Tips for Safely Running in the
Dark
by
James
Raia - for Active.com
Running before sunrise and after
dusk is discouraged by national running advocacy organizations, but since
daytime training isn't always an option as the shorter days of year approach,
runners need to take extra precautions.
Fred Kaiser and Pam Cantelmi,
two veteran long-distance runners in Sacramento, Calif., know winter's running
hazards all too well.
While training after work on a
rainy December night several years ago, the duo was struck at a suburban
intersection by a pick-up truck.
Details of the accident were
bizarre, with the vehicle driver and the two runners unsure of exactly what
happened.
Kaiser was only slightly
injured, but Cantelmi suffered head and shoulder injuries and was hospitalized.
Fortunately, both runners were able to resume their exercise routines.
The accident was particularly
ironic since both runners were wearing reflective gear. Other runners -- some
wearing reflective vests, some not -- have been less fortunate.
"I had on a reflective vest, I
had a flashing light around my waist and I was carrying a flashlight," recalled
Kaiser, a real estate attorney who has completed many marathons and
ultramarathons since his accident.
"Sometimes, it just doesn't
matter. Drivers aren't looking for runners and sometimes they're not going to
see you, regardless of what you're wearing. You have to look for them. It can
be pretty scary out there."
Although it's no guarantee of
safety, wearing reflective gear is the top priority. Dozens of options --
vests, flashlights, blinking shoes, reflective strips, arm bands, etc. -- are
available at most running apparel stories and through mail-order catalogs.
Wearing reflective gear on your
arms and legs, rather than on your trunk, is also important since drivers are
more likely to see the reflective or glowing light when it's in motion.
"We're out there with only the
thickness of our T-shirts to protect us," said Kaiser. "There's no body armor
involved in the sport of running. The car is going to win."
But night running not only
presents potential vision problems for drivers, runners' vision is poorer at
night, too. Potholes, branches, wire fences and slippery leaves are all
difficult to see, particularly as dusk becomes nighttime.
"The two key things about
running at night are to see and to be seen," said Susan Kalish, former
executive director of the American Running Association (ARA) in Bethesda, Md.
You need to know where you're going, what you'll find there, and whether
drivers can see you coming."
Runners training at night should
also adhere to other common sense guidelines. Consider:
- Run against traffic.
It's easier to avoid traffic if you can see it.
- Don't wear dark colors at
night. White running attire is the easiest to see at night, but orange and
yellow are also appropriate. Black, brown, dark blue or green are not
recommended.
- Run behind vehicles at
intersections. Even if a car or truck has stopped at a stop sign, there's
no guarantee the driver has seen you.
- Don't wear
headphones. Wearing headphones diminishes a runner's ability to hear a car
horn, a voice or a potential attacker.
- Wear a billed cap and
clear glasses. The bill of a cap will hit an unseen tree branch or another
obstacle before the obstacle hits your head. Clear glasses will protect your
eyes from bugs and other unseen obstacles.
- Vary your routes. A
potential attacker can watch for runners' patterns and loom in a particularly
dark or isolated area.
- Run with a partner.
There's strength in numbers.
- Try to make eye contact
and acknowledge a driver. The interaction, however brief, could save your
life.
- Runners with inner-ear
problems or other equilibrium conditions should avoid training at night when
maintaining proper balance can be more difficult.
And remember, as Douglas
Lentz, an ARA editorial board member, advises, "When running at night, light
yourself up like a Christmas tree."
For more information on
exercising safely, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the ARA, 4405,
EastWest Highway, Suite #405, Bethesda, Md., 20814. (800) 776-2732.
James Raia, a
long-distance runner in Sacramento, Calif., is the publisher of two free
electronic newsletters, "Endurance Sports News" and "Tour de France Times,"
both available for subscription on his Web site,
www.ByJamesRaia.com. He can be reached at
RaiaRuns@comcast.net
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