Be Safe Out There

This past Thursday, I was out for my usual morning run when I had a run in with a car. I was running down a busy street facing the traffic as you are supposed to do to be safe. I was wearing my reflective vest and gloves. Plus, I am always at a heightened sense of awareness when it comes to running around my area because there are no sidewalks for the most part to run on. I need to be constantly looking ahead and to the sides to make sure I know where all the cars are at all times. But, even with this vigilance, I was almost struck less than ½ mile from my home.

As I approached the “T” intersection, I always look to my right because cars coming down that street are typically traveling too fast and tend to roll the stop sign. This particular morning, there was quite a bit of traffic heading towards me which I also needed to pay attention to. Well, this driver slows down and stops as I am approaching the intersection. As I watch him, he starts to inch forward. But, there was a rather large truck coming towards him and I figured there is no way he is going to chance it. I decided to keep running and believed he obviously saw me. I was wrong!

As I crossed the passenger side bumper, he started to go to try and beat the truck. I leaped out of the way just barely clearing the driver’s side bumper. The driver then noticed the truck as too close and slammed his brakes on almost sliding into the truck. The truck passed and he peeled out to go his merry way. I don’t think he ever saw me. It was the closest call I have had since moving here to New England.

You see in Southern California most residential areas have sidewalks. As a runner, this is really nice as it allows you more flexibility in choosing your runs and you don’t have to worry as much about the crazy drivers you may encounter. Here in New England (at least out where I live), it is the rare occasion that there are sidewalks to run on. Therefore, you are always taking a great chance of bodily harm when you run here. Especially in the winter when the roads are narrower due to snow build up on the sides of the road.

This made me think about my own safety precautions when I run. Was I really doing all the things I needed to do to remain safe from the drivers out there who obviously are multi-tasking and not paying attention to their surroundings? I decided to do a little research this week and found the following tips that seem to show up in any discussion about runner safety when running on the road.

Run against the flow of traffic. -- That's the left hand side of the road here in the United States. Running against traffic allows you to see what is coming toward you. Drivers do some really crazy and unpredictable things. Therefore, you have to assume that the driver doesn't see you. You need to protect yourself and err on the side of caution.

Run defensively. – A safe driver always drives defensively. So, as a runner you should do the same. Always yield the right of way at any intersection to the cars. As I found out, drivers don’t always obey traffic signals or signs. Therefore, you need to protect yourself first. Never expect a driver to change his path to avoid you. Don’t forget to take into account any weather or other conditions that affect a driver’s visibility such as glaring sun, rain, snow, or fog.

Beware of vehicles turning right. The most common near collisions occur when runners approach the right side of a vehicle that is turning right. This is due to the fact that a driver is always looking left for oncoming traffic to ensure they can safely turn onto the road. Most driver’s never look to the right as they pull out into traffic after see if it is safe to make the turn. If you cannot make eye contact with the driver, it is best to stop running and wait for them to turn.

Watch out for the second vehicle. When you are running along the side of a road (facing on-coming traffic) and you see a line of cars approaching, you need to be aware of the fact that the first car in the line blocks the view of any car following behind. Most of the other close calls I have had were in this situation. The cars following the first car probably don’t see you and when they finally do, it is sometimes too late to avoid colliding with you. Always have an escape plan should a car not be able to avoid you. Know your surroundings and make sure you can get off the side of the road onto a shoulder or into a ditch if you feel you are in danger.

Be visible and alert at all times. Since most of us run alone and sometimes in the dark, we need to use our eyes and ears to be aware of our surroundings. Most people recommend not running with earphones. I do run with my IPOD. But, my earphones don’t cover my ear. I can still hear all of the ambient noise around me. Always wear reflective clothing at dawn, dusk or night time and bright visible clothing any other time. Look for running shirts, shorts and tights that have reflective stripes or simply wear bright colors (i.e. white, yellow, orange, etc.). You can buy inexpensive, highly effective traffic vests to help increase your visibility. They may not look cool. But, they will keep you safe. Sometimes in the winter, I have worn my camping headlamp. Friends of mine and runners in the Reach the Beach Relay wear flashing lights attached to their vest. These are very practical on dark winter nights.

As I looked back over the list of safety precautions, I realized that I am diligent in following these safety rules. But, I still was almost struck by a car. So, if you are not doing any of these things or only a few, you are at risk for injury or worse. If you are like me, you cannot imagine not being able to run. Why take the chance of losing this very important part of your life? Take care out there and run safe.

Here are my training totals:
Oct. 18 – 10.00 miles (1:24:21, 8:26 pace)
Oct. 19 – 6.10 miles (51:45, 8:29 pace)
Oct. 20 – 3.10 miles (23:25, 7:32 pace) – Speedwork
Oct. 22 – 6.00 miles (49:39, 8:08 pace) – Tempo run
Oct. 24 – 10.00 miles (1:26:35, 8:39 pace)

Total Miles: 35.20 miles
2009 YTD Miles: 1,654.15 miles

The 4th Annual World Wide Festival of Races

I know I have been remiss in posting to my blog the past couple of weeks. I do have a legitimate excuse. I have been rehearsing for the Nashoba Players production of “Godspell” which opens on October 30th. I have rehearsals 3 nights a week and the last couple of weeks we have been adding weekends as well. So, I have had trouble enough getting my runs in let alone composing some rambling rant to post here for your enjoyment. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy writing my posts. It has just been difficult.

Last Sunday I participated in a unique race that any of you could have run with me. In fact, you could have run with me without even being here in Westborough, MA. No I am not talking about some sort of strange science fiction mind meld. I am talking about the World Wide Festival of Races who’s slogan is “Think Global, Run Local”. This year was the 4th year that this race has been put on. Let me explain by using their website’s description of the race:

“This race is a free, non-commercial event for runners of all abilities, where everyone is invited to register, train and run with us in the spirit of friendship. The only requirement is that you sign-up to run an official road race or a route of your choosing on the weekend of 10-11 October 2009, and report the results on this website (http://www.worldwidefestivalofraces.com/cgi-bin/home). Participation in the race will also include a 'virtual' race bib, goody bag and completion certificate as well as a community forum and final results listing.”

There were three different distances you could have run – The Kick the Couch 5K or The Zen Run 10K or The Worldwide Half Marathon. I chose to run the half marathon. Why not? I had been doing some serious training for my Reach the Beach Relay. I knew I could knock out a half marathon with no problems. My plan then was to get up early on Sunday morning the 11th and run a 13.1 mile route I had mapped out. It was going to be a challenging course as it had several long hills along the route. I wanted to see whether or not I could PR on a difficult course.

I got a good nights rest on Saturday night. I woke up to one of the first real cold snaps of the fall. It was only 39 degrees when I headed out. For the first time this fall, it actually felt a little like winter to me. I dressed in shorts, a tech t-shirt and threw on a light weight fleece. I had my running gloves and running skull cap. I was hoping it would be enough to keep me warm once I got going. The first couple of miles I doubted my preparedness for the cold. It was a bit breezy and I was somewhat chilled. But, I ran on hoping the blood pumping through my veins would warm me up.

The first big hill was a struggle for me. It is approximately 1 mile long and is about a 4% grade very similar to Heartbreak Hill. I have run this hill numerous times in my past training runs. I knew I could conquer the hill. I just wasn’t sure how it would ultimately affect my ability to PR. I simply shortened my stride and keep trudging upward. Before I knew it, I had crested the longest of the hills I would have to tackle. I was also greeted with a long stretch of very slight rolling hills and a nice easy downhill run. By the time I had hit the halfway point, I was really in a good rhythm.

As I said, I wanted to set a PR on this run. I knew what my past ½ marathon times were all hovering around 1:55:00 to 2:10:00. I really wanted to run under 1:47:00 if possible. This would mean I would have to clock between an 8:00 and 8:10 per mile pace. I had been doing my tempo runs at this pace and knew what it felt like. I didn’t look at my watch at all during the first 10 miles. When I finally did check it as I passed what I knew would be the 10 mile point, I was just over 1 hour and 22 minutes. This meant I would have to run the last 5K in 25 minutes to hit my goal. I wanted to dig deep and pick up the pace. While I did pick it up slightly, it didn’t feel like it was going to be enough. The first hill on my course had taken its toll.

I decided not to look at my watch until I reached the “finish line”, this way I could concentrate on my pace and breathing. I was feeling good overall. I just had very little left in the tank at this point. But, knew I would finish. I just didn’t know if I would hit my goal for this race. I pushed on looking for the last marker where I knew I had only 1/10 of a mile to go. Before I knew it, I passed by the marker and did my best to push hard to the finish line. When I crossed it, I started to walk and looked at my watch. I had finished the 4th Annual World Wide Half Marathon in an impressive 1:48:52 (8:21 per mile pace).

While I didn’t hit my goal, I was still extremely satisfied with my time. When I reviewed my race times for the 8 half marathons I have run, I found my best time up to this run was 2:02:08 which was a 9:18 pace. I had trimmed almost a full minute off of my best time. How could I complain or feel bad about that. Besides I had run with over 1,100 friends from all over the planet. It the one time each year when I am on a training run that a truly feel a part of the greater running community. The Phedippidations podcast has greetings from fellow runners all over the world you can listen to while you run this race making it truly seem as if you are running with people all over the world.

This was my 3rd running of the World Wide Half Marathon. I intend to run it again next year. Why don’t you join me?

P.S. My name Vaca Coon comes from a little creature that live in the Florida Keys. It is a raccoon that we met when we went to the BSA's Florida Sea Base. He is a tough little animal and an excellent name for a tough runner.

Here are my training totals:

Oct. 5 – 3.10 miles (28:26, 9:10 pace)

Oct. 6 – 6.20 miles (52:49, 8:31 pace)

Oct. 8 – 6.20 miles (52:07, 8:24 pace)

Oct. 9 – 6.00 miles (50:37, 8:26 pace)

Oct. 10 – 3.25 miles (26:58, 8:18 pace)
Oct. 11 – 13.10 miles (1:48:52, 8:18 pace)
Oct. 12 – 6.00 miles (53:31, 8:55 pace)
Oct. 13 – 3.50 miles (29.49, 8:31 pace) – ½ mile warm-up, 2 mile repeats at 7:19 pace
Oct. 15 – 6.00 miles (50:08, 8:21 pace)
Oct. 16 – 6.20 miles (50:06, 8:05 pace) – Tempo run
Oct. 17 – 7.64 miles (1:04:32, 8:26 pace)

Total Miles: 67.19 miles

2009 YTD Miles: 1,618.95 miles