Hey Gang! Sorry I’ve been out of action for a bit. I just returned from a glorious trip back east. I got to spend a little QT with my wonderful grandma, my beautiful sisters and all my old cronies from college and beyond. I don’t want to bore you with too many pics, but I can’t resist these two:
Given my gluttony over the past week, it was imperative I ran this morning... even if it was dark. I strapped on the old sneaks around 6:30 a.m. and headed out the door. I was totally unprepared for what I could encounter. It was pitch black outside! 6:30 a.m.!!!!!!
Now, it was my first run in the dark this season, so I didn’t have the right reflective/light gear. I noticed a lot of people around me didn’t either. (I came this close to taking out a lady all dressed in black.) I also forgot how few and far between those street lights can seem when you get to the trails. And without that white snow to brighten things up, it it’s hard to see where the paths begin and end.
So, I thought it would be appropriate to use this blog to discuss ways to run in the dark. Fortunately for you guys, Kaity over at the
GEAR Running Store in Edina thought so too. As a habitual early morning runner, she had lots of good ideas.
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A head lamp. I know, I know. Annoying, right? No! Kaity says if you wear it over ear warmers or a ball cap, you hardly notice it’s there. I can’t do anything about the dorky part except to say, "Embrace it!" GEAR sells a good lamp with a rechargeable battery for about 80 bucks. You can get cheaper ones closer to $20, but they’ll eat right through the batteries.
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Blinking lights. These guys will run you about $6. You can put them on your front, back and arms. Kaity says she sees lots of people attach them to their dog leashes.
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Light clothes. Kaity and I were surprised at the how ineffective those bright yellow stripes can be when it’s really dark outside. How about a bright yellow vest or a white shirt or reflective arms bands? Trust me people, all-black doesn’t fly in the dark. Please refer to my earlier story about the woman who’s lucky she was spared my elbows.
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Pepper Spray. Ok, I don’t know how I feel about this one because I’m a firm believer our parks and trails are quite safe. But, if it’s dark, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
And, that’s just it. Use common sense. Be smart. If you run the streets, please do it on the correct side of the road. Wear bright colors. Consider investing in some lights. The run just isn’t worth it if you don’t come out OK on the other side.
