Skip to main content

Be Careful Out There - My Little PSA

When I go running, Scott always tells me to have a good run and be safe. It's not just something he says out of habit. He says it with meaning. Every. Time.

Remember Sherry Arnold, the school teacher who was abducted while running and later found dead? Or Meg Cross Menzies who was killed by a drunk driver while running? And locally we've all read stories of runners being attacked while running.

After Arnold disappeared, I remember being extra careful to run where there was plenty of traffic, and I always made sure my husband knew exactly where I would be running. Then after Menzies was killed I was super paranoid and extra cautious when running around traffic. I would try to meet the eyes of drivers passing to make sure they saw me, and I spent more time on the paved trail by my house to avoid being near vehicles.

But as time goes by I start to let my guard down. I'm less aware of my surroundings, and I let myself get distracted by my thoughts and my music more. Sometimes that is okay.

If I'm on the trail during a busy time of day when cyclists and runners pass me regularly, I can justify letting myself get lost in my run. But when I'm on the street, running with cars just a few feet away or when I'm on the trail and I don't see anyone else for 10 minutes or more at a time, I need to be careful. We all need to be careful.

Please let this be your reminder to be careful out there. I don't want any of us to be the next reminder to be more careful.


Do you listen to music when you run?

Where is your favorite place to run?

 

Comments

  1. Great timing. A few days ago a local runner got hit by a car and killed. It is so tragic. Everybody blamed the runner (who was well off the road) for running distracted because she had ear buds in, but it was no fault of the runner. Even without ear buds, you can't jump out of the way of an oncoming speeding car.

    ReplyDelete
  2. One should always be extra careful to run with heavy traffic. If you get in a problem while driving, remember there are many competent people who can assist you in facing your penalties. Los Angeles DUI lawyer will dedicate their time and effort to study your case and to make sure that you win it in the end.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

I love your comments! They make my day, so be sure to let me know you stopped by. And I always try to respond to your comments, so let me know if you have any questions for me or if there is anything you want to see on here!

Popular posts from this blog

Carpet Burn On My Butt (and a giveaway)

After two lame, pathetic, lackluster weeks of running, I woke up excited to run yesterday. And today, I wore my running clothes all morning in anticipation of my nap time run today. Even in spite of sore glutes and tired quads from getting in some P90X Core Synergistics last night, I couldn't wait to get moving on Millie. I am a planner. Today I had a plan to get my run in while my girls slept, and my day was organized accordingly. I am also a creature of habit. The first thing I do when I roll out of bed every single day is make my bed and my girls' beds. If I do something else first, it throws off the entire morning. I am a creature of habit when it comes to my running routines as well. There are a few things that differ depending on whether I am running on Millie or outside, whether my girls are asleep or not, and whether or not they are joining me in the jogger. Yet, no matter when, where, how far or with whom I run, some things are always the same. My hair goes into a pony

I wasn't sure going in...

Yep, I'm checking in. Why? Because I did something completely out of my comfort zone that I wanted to share with you. Last week I went to a place near Salt Lake called Dexa Body, where I got a DEXA Scan. For those unfamiliar with what that is, I asked Google to help us out:  "Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry  ( DXA , previously  DEXA ) is a means of measuring  bone mineral density  (BMD). Two  X-ray  beams, with different  energy levels , are aimed at the patient's  bones . When  soft tissue   absorption is subtracted out, the  bone mineral density  (BMD) can be determined from the absorption of each beam by bone. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry is the most widely used and most thoroughly studied bone density measurement technology." Since that is pretty medical sounding, here's my take. A DEXA Scan is a tool to measure your total body composition. It specifically breaks down the regional composition of your lean and fat tissue. It gives a fat distribution

Social Media: Some good, a lot of bad, and way too much ugly

There are a lot of good things that come from social media. We can connect with people we have lost touch with. We can unite as a group (runners!!) with a comment interest. We can promote a good cause. Sadly though, what social media does best is makes us feel bad about ourselves and makes us feel negatively towards others. This isn't just my opinion, although I can unquestionably support the truth behind this based on my own experience. I have spent way too much time feeling bad about myself as a result of comparing myself to others based on their Instagram or Facebook versions of themselves. And there are several people I have started feeling negatively about or have become completely annoyed with because of their IG and FB posts. It isn't just me though. There are actual studies that can back me up on the negative impact social media can have. I have read dozens of articles reviewing many different studies that show the overwhelmingly negative (vs. positive) effec