Lighting up the run

With winter coming, most of my runs are getting moved into the dark so I decided I needed to get some gear to help me be more visible. My runs are usually in pretty low traffic areas so after browsing the selection at a sporting goods store, I settled on a couple of these LED lights from Highgear.

Red and green clip-on lights for visibility while running/walking in the dark.
Red and green clip-on lights for visibility while running/walking in the dark.

They come in red, yellow and green. I chose red and green because they seemed the brightest in the store. They’re pretty lightweight (18g each) and have a good grippy clip that is somewhat reminiscent of a medieval torture device. I clip them to my sock and don’t even notice they’re on when I’m out running. When it gets cold enough, I’ll probably clip one to my Barcamp hat.

Three really bright LEDs can be set to light up in three different patterns with a click of the button in the middle. When I look behind as I’m running, I can see road being partly lit up by the light. Should be more than bright enough to attract the attention of anybody coming up behind me.

New shoes

As a general rule, when runners find a pair of shoes they like, they usually stick with them.
My old shoes, Brooks Adrenaline GTS 7, although they hadn’t seen a lot of running miles, were getting a little old and worn out. After checking out the Runners World print and online shoe guide to see what was around, I ended up picking up the … Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11.

There have been a few changes in the shoe since my old one. The midfoot area is stiffer thanks to a new plastic plate and there’s more cushioning in the forefoot area. The heel area seems a little bit softer too. but still provides the firmer medial wedge to help control mild pronation problems.

I’ve been wearing Brooks running shoes for years, pretty much since high school when I first started running. They’ve always worked well for me. The new incarnation of the Adrenaline GTS is no exception. My new shoes feel pretty good. They haven’t seen any road miles yet, but have been getting some use on the indoor and rooftop track at the Wellness Center this week.

Time for new shoes

It’s definitely past time for a new pair of runners. The ones I have, in addition to not seeing much running over the years, are way overdue for replacement. Come to think of it, I think I’ve had these shoes since Detroit…They’ve seen a lot of walking mileage, but not a whole lot of running.
New shoes will have to wait until after AAPM though.