You Saw Me: Runner Safety {+ product review}

"I didn't see you."

As someone who regularly runs in the pre-dawn hours of the early morning, I don't want a motorist to be able to say that to me — ever. Worse, I don't want that motorist to have to say that to a law enforcement officer at the scene of a crash.

According to Road ID, a company that makes identification bracelets and shoe tags for runners, 122,000 runners a year are taken to the hospital after being hit by cars. ... In a report by Transportation for America, a public policy organization promoting improved infrastructure investment, between 2000 and 2009 more than 5,300 pedestrians were killed each year in vehicle-related accidents.

Source: Competitor

Runners need to take precautions to not only be seen but recognized as a person. There's reflective vests, illuminating night gear, blinking lights, LED bands.

And I've worn all of them, thinking I was doing my best. But there were still close calls. There were times when cars took longer to get over than I would have liked. Fast cars swerved just a few yards from my feet. The blinking lights, the vest only visible when the headlights hit me at just the right angle.

My early morning gear included other things, too. Things that helped me see the path in front of me and avoid dangers such as sticks, walnuts and snakes — a head lamp, Knuckle Lights — but on the side of the road, to a motorist, the lights can seem fixed or a part a landscape.

"I didn't see her," the motorist might think as he approached me.

But that's no longer the case.

For the past month, I've been wearing the You Saw Me vest. The vest is unlike anything I had ever seen, with 60 embedded LEDs to refract an active lighting source with the ability to dim, flash, and automatically cycle between colors. It also has an ANSI-certified reflective outer layer to reflect oncoming light (i.e. headlights). The lights, according the company, can be seen up to a mile away.

There are front and back pockets that allow you to store cellphones, keys, cards, money, etc. and an adjustable waistband for comfort.

When I run in this, I never have to think, "Does that car see me?" I know they do.

BRF Tami, who bought the vest after seeing mine, and I both notice that cars get over sooner and farther when they approach us on the road. The lights, which are in a V-shape on the front and the back, also illuminate our faces. Motorists don't just see the vests — they see us as people. We've also found that lights are bright enough that it helps us see the path before us. With Daylight Saving Time, we've been able to manage with just the vest — no other lights.

I don't just love this vest for its safety; I love it because of the company. You Saw Me is a small outfit out of Lexington, Kentucky. When I shamelessly approached them to review the vest, I didn't get an email. I got a request for a phone call. The next week, I spoke with co-owner Seth McBee for more than a half-hour. We talked about the vest and social media, running and close calls. I learned about the craftsmanship that's put in the vest and how his partner Kevin took years to develop what is now being sold.

I also learned that this company couldn't, and wouldn't, give its product away to any blogger willing to shill it. The vests cost money to make and as a new company, You Saw Me isn't selling them with a large profit margin. If I wanted to get it, I needed to be authentic and enthusiastic when it comes to sharing the product on my social media channels and in my running community. It's a deal I was willing to make.

So, full disclosure, this vest is not mine for free. If three readers/friends purchase it using the code "healthy strides" (free shipping!), I can keep it. Otherwise, I ca pay for the vest full price — $60 — or send it back.

But I already know that I will happily send a check to Seth and You Saw Me if you aren't into it. My safety and peace of mind is worth $60.

A couple of FAQs/notes:

• The vest does feel heavier than other reflective vests because of the lights. I was worried that it would feel burdensome when I ran but to my surprise, it did not. I do know it's there but my arm swing and pace are just fine.
• There is a wide, adjustable elastic band with a snap belt to secure the vest. It goes through two loops each on the front and back. I have not had a problem thus far with the belt chafing. I do make sure it is snug so as to keep the vest itself from not moving and chafing elsewhere.
• The power source for the vest is a 9-volt battery. I thought this was a bit weird, and it can be awkward to put on if you haven't had a full cup of coffee. It is nice, though, that you don't have to seek out the manufacturer for replacements and can use rechargable batteries, as well. 
• The vest is washable though I have yet to do that. I put it on my passenger seat, over the head rest. I'm sure both smell like Macintosh Apples thanks to Yankee Candle air fresheners. 
• Seth also suggests these vests for cyclists and motorcyclists. I say if you need to be seen, you need this vest.

In the gutter: Running safety

I felt incredibly proud of myself Saturday morning. I actually got up at 5 a.m. I managed to cordon off Denali in the back hallway and get him leashed up to run. I stepped out the front door.

The air was more than crisp that morning - it was downright cold. We got moving quickly, though, thanks in part to my choice not to wear my Garmin (no waiting around for satellites!). As we found our legs, the run was starting off just like any other.

Until it wasn't.

About a half-mile in, on a manicured boulevard with gorgeous old homes, I heard a man screaming at me. Trying to get my attention. He was angry at best and possibly intoxicated. He was alleging that someone stole his gutters, and I needed to be worried. Tie things down. A litany of racial slurs and threats toward perpetrators followed.

I wasn't sure what to do. I didn't want to engage him but  I didn't want to make him angrier either. I said "uh-huh" and "OK" on repeat as my legs turned over quicker and quicker. I looked down at Denali and was never so glad as to have him next to me. I spent the next mile hauling ass, switching up the route and cursing the frigid air for making it harder to breathe.

I stopped at the intersection of a main road to "let Denali pee." I could finally breathe again but still struggled to shake the unsettling feeling. I've been thinking about running safety a lot - November is National Running Safety Month" and Another Mother Runner had a great podcast - but it's been more focused on why I need a headlamp (two runs, two rolled ankles) and not what to do when the crazies are out at 5 a.m.

Here are a few tips:

Bring a dog if possible. I worried that having Denali was a false sense of security but a large dog can be intimidating to predators. A potential attacker doesn't know that he would more than likely lick them to death than bite. Even if the dog doesn't get protective, it might bark and bring attention to you.

Not only will a dog ward off unsavory characters, a dog will also help bring your attention to other possible safety concerns. Dogs have a better sense of hearing and smell than humans, and they are more tuned into those senses. Denali's head will often turn at the slightest noise and because he's on a short leash, it catches my attention. On a run tonight, he noticed an off-leash dog before I did and I was able to stop and get ourselves braced. (Note: I always stop for off-leash dogs because I believe that running could provoke it.)

Tail 'em. A ponytail, the hair style of choice, can be grabbed easily by an attacker. Think of making the pony a messy bun or tucking it into a hat.

Trust your instincts. In my case, the guy could have been just an angry drunk but something didn't feel right and so I did what was best. It's better to be overly careful than naive. Get out of the situation, change your route and stay aware.

Lean in. I wrote a story about Escrima, a Filipino martial art, last year and one of the things that has stuck with me is one of the things a participant said. During an attack, don't back down. The perpetrator expects that, relies on that and uses it to his advantage. Rather, you should move forward and get closer if you intend to fight back. According to the AMR podcast, a good place to strike is any place with soft tissue - eye, groin, nose and knees.

Be visible. We all know to wear bright colors and reflective clothing when it's dark so drivers can see us. Usually, we think it's to allow them time to slow down as they pass or allow us to cross an intersection but it can also allow a passing motorist to see us if we are in distress.

If worse comes to worse, there's a number of apps to make emergency calls quickly in a situation like an attack.

What are your safety tips?

Animal instincts

 Dear neighbor with the pit bull,

I am mad at you. Very mad at you. After all, it is your fault that I did not log the miles I had so hoped on Sunday morning.

I was running on a glorious fake winter day, courtesy of a gracious husband who took my toddler shopping for the holidays. I had set out with a loose plan of 5 miles but I felt good, and it turned into 6 miles then a 10K. I was on track to hit the 6.2-mark at my driveway when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw your stupid tan and white dog.

Your dog might be a nice dog. He might not be the pit bulls you hear about on the news, the ones who attack small children. But that's not a reason to leave him untethered and otherwise uncontained in the front yard. He barks - loudly - and runs the length of your property, obviously indicating his territory and, more than likely, his intention to protect it.

And it scares me. A lot. So much so that I fear running past your house will only further excite the dog and incite a fight. When I see your dog in this state - we both know this isn't the first time - I stop my MOTOACTV, slow to a walk and chalk up the run as done.

Even if I don't want it to be. Like Sunday, when I ran an asinine 6.14 miles.

So please, please, please stop being a crap and put your dog in the fenced back yard. The one I know you have.

Yours truly,

Kimberly

◊◊◊

I like to believe I'm a good dog owner - I exercise Denali, give him good food and make sure he doesn't stink. I am forgiving, though, as I know things happen. You know, like a bored dog sneaks out the front door and explores the neighborhood for two hours. My runs lately, including Sunday's almost 10K, though, have left me with a few pet peeves.

Literally.

1. No matter how well behaved/trained, a dog can and will leave a yard if given the right motivation. Shock collars and invisible fences are not fail-safes either. It is not wise to just leave your dog running around with the expectation that a) he will stay there; and b) no one will get hurt. Also, any passersby will not be hip to your dog's awesome abilities to stay in a yard and might be frightened by an exhibit of territorial rights. Example: A fancy house in a nearby fancy neighborhood has a Labradoodle with an invisible fence. The dog is nutso and runs the length of the entirely too big yard yard at Usain Bolt pace and I nearly crap my pants every time.

2. If you can't control your dogs around other people/animals/fire hydrants, find a place to exercise them that doesn't involve those things. On Sunday's run, again, Denali and I encountered a man riding his bike with three dogs. THREE. He was on the sidewalk, coming toward us, but went to the street to give us room. The three dogs were in the park strip, going absolutely insane as we passed. Again, near crapping of the pants. I was worried not only for my safety and Denali's well-being but that of the cyclist. They surely could have pulled him over and thrown him in traffic. Some might call it Darwinism but I try to be protective of my fellow man.

3. Retractable leashes are the dumbest things ever. Don't use them. Seriously. They don't offer any control over your dog, and your dog doesn't need to walk 20 feet in front of you. Unless you are having a quarrel but that's another story. If your dog needs that much room, go to the dog park or buddy up with someone who has a fenced yard.

4. I might get flak for this but oh well. I can't let my dog be an "outside" dog so you shouldn't get to make your cat be an "outside" cat. If you do, and my dog lunges for it, knocking me to the ground, and eats it ... well, not my fault.

Have you had any frightening animal encounters? What are your pet peeves?