This post was inspired by a close call I had just the other week. I was running down a stretch of road that is pretty wide and not heavily trafficked by cars; however, they are there and you do need to be aware of them. Even though the road is wide, there are no real shoulders in many areas and the sides can be a combination of rubble and dirt, high grass, or brush too thick to get into to.
I was running along happily facing traffic (TIP NUMBER 1: Run so you can see the cars coming to you.) and saw a car coming down the road faster than he really should have been and then as he got closer, he started veering in my direction. I immediately dodged to the side, got scraped along the knee from the brush and sharp weeds, but was able to run along essentially "unharmed". Thank God for that!
Some may call me paranoid but I do think of many what if car scenarios while on the run. (TIP NUMBER 2: Always have an escape plan.) When I run I do think of how I could avoid disaster if needed. I am not saying that every step of my run I am calculating off course emergency exits but I do know the sketchy parts and have thought of them. (TIP NUMBER 3: Know where you are running and any potential dangers.) Since I run along the same 4-5 routes the vast majority of the time, I know the issues and have formulated escape plans....for lack of a better term. I know where there are good shoulders, where I can dodge off the road, and where escape is essentially impossible due to a flying leap over a guardrail only to plummet down in a valley. But even in those areas of higher risk, I have a plan. (TIP NUMBER 4: Alter your pace.) Sometimes you just may need to stop to let traffic go by and then run along the narrow stretch or if you see an all clear, run faster especially if there is a blind curve and you can't be 100% sure what is around the bend. (TIP NUMBER 5: Don't be blasting music in your ears.) Thank God we have ears and for a vast majority of us, we can hear. Use them! You can hear cars coming before you see them and I get to practice this every single day when I go to and from our mailbox at home. It is across the street with a turns on the road on either side. One is more subtle but one is sharp, too close for comfort, and I must peer through leaves looking for any signs of motion and listen, listen, listen and then get across the street as fast as possible!
I truly think this is a subject worth a lengthy discussion but I will stop with today's 5 tips and stay tuned for future tips.
Daily Gratitude: I am thankful for hand therapy --- even if it hurts like crazy!
Daily Bible Verse: Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. ~ Psalm 100:4-5
