It’s National Running Safety Month! 5 Tips to Stay Safe.

Daylight Savings happened earlier this month. As much as well all love that extra hour of sleep and the perfect fall running weather, it is certainly a transition to leaving work when it is dark outside and finding motivation. Running in the dark alone can also be scary, but at Runners Roost we have learned some tips over the years to help you feel safer. In honor of November being National Running Safety Month, don’t let the dark get you down!

5 Tips to Stay Safe

Be visible! You may be able to see just fine in the dark (can you really?), but headlamps and lights are also for cars and others to see you.
- Wear a good head lamp that provides enough light for you to see the curb (or the giant porcupine in your path-yes this happened to me once). The Nathan Zephyr Fire 100 is a good alternative to a headlamp. It is a hand held torch with a comfortable and adjustable hand strap that allows for a grip-free carry in either hand, features a downward projection angle to light up your path so no need to twist your hand, a blinking red LED light in the back for more visibility, an emergency siren in the grip right at your fingertips, and a rechargeable battery.
- Wear reflective clothing like this North Face Winter Warm Jacket that provides 260 degrees of visibility.
- Wear a reflective vest or blinking lights.
Be aware.
- I know it is hard to part with your music but make sure you can hear cars and other potential dangers. I always tell my husband that I need to hear the mountain lion when it attacks me. If you absolutely cannot part with your music, only keep one headphone in.
- Trust your intuition. If anything makes you feel uncomfortable, change directions, duck into a well lit store, or talk to a passerby.
Run against traffic and follow basic traffic laws.
- Cars have an easier time seeing you when you run against traffic
- Wait at red lights until you see the walk signals (you can run in place while you wait to keep your heart rate up!). Signal clearly to cars which direction you are going.
- Avoid roads that have minimal shoulders and sidewalks
Run with friends.
- Yes, it isn’t always possible to run with a friend, but there IS safety in numbers. Try a new running group once a week – like one of ours at Runners Roost.
Carry your phone and an ID.
- Invest in a Smartphone carrier that goes around your upper arm OR
- Nathan Zipsters are a soft and stretchy belts that fit comfortably around your waist and have 2 zippered weather-resistant pockets that can fit up to an iPhone 8/8 plus and Galaxy S8/8+. The extra pockets allow you to carry other items easily as well.
- Identification is important (just in case). Road iD offers different wearable options on which you can customize text to include emergency numbers.