Let me back up. We are getting more snow today, because we don't have enough already... I have shoveled the driveway twice before noon today and will definitely need to shovel again. I filled up my car with gas this morning and saw someone running outside. Good for him I thought! I wouldn't be running in all of this snow. As I came up closer to him I realized he was wearing a white sweatshirt. That would have been fine only his top half completely blended in with the snowy landscape. This had me thinking about all the different safety things I have learned over my years running. Some of them are rather obvious but others you might not have thought about.
First things first run on the "right" side of the road. This means face oncoming traffic. As one of my running buddies says "I'd rather see my death than just get hit by it." Ok maybe a little morbid but a good point and I haven't ever forgotten which side of the road to run on since then.
Make your presence known on the road. What I mean by this is don't just assume that drivers are paying attention to you and know you're there. On multiple occasions I have had to hurdle out of the way of an oncoming car that came just a little too close. One time in particular, on a flat wide open road in the middle of the afternoon, I had to dive into a ditch because a distracted driver was veering off the road and onto the shoulder coming at me head on. I had quite a few choice words for this driver as I climbed out of the ditch but the point is had I assumed that she saw me and was going to move over, well I probably wouldn't be writing this today. What I do now is make eye contact with the driver, this way I can tell if they're paying attention.
Coming back to my friend running this morning, be smart and intentional with your clothing. This can go so many directions so i'll try to be brief. If it's dark out, don't wear black. If it's sunny and snowy, don't wear white. This also means that if it's going to be a really hot run, during the summer, don't wear long pants or clothes that won't breathe or allow for sweating.. If you're running in the cold make sure you have enough clothes to keep you warm. Make layers your best friend. This seems pretty elementary but a friendly reminder never hurt anyone! :)
Switch up your routes and the times you're running. Not only will this keep your running interesting but it will help keep you safe. I am very guilty of this. I find a route at a distance that I like and I will run it over and over. I like the routine of it and not having to think about where I am going. Running on auto pilot. This is simply for your personal safety. You never know whose watching. But really...
Another little safety precaution is to let someone know the "details" of your run. When I lived at school, I would let one of my roommates know when I was going and about how long I would be gone for. I would tell them a time "jokingly" when to be worried. I say jokingly only because I never needed anyone to come out and look for me. Let whoever you're telling know the details of your route, or at least the general area where you're planning on running. Whenever I would use mapmyrun.com to log a route, I would leave it up on my computer. "Just in case."
I love to run with music! There are some songs, when they came on, I am basically jazzer-running. It's embarrassing to admit and probably more embarrassing to actually witness. There are certain places when I would turn my music way down though. I love running on trails and through parks, but these are not high traffic areas and make me nervous when I am running alone. These are the times when you HAVE to be aware of your surroundings. So turn down the music if you're going in alone.
LOVE this new song by Katy Perry. Whenever Dark Horse comes on I can't help but run a little faster or work a little harder.
LOVE this new song by Katy Perry. Whenever Dark Horse comes on I can't help but run a little faster or work a little harder.
My last bit of advice that I have just started following myself is running with my phone. I am all about pandora! Each day is a different station and I have found there are way less ads on the mobile app than there are from the website. When I had my bike crash.... another blow to the good ole' ego... it was totally by chance that I was carrying my phone. I fell right in front of a gas station so I would have been able to call from there if I had needed to but that's so not the point. There are so many times when I am running or biking that I am no where near a phone. It gives me a piece of mind having it with me, if not for me for someone else who may be hurt or find themselves in a pickle like I was. Find an arm band that fits your phone or just carry it but bring that bad boy on your run with you. There are a number of different apps that allow you to track your run, just an added incentive.
One of the many trails I discovered while running. This is one of the places where I will turn down my music and am grateful to have my phone with me. While I feel safe running here I am always more aware of what's going on around me when I am running on my own.
Lastly to go along with taking your phone with you. Put an ICE into your contacts. Your "in case of emergency" A friend of mine passed this information along to me that if something seriously unfortunate happens and you are found unconscious without ID first responders will look for this in your phone. Luckily I have never had to find out if this is actually true but it only takes a few seconds to put in into your contacts, so why not?
Don't run late at night, alone through an unlit area... Thank you common sense. Trust your instincts, and just be aware and you will be golden!
The beautiful things that can come from exploring trails! Out in Pennsylvania this summer, I had to chance to explore some near the camp that I worked at. Talk about a view!
Love this Calvin and Hobbs quote and it stands very true to running. "We're so busy watching out for what's just ahead of us that we don't take time to enjoy where we are." Enjoy where you are right now!! Cheers!
My new "warmth" for the evening! We are going to get hit hard again from the polar vortex. I'll be wishing for snow instead of the cold coming our way very very soon! Stay warm and keep running :)
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