Tell Me Tuesday: See and Be Seen
My pal Heidi says she aims to be “lit up like a Christmas tree” when she runs pre-dawn
Saturday at 7 a.m., when I headed out for my weekend long run, it was still shockingly dark–and it stayed that way for almost the first five miles. Sure, it was partly due to fog and clouds, but it also was a sad reminder at how much shorter the days are getting. Yes, us morning runners will get a brief reprieve after this weekend when daylight savings time ends, but soon after, all my weekdays runs will be completed before the sun makes its daily appearance. Sigh. And for all you late-day runners, you’re going to be plunged back into darkness soon if you aren’t already. More sighs.
So Dim and I figured it’s time for a refresher course on how to make yourself as visible as possible to drivers–who we runners should always assume are paying more attention to their cell phone, XM radio dial, coffee, and mascara wand than on the road ahead of them–as well as lighting up our paths so we don’t trip. (I prefer a smoothie to a a sidewalk-sandwich for breakfast…) Yes, a lot of these pointers are Running 101, but as I’ve found with my daughter Daphne and reminders to not draw on the walls or furniture: It never hurts to be repeat the obvious.
Run facing traffic, sticking close to the curb. (I don’t know about you, but I’m always horrified to see runners going down the middle of a street.) I’m not a fan of running on the sidewalk–too many roots jutting up the surface and concrete is tougher on joints than asphalt–so I stick to the road. But most mornings, when I see the #9 bus barreling toward me, I hop onto the sidewalk for a bit to give it wide berth.
Wear plenty of reflective hits. Aim to have reflective trim on your shoes, tights or skirt, jacket, vest, or shirt, and even your hat. Reflectors grab a driver’s attention better if it’s on a part of your body that’s moving, so consider wearing a reflective wrist- or ankle-band (I sport this one from Amphipod), in addition to a reflective vest or hat. (I’m a big fan of this topper from Headsweats.)
These won’t help you see the road ahead, but they’re worth a chuckle.
Light your way. According to a recent article in Runner’s World, drivers can see a headlamp from a quarter-mile away (whereas they can only see a white shirt from 50 feet out). I get tunnel visions when I wear a headlamp, though, so lately I’ve been running with some nifty new lights called Knuckle Lights. They are comfortable and unobtrusive, and I like that I can direct the beam of light, like when I hit a rough patch of pavement. And, I’ll admit it: They make me feel badass because they are like a runner’s version of brass knuckles or gangsta bling.
Wear light colors. Yes, as I reported above, wearing a white (or yellow, bright pink, or orange) shirt or jacket doesn’t work all that well by itself, but it’s an additional tool in your high-visibility arsenal. There are several apparel lines, namely by Saucony and Brooks, designed especially for grabbing drivers’ attention. Sure, in broad daylight, they make you look like a crossing-guard, but in low light, they do the job.
Stay inside. Of course, one sure way to steer clear of cars: Run on a treadmill.
How ’bout you: How do you play it safe when you run in the early morning/night?
Stop, Pedal, and Roll
My bike set-up: Garmin (for heart rate monitor); fan (for climate control); ironing board (for entertainment center); computer (for my Netflix date with Coach Taylor from Friday Night Lights); foam roller (after the ride, for sure).
So in my race report from the Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver Half Marathon, I left out one minor detail: something sprung in my right side area between Mile 11 and 12. Something that felt like a virtual dagger plunged into that high hamstring/low glute area when I was bounding up a hill, and it took my breath away. But because I was running pretty well and because I had finally, finally executed a smart race plan–and because the last mile was downhill–I did my best to shove it out of my head.
Two weeks later, and I’ve hardly run a step since then. I went out for an easy 30-minute recovery run on Tuesday morning after the race, and took about seven steps, and Ms. Right Glute immediately told me she was not interested in playing this game. I thought about going around my block to see if I could coax her, but I know better.
Even if if a little blood flow would’ve shut ‘er up, it’s not a like a 30 minute run was going to make the situation better. More likely, it would’ve pounded another nail into the coffin–or dagger into my hammy. As I wrote in Run Like a Mother, a really intelligent running doc told me anything above a pain level of 3 on a scale of 1-10 means you stop, drop, and roll. Or at least complete the first part of that directive. And this clocked it at a sound 7.
So I turned around, and walked the 100 yards home. I rested, I iced, I heated, and I tried not to sit too much. Sitting is agony. (Sitting in a window seat, in a true “economy”–read: mouse-sized–seat, on an airplane is hell. But you get enough whining from your kids, so I’ll be quiet now.)
Mostly, I tried not to freak. The tweak/strain/twinge/sprain/whatever you want to call it happened almost a year after I got my boot off from my stress fracture. I had one sobfest as I slobbered and complained to Grant–this is my “healthy” right side; I feel stronger than I have in years; I haven’t been trying to run too fast or too far; I really wanted to cap off this great year with a rip-it-up race at the Strip at Night in Las Vegas–but mostly, I’ve tried to keep it in perspective. So I don’t go down to sea level and run like a rock star? If I’m smart about this, I’ll still be able to run it. Or, as they say on twitter, #firstworldproblems.
I’ve embraced my bike again and am on speaking terms with the elliptical machine. I really hate the elliptical, though: at least with the bike, there’s the promise of going somewhere. But the elliptical? Last I checked, making ovals with your bottom half as you slice and dice with your upper half doesn’t get you anywhere except on the express lane to crazy.
Still, neither pedaling or ellipticalling hurt my hamstring, and we all know how much I need to sweat. I also need to foam roll daily to unkink my right side, which apparently is more taut than the shortest string on a harp, which is why the uphill plucked it a little too aggressively. I’ve had directives to foam roll daily, but I just couldn’t seem to find the oomph to lie down among the dog hairs and roll on a regular basis. That oomph now originates in my right butt cheek and, coincidentally, seems to have a magnetic relationship with the roller…funny how an injury can do that to you.
I’m not sure when I’ll get to run again; hopefully in about two weeks. Until then, I’m just going to take it pedal by pedal, oval by oval, foam roll by foam roll, and believe that there’s some healing going on down under.
You dealing with any injuries–minor, major, somewhere in between–lately? How’s your mental perspective? Your physical body?
Run-ready Costumes!
Don’t be scared: Sarah and Dimity provide inspiration and ideas for a costume for an upcoming Halloween or Muddy Buddy race. From Wonder Woman to Vikings, the ladies offer suggestions for creative, non-chafing options.
Midshow, the gals are joined by Kelly Lewis, a mom of 3 and creative genius, who flew to a personal best in a recent Disney half-marathon dressed as Tinkerbell.
Want to listen to past episodes? Subscribe via iTunes or go to our AMR Radio page.
[audio:http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/podcasts.pagatim.fm/shows/amr_102011_101310151.mp3]Tell Me Tuesday: Making a Perfect Race Playlist
After writing this post, I realized it it might be partly an homage to Steve Jobs. I’m grateful for the joy–and music–he brought to my runs.
If you’ve read our book or spent much time on this site, you know I love my music when I run. Seriously, gals, there are some mornings a new playlist is my main motivator to get out the door; my pavement-pounding session is often the only time during my day I can listen to my music. It can be tough to listen to the tunes I want: I can’t let the kids get schooled by Flo Rida and Snoop Dog in the minivan carpool, and while I write, I need quiet to concentrate.
I take pride in some carefully crafted playlists I’ve posted on our site, such as Carpoolin’ Fools (for a half-marathon) and Marathon PR. Here are some playlist pointers if you’re looking to put together tunes to help you through an upcoming race.
–Don’t wait until the last minute (unless you’re reading this post at 11:36 p.m. the night before your big event!). Making a playlist is a great way to productively use the “extra” time you have during your taper, rather than pacing with nervous energy. I usually compile a playlist on Monday or Tuesday before the race, then I have time to make some tweaks if I remember a “must-hear” song. That said…
–Don’t play your playlist into the ground before the race. I love having a fresh, never-played playlist to crack open on race day morning. Sure, I’ve heard all the songs before, but never compiled in the same way.
Music makes me a happier runner.
–Put some new favorites on it. Get suggestions from friends, Facebook pals, Twitter peeps, iTunes store, and my favorite source, Entertainment Weekly magazine. I stay true to my race-genre—pop and dance music—but I like to throw a few surprises into a mix. Like when our AMR intern turned me on to Jessie J.’s “Price Tag” right before a half-marathon last April—it put a huge spring in my step around Mile 10 when it rotated on.
–Contemplate the order—or disorder. I’m all about hearing the songs in the order I place them: I start out with slower tunes, then have them amp up as the race goes on. If P!nk started encouraging me to raise my glass at Mile 2, I might come up empty at Mile 11. But maybe you prefer the element of surprise. Either way, make sure you have the “shuffle” feature on your iPod set to whichever setting you prefer. I nearly tripped in a pothole in first mile of a marathon, trying to turn off the shuffle feature.
–Share your playlist with your running pals. That Carpoolin’ Fools playlist? I made it for Molly and me to listen to as I pulled her to her half-marathon PR last April. And I made BFF Half when I ran 13.1 in Philly last November with my, you guessed it, bestest bud, Courtenay. We kept volume low enough so we could hear each other shout encouragement or ask a question, but loud enough to keep us hustling.
What songs are in heavy rotation on your playlist? These days I’m loving “Lost in My Mind” by The Head and the Heart for the early stages of a race, then groovin’ to David Guetta’s “Little Bad Girl” when I shift into fifth gear.
Kill the hill!
Yes, “hill” and “hell” are only one letter apart, but you can make hills less devilish if you follow the suggestions Dimity and Sarah share in this episode.
They tell you how to “kill the hill” with simple hill-climbing tactics and shifts in your attitude about inclines. Plus, laugh along as the gals throw out enough 5-dollar words to pay a race entry fee.
Want to listen to past episodes? Subscribe via iTunes or go to our AMR Radio page.
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