustrated with the *maybe* 500 words I've written so far and start playing on the internet. My biggest time suck lately? My wish list for chanukah that I made a Pinterest board for.
Want to see it? Of course you do!
As you can see I'm a little obsessed with running clothes and accessories. That's all because I recently got back on a training plan after some unexpected time off from running (I went home) and I'm shooting to be able to do a 10K by the end of December and perhaps a 1/2 marathon in the spring. All very exciting goals for this runner who used to be taxed by 2 miles (granted I ran those 2 miles in high school in like 14 minutes or less, what I'd give to be able to crank out some sub 6 minutes miles again).
Speaking of running, tonight I headed out for an easy 2.5 miles (.5 to warm up/cool down, 2 miles to actually run) and once again I was reminded of how different running outside is vs. running on a treadmill. Bottom line: It's harder. Way harder. See, lately I've been putting in a good chunk of my running on a treadmill. Why? Well for someone like me with knee issues it's a good way to avoid hills and it's easier on my knees because a treadmill is a level surface unlike most road that are sloped on either side to drain when it rains. Also, it's safer to run in the evening on a treadmill than on the road. People, it gets dark here at 4:30pm! 4:30!
Today I managed to sneak in an actual road run because I got so frustrated with my NaNo that I turned off my computer and decided to just hit the street. Today was rather mild temperature wise so I didn't need to wear much. In fact, I could have left some things at home; like my beanie (should have just worn my running baseball cap) the gloves I shoved in my pockets, and my knee high compression socks. However, because I didn't head out the door until 3:40 something I made sure to wear one thing that I don't ever leave at home for evening runs; my Amphipod Reflective Vest and Energizer flashing light that clips on it. Oh yeah, I make running look sexy. I even have evidence of my sexy safety look:
Sexiness aside, I just want to take this time to make a very important point. In the winter months everyone who is exercising outside around sundown should wear a reflective vest and/or carry/wear a source of light.
Why am I so anal about this? Well, I don't think most people realize how invisible pedestrians are to car drivers. Even if you wear bright colors on a regular basis, it's still not enough to keep you safe from that driver who is just cruising down their usual street not paying attention. I've been running on and off for a long time and thanks to my high school training runs I got to witness some very close calls between runners and cars. If you ask a group of runners if they've ever been hit by a car, a good portion will say yes. If they haven't been physically hit, then they've had alot of close calls. Thankfully, I fall in the latter group of close calls. They aren't fun. On the road it's you vs. cars and it's not hard to see which one is bigger and causes more harm.
So why do I add in the light to the reflective vest? Isn't the dorky reflective vest enough? No. It's not. Reflective vests and other items are only visible to cars from a few hundred feet and only when their lights actually reach your reflective item. By adding a light source, whether a head lamp, knuckle lights or a small flashing light on your vest you increase the distance at which a driver can notice your activity and hopefully accommodate you on the road. I have a small light that clips on the front of my vest in the center of my chest that flashes when turned on. Is it dorky? Yup. Do I feel a little self conscious when I set out for a run in this before it's 100% dark? You bet.
Would I rather be safe than sorry? Most definitely. I'd also like to see my fellow runners stay safe and not sorry out on the road. Truth is, I may be BLS certified but I'd prefer to not use my mad skillzs when on a run. So stay safe, think ahead before you set out for a run and if there's any chance you'll be out after the sun goes down, just go ahead and put on that reflective vest. The worst that can come of it is that you'll feel a little dorky. :-) Promise.
This PSA is now over and I'm leaving you with a picture of my awesome running skirt, compression socks and shoes. 'Cause that's how I roll/run.
Awesome! And great words of advice on wearing reflective wear. It's so important!
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