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Maintain Visibility After Dark
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run-jim-run
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Joined: 14 Nov 2005
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 14, 2005 3:15 pm    Post subject: Maintain Visibility After Dark Reply with quote

See and Be Seen

It’s late fall and like many of you, I do most of my training before work. Up by 5:00 AM and out the door by 5:30 means most of my runs are entirely in the dark. I used to let that darkness comfort me like a blanket. Running along the streets and paths that line the park near my house, the darkness allowed my imagination to go wild. Miraculous, come-from-behind gold-medal victories before millions of screaming fans – you know those dreams.

One morning I discovered the darkness wasn’t as much a friend as I thought. Out on a pre-dawn jaunt, I ran right past a rather large snake stretched out in the middle of the road. Once the synapses in my groggy brain started firing I realized what it was and stopped about 10 yards past him (or her).

Turns out the little fellow was on death’s door and consequently not even close to dangerous, but the experience left me rattled – pun intended.

Because I am a fairly cautious person, I wear reflective clothing, a reflector armband with blinking LED lights and generally cross streets at cross-walks to avoid tangling with cars. But, defending myself against venomous woodland creatures was something even I hadn’t planned on!

The next morning I was out on the same path and it was as dark as could be. I was straining to see and imagining all the things that were laying-in-wait. When out of nowhere, my path was illuminated by what seemed to be a light from above. The beacon turned out to be a guy on a mountain bike cruising up the trail from behind me. He whizzed by and the light disappeared pitching me back into darkness.

Now, I’m comfortable admitting I have a bit of a gear addiction but the headlamp the biker had on started making a heck of a lot of sense. Not only would I be able to see in the darkest corners of the park, but I’d be easy to spot by those bleary-eyed drivers when crossing the street.

After a quick trip to my favorite outdoor store I had it – a lightweight, but extremely powerful headlamp that takes a couple of AAA batteries and is comfortably mounted on an elastic headband.

I got home and tried it on for my wife – who thought I looked like Robo-Cop. I explained that as long as this little light kept me from tripping over something or getting hit by a car – I don’t care what I look like.

The next morning in the park I admit I felt a little self-conscious. Truth be told, there were probably more than a few snickers. That is, until I started illuminating the path for some of my fellow park patrons. In the darkest sections of the park people were amazed at how much light my little headlamp cast. Everyone wanted to know how much it cost and where I bought it – if only I had a few extra to sell.

The fact is, this little device cost less than $30 and can be found in almost any outdoor store. The headlamp that I bought is lightweight and comfortable and is now a requisite piece of equipment for my early morning runs.

Running is such a simple sport. All we need is good shoes, some technical clothing and room to run. Unfortunately, sometimes our pursuit brings us a little too close to danger. If a $30 headlamp gives me the edge I need to survive those encounters then I will have mine on – regardless of what I look like. As we all know, there are far too many stories of runners getting hurt because of not being able to see – or be seen. Like you, I’d prefer never to hear those stories again.
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Jim Nolte is a part-time writer and avid runner from Atlanta, Georgia. Jim competes in local 10Ks and half marathons and runs one marathon a year – none of which he is ever in danger of winning. Write to Jim at run-jim-run@comcast.net
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Paul
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Joined: 28 Apr 2002
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Location: Oregon

PostPosted: Thu Mar 09, 2006 9:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There are a lot of Adventure Racers that wear these kinds of lights. They're essential because you can be orienteering in the middle of the night, and sometimes you want to stay on the move. I work mostly at night, and it amazes me how many people are oblivious to the fact they are totally undetectable until you are 50 feet away from them. Not much, when you're driving a car.
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