Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Take 5

Move that body: 3.5-mile run with Denali and Miles

I just stared at the training schedule I had posted on the fridge.

3.5 miles? 3.5 miles!


Hal Higdon could not be serious. I mean, how am I supposed to fit in 3.5 miles before work? Three miles was doable but 3.5 - no way! Not. Going. To. Happen.

At least until I slapped some sense into myself. Three-and-a-half miles is only a half-mile farther than the 3 miles that seemed so easy to fit in before heading into the office, and that half-mile should only take 5 minutes (give or take). And though my mornings lack the leisure of my pre-Miles life, I do have 5 minutes to spare and, if I don't, being 5 minutes late to work isn't the end of the world. After all, one could always tell her boss that she bumped into [important person's name here] on the way in.

So I got myself dressed, Miles bundled and Denali leashed and headed out a few minutes shy of 7 a.m.



The run itself was fairly average - I felt good, for the most part, unless I had to push that dang BOB up a hill. Hills suck.

Along the course, a nearly out-and-back through the neighborhood, I did get cited by the snark police. I was running against (the zero) traffic when a woman sitting in a parked van rolled down her window to tell me that we were hard to see. We were hard to see - me in that bright shirt and Miles in a yellow stroller - as opposed to her, sitting in a parked van with no lights on.

Instead of telling her to shut up, put the doughnut down and run herself, I politely nodded and said "Umm, thanks."

OK, she didn't really have a doughnut. At least one that I saw.

While I do appreciate the "concern," the woman's tone was more snarky than polite. I just don't think she understood. It's not as if I choose to run in the street to see how many cars come thisclose to hitting me. The street is easier and, dare I say, safer to push the stroller on than the sidewalk, which is usually full of uneven ground from mature tree roots pushing up under the cement.  I was also taking measures to keep my clan safe - running against traffic, wearing bright colors, running on a street with street lights and moving over whenever possible.

With that said, though, I do plan to buy some kind of light to wear or strap on the stroller to be as safe as possible, especially as the days get shorter.

How do you stay safe while running? Anyone have a light/reflective gear to recommend?

3 comments:

  1. Stay safe while running... wear bright clothing, and be alert. When I use my iPod, I only ever use 1 ear bud, and I try to make sure it's the ear bud that's away from where the cars are.

    Great job getting out there... isn't it crazy how we talk ourselves into thinking that such "short" distances would be impossible... half a mile! You fit it in there nicely!

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  2. I wear bright clothes! BRIGHT - like road construction type bright clothes (you've seen the sexy photos).

    At the FW Dollar Tree stores (like at JP -but probably others too) they had what looks like a bike reflector (red) but is on a clip (like a dog leash) and it flashes! It's a buck and hooks to whatever you want to clip it to. I also have a road id red firefly flashing light, but it's expensive - I'd buy several of the Dollar Tree ones - especially if I were with a stroller. Just my suggestion!

    You're a better woman than I am - I'm not sure how I would have reacted to that woman's comment.

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  3. So I have a road ID with my info as well as my son's. God forbid something happen to me but I'd want whoever finds him to know his age and appropriate treatment.

    I also use a magic shine bike light for early runs and evening dog walks. It's as bright as a headlight so I can't be missed. It is a bit expensive but I use it ALL. THE. TIME. So worth it.

    I run in Newton shoes which are obnoxiously bright as well as a bright shirt and so far we've been very safe.

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