This was the week where the time changed by setting the clocks back one hour. For runners it is a mixed bag of emotions. The morning runners get to enjoy the more daylight and the ability to see the road. For evening runners, the darkness starts a little after 6 p.m. and if a runner works until 5 p.m. the chance of getting a run of any distance in before it gets dark is almost zero. For runners the time change will have them complaining twice a year. The only difference is that they are in reverse order. Evening runners complain in the fall because it gets dark sooner and morning runners complain in the spring when it stays dark longer. Runners that are fortunate to be able to run in the afternoon do not have to deal with running in the dark when the time changes.
There is a concern that I see too often when the time changes in the fall. The concern is I see too many runners and bikers wear dark clothing in very limited light. I see bikers that ride to work or school in the morning but for the ride home in the evening it is dark. I have driven up on both runners and bikers a few times and did not see them until the headlights of my car picked them out. If a driver is distracted at all and not watching the sides of the road it may result in a collision of either a runner or a biker. Wearing reflective clothing and having a light attached to the clothes helps tremendously. The headlight on a bike for the rider to see where they are going does not really help that much for the driver of a car approaching from the back of the rider.
Runners tend to run in the street when it gets dark as sidewalks can be a problem. Between cracks in the sidewalk, uneven surfaces, low hanging limbs of trees and objects left on the sidewalk from other people are all potential hazards. And there are many neighborhood streets that do not have sidewalks at all. With parked cars from residents the runner is forced to run near the center of the road and often in the path of oncoming cars.
Running against traffic helps because the headlights will pick the runner or biker up in time to avoid any contact with them. One other concern is the number of bikers that do not wear a helmet. These helmets provide the minimum of protection but are much better than the bones of the skull hitting the pavement first.
If a runner or biker knows that they will be on the road when visibility is dark and limited it requires some planning before going out. There are many types of reflective clothing available for runners at night. From a reflective belt with a blinking light to a fluorescent yellow shirt with reflective stripes attached to reflective tapes attached to the shoe all work to make a runner or biker more visible at night. I have seen adult shoes with flashing lights around the sole of the shoe that change color several times. They worked great for Halloween night walking the kids to collect candy but would be a great addition to a runner or biker. The headbands that have a light attached is a good addition to making a person visible.
Most of this safety clothing apparel can be purchased at a running store, a clothing store and even a lumber or hardware store. I bought several reflective t-shirts at a lumber store for a very reasonable price. If you don’t want to buy or wear a reflective shirt at least dress in light colored running clothes. White is preferred but even a light yellow is better than a dark blue or black outfit.
For the morning runner I recall how nice it was to be able to run and see where I was going when the time changed. But enjoy the time now as next spring it will be dark again.
