Fitness Friday (on Thursday): Safety with Road ID

Now that I'm really getting into my half marathon training, I've been running longer distances than the 2-3 miles I was doing when I first started. It was easy to do a few quick laps around the neighborhood walking path and call it a day. Doing 7 miles of that, however, would be a boring, boring nightmare. I've found a lot of really great runs around town, but it's been a little nerve wracking going out so far by myself. A good friend of mine, and soon to be marathon runner, suggested that I get a Road ID. A what ID?

Born from Edward Wimmer's dangerously close call while running one day, Road ID was inspired by the concern his father, Mike Wimmer, had while Edward was training for his first marathon. The idea to have important identifying and medical information available in an obvious and accessible place should something happen, is nothing short of simple brilliance. Still run by Edward and Mike, Road ID has received countless thank you's and testimonials over their 15 year span and I can understand why. 

Whenever Jeff or I go out to run, day or night, we always tell each other to be careful...and worry anyway. Obviously this snazzy looking band isn't going to prevent an accident, BUT it will provide incredibly helpful information to EMS quickly, saving precious time in an emergency situation. 

Our bands (of course I got a pink one) were easily customized on Road ID's website - I think it took me 10 minutes to order them. Once you choose between the original version or the interactive version (compare them here), pick a size, and the type of band you want, you can begin plugging in your information. At first, I wasn't sure what information would be best to add, but their easy to follow guide gave suggestions for what each line should contain. There was even a long list of one line, inspirational quotes to add if I had extra space. 

On my band, I included:

Full Name

Town, State

Jeff (555-555-5555) Husb

Chris (555-555-5555) Sis

DOB Year

No Allergies, B+ Blood

This will allow someone to know who I am, where I belong, two options for emergency contacts and who they were, my age, and that I have no allergies and my blood type. Six lines of info - that is huge! I really think when Ginny gets to the age of needing a medical alert band that I will get her one of these to wear. It's comfortable, inexpensive, and has the ability to contain a huge amount of information. 

I think Jeff and I both feel a little more at ease when the other goes out for a long run, especially as the days get shorter and visibility becomes poorer in the evenings. In addition to the wrist bands, Road ID also has a selection of visibility gear such as reflective bands, tape, and laces.

To check out their website, click the affiliate link below!

Aside from wearing high visibility colors and reflective gear, here are other ways to stay safe while running...

• Avoid using noise canceling head phones or keep one ear bud pulled out so you can hear traffic around you. 
• Always run against traffic. Even if a driver is distracted, you will see them before something happens.
• Side walks aren't automatically safe - pay attention to driveways, hidden alleys, entryways, etc. as you run along. 
• Follow traffic signals and laws. Yes, pedestrians have the right of way, but dodging through traffic or running through "do not walk" signs is just unsafe. 
• Anticipate blind curves and steep hills where cars may not be able to see you as clearly. 

Luck favors the prepared, so be as prepared as you can be!