When Olivia Newton-John penned her classic hit “Let’s Get Physical” I don’t think she necessarily had runners in mind.  Actually, if you listen to any lyrics beyond the chorus and consider that the song was recently voted Billboard’s #1 Sexiest Song of All-Time (which opens up another debate we won’t get into here) it’s pretty obvious she had anything but running on her mind.  My version of the song, however, is all about a very under-considered aspect of safe running, which will become even more vital now that our days our getting shorter.  Please excuse the artistic license: 

Let’s get visible, visible.
Before you run physical,
Please make sure you’re visible!
Let me see reflectivity! 

Pardon the lame intro, but I can’t overstate the importance of making yourself as visible as possible when you’re running early in the morning or after work, which seems to be when most people hit the pavement.  Particularly in Atlanta, where sidewalks can be scarce, cars plentiful, and drivers often inattentive, wearing some kind of reflective gear can make all the difference.  And with the variety of options to help you stay visible for drivers and other runners, you no longer have any excuses!  Let’s expound… 

1. Reflective Running Vests:  Runners often come into our store reluctant to wear reflective gear because they’re wary of looking like an old-school crossing guard; you know, bright orange vest with bright, reflective yellow stripes.  You can still find plenty of that style of vest around (and, full disclosure, I still rock the crossing guard look when I run at night), but manufacturers have become increasingly more creative with ways to reduce the dork factor associated with running vests.  For instance, Nathan Sports offers a form fitting option called the “Flash” that fits over clothes but doesn’t have the traditional baggy, flapping fit of old school vests.  Other options, like Amphipod’s “Xinglet,” are essentially reflective strips attached together to wrap around your torso.  It achieves the same effect as an old-school vest but, again, cuts down on unwanted excess material.

 2. Reflective strips and lights:  If vest aren’t your thing, there’s no shortage of reflective arm bands, waist bands, leg bands, head bands, head lamps, and blinking lights to help you stay visible at night.  Reflective bands that with Velcro that wrap your arms or legs usually run for less than $20, and their ubiquity makes them easy to find at most running specialty or recreational sports stores.  Head lamps can run from the $20 to upwards of $100, depending on how fancy you want to get, and serve the useful dual purpose of lighting your own path while making you visible to oncoming traffic.

3. Running apparel:  Most technical running apparel comes with some kind of reflectivity included in the design, whether it is a reflective brand logo on the chest, reflective strips creatively integrated into the design, or simply brightly colored fabric.  Some companies have come out with entire lines focusing on visibility.  Brooks’ “Nightlife” collection and Saucony’s “ViZiPro” line offer pieces made with highly visible colors and extra reflective elements.  The real benefit of this line, of course, is killing two birds with one stone: being highly visible to traffic, and not worrying about being visible because you know you look good!

The long and short of it folks is that it is not uncommon for runners to get hit by cars in Atlanta.  So before you run in the dark, make Ms. Newton-John proud.  Get Visible!

Tags: gear guy, running gear, safety