September 7, 2011

Running in the Dark (with Saucony's USB Light)



Andrea and I do a lot of running in the dark, which is the only way you can log big mileage and still get to work before 8am every day. In the winter months, I feel like I am never running in the daylight because by the time I leave work for my afternoon run, its almost dark out again.

Since we live in a city, traffic is something you have to inevitably deal with, even though we have lots of running routes that minimize the amount of cars. Being SEEN by these cars is especially important.

Saucony's ViziPRO line of ultra-bright and reflective clothing has been a godsend for us. We both have jackets and vests that we wear everyday during the colder, darker months. In addition to the bright, easily seen colors, the jackets also have a built-in flashing light near the wrist, which I think is the best safety feature they possibly could have added. The flashing LED really gets the attention of all but the worst car drivers. 

We are in a weird time of year right now - the weather is still warm enough to wear a t-shirt in the morning, but its also dark for the first 45-60 minutes of most morning runs. So what's the solution for safety on the roads? Saucony's USB LED clip light.

This little LED can attach anywhere, but we have found that it works very well to simply clip it onto the underside of our watches (see photos below). Its small, lightweight, and you don't even notice that you are wearing it. Clip it on, turn on the flasher, and head out the door!

Here's the best part - you can recharge it by simply plugging it into a USB drive on your computer for 20 minutes.

During the winter months I plan on using this clip light along with the light built into my jacket. We may look like a couple of flashing Christmas trees to drivers, but at least they will notice us!



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