Still a Runner
A Blog by Mary Lou HarrisArchive for Safety
End of the Road Half (and that’s not the Half of It)
It was the sweatshirt that drew me in, hooded with both front and back emblazoned with scenes from the long abandoned Pennsylvania turnpike tunnels near Breezewood.
This seemed
The course is an out and back on an unused roadbed and through two separate tunnels, abandoned back in 1968 along with the roadway. I found the surface in the tunnels easiest to navigate as it was not exposed to weather as the concrete and soil surfaces of the roadbeds were. Total race distance in the tunnels is just under four miles.
In addition, it seemed like a fun way to do a non-serious run, a tourist run of sorts. This was an opportunity to get in a half-marathon distance and maybe add in a mile or two on each end amidst these eerily incredible tunnels.
I had a lot of company in my thinking as there were well over 400 participants. As I approached the pre-race group, I spotted my fellow River Runners from Harrisburg, clowning it up in the porta-potty line.
With a starting temperature in the mid-40’s and overcast skies it was perfect running weather.
Just a scenic, fun half-marathon run
The course begins with a slight incline for less than a mile before entering the first of two tunnels. Did I mention that runners were required to bring a headlamp or flashlight? I was wearing a headlamp and as a failsafe wore my newly acquired nuckle lights.
Shortly after the start, I saw someone take a hard fall on the broken cement that had been a Turnpike lane. It was a reminder that this was not a PR course. I reaffirmed with myself to take it easy and enjoy the run.
As we approached the first tunnel I felt my headlamp fall around my shoulder, something that had not happened before. It was simply a matter of resetting the clip, but not easily done on the run. I stuffed it in a pocket and turned on the knuckle lights. This was the inaugural run for the lights and they worked great.
Entering the tunnel, I saw bouncing beams of light in front of other runners, dancing off surfaces in the distance.
As we entered and exited tunnels, race volunteers had the volume pumped up on appropriately spooky tunes, from Witchy Woman to Thriller. I don’t recall hearing the Monster Mash but it was probably playing somewhere along the course.
Shortly after looping back through the second tunnel, a group of River Runners doing some serious tourist running passed and I hopped in a photo with them.
It all fun and games until someone gets hurt.
The fun and games stopped for me at about 9.5 miles when I took a quick, hard fall. Pulling myself up, I could see where my toe made a divot in the gravely soil in front of a chunk of concrete. The race was over for me.
A couple of other runners checked that I was ambulatory and went on their way. I went on my way as well, walking, blood from my scraped hand running over my pretty new blue just-out-of-the-box nuckle lights, and my left arm becoming stiffer.
I pulled off a fast 3.5 mile walk, taking extra water at the water stop to rinse the gravel off my hands and knee. During that three-mile walk, I reconciled with myself that autumn races in the future will be on the road. The slightly goulish photo below is reminiscent of my trail race last year.
No crazy autumn races in 2020, I promise myself. Happy Hallow’s Eve everyone!
7 GIFT IDEAS FOR SENIOR FITNESS FANATICS
Do you have a few blank spaces next to the names of friends and relatives who continue – or have begun – to pursue exercise or athletic endeavors in their senior years?
My suggestions here focus on gifts for runners, primarily women, but the same gift selection thought process and some of the items can be applied to men and to almost any other sport or activity.
In past years, I’ve done a gift list post or two on my blog and most of those manufacturers and categories still hold true.
In addition to my earlier finds, there is an array of items out there, from the economical and practical to the snazzy or cutting edge. So, let’s get started. Perhaps you will find just the thing for your senior runner or other athlete.
When it comes to gourmet gifts, here are some suggestions to consider:
Healthy Foods and Ingredients
By choosing healthy foods and ingredients you can pick up an economical gift for your runner/athlete host or hostess. They will make a nice addition to the healthy array of foods likely already in the athlete’s cupboard.
Organic food stores carry a number of packaged items and ingredients that can sometimes be difficult to find. Here is a list of organic food stores from across the geographic spectrum.
Organic Restaurants
Eating out can be a challenge for athletes who prefer healthy food, so here is a gift card opportunity. Spec out an organic or generally health-conscious restaurant that your friend or family member has not yet found – or one she particularly likes.
Cookbooks
On my personal wish list this year is Run Fast East Slow developed by Shalane Flanagan, recent winner of the New York City Marathon, along with chef, nutrition coach, friend and college track teammate, Elyse Kopecky.
The cookbook has been around for a year or two, and I have enjoyed some of the recipes prepared by friends who were among the first to purchase it.
Moving on to clothing choices, here are some interesting items that I would definitely consider:
Tights
When hiking, running, doing strength work or cycling, tights are almost essential. Although we all keep that one pair of black tights that can morph from the trail to looking quite nice under a dress or long sweater, the wild splashy colors and prints in tights are far more fun.
Don’t let age stop you from making these a gift purchase for your senior athlete. Join in this trend and go wild. Stop into any athletic store or browse around online, and you will find them.
Socks/Gloves/Hand Warmers
Does your favorite athlete have a favorite brand for socks, gloves and hand warmers? Then stick with that. Most people have worked out what fits best in their running and cycling shoes and what level of warmth is needed.
Your fitness fanatic may appreciate compression socks. They’re a good gift choice – useful for long runs or when traveling soon after an endurance event.
Do you know what kind of gear your friend needs? Let’s look at the choices:
Reflective Gear
Reflective gear is always a nice addition and can be a stocking stuffer. It can be anything, from a reflective strip with a velcro back that can attach to any clothing item to something offering more coverage.
My very favorite gift received last year was the Tracer360. I can be seen in the dark, coming sideways,front or back.
Activity Timing/Tracking
Activity timing gadgets are very personal. I enjoy Garmin products for timing and pacing information on runs, hikes and swims. I also like to look back through the data over time. Seeing the maps of trails trodden in the past can bring wonderful memories, much like photos.
However, there are many technical products, and you will want to know your athlete very well, and perhaps get her input, before making this purchase.
Happy shopping!
If you are 60 or over, what is on your fitness fanatic gift list? If you are the new or experienced athlete, do friends and family encourage your activity with gifts, large or small?
This article was previously published in early December on Sixtyandme.com
Accessorizing for Safety
Being prepared for our own safety is important for everyone. For those of us over 60 years of age, it’s imperative we stay active to maintain as much strength as possible. We can also supplement our strength with accessories, which may or may not have a bit of flash and sash to them.
From high tech to low tech, we all have our favorite safety accessories. We may not think of them as such and while they are not appropriate or helpful for every situation, accessories they are.
For my lifestyle, safety when running the roads and the trails is where I most frequently rely on low tech devices. Whatever your lifestyle, for the majority of outings safety accessories are not needed. However, if we have one or more of them handy, it is one less thing for you or me to be concerned about. Then, we can concentrate on the beauty of the day on the trail or enjoying the sights in the city.
So, let’s look at a few low tech devices I have in mind to accessorize your look and your well being while out and about.
The Other People (OP) Strategy
Seriously, surrounding yourself in a group can be a safety accessory. Think penguins. When penguins take that leap into the water, they do so as a pack. When penguins take that dive with the pack, they are less likely to be gobbled up by a seal. Take that swim alone and it’s nearly a sure thing the penguin won’t be returning to the safety of shore. It’s similar for humans. If we’re with a group, the OP strategy generally works. We are less likely to be hassled, intimidated or something worse.
OP are an excellent safety device when hiking the Appalachian Trail. They’re also fun company.
Alas, we are not penguins. Many of us enjoy a run or a stroll without OP. Are there times you want to take a solo run or see a movie or show that doesn’t appeal to friends and family? Here, the OP strategy doesn’t work unless you forego your own interests. Are you in this category? Well then, we’ll move to the next option.
“You know how to whistle, don’t you Steve?”
Your name is likely not Steve, but that was the advice from Lauren Bacal’s character to Humphrey Bogart’s character in “To Have and Have Not.” It’s a question for you if you want to stay safe. Can you whistle when your safety is in question? You can if you have a basic trail whistle. I have several models for the trail and usually wear one on a chain around my neck tucking the whistle into my running bra. Some people attach a whistle to their auto or home key chains.
A whistle is also great for getting the attention of a crowd
Whistles can be less than a quarter inch in diameter and no more than a inch or so long, and yet make a loud, shrill sound. This is a wonderful passive device that can quickly be used if you become lost on the trail, are hurt and immobile and need help, or if you are in a dicy situation anywhere.
I’ve looked around and found that whistles now come in some elegant styles. You can find a variety on many websites, such as Etsy.
Carry a Big Stick
So said Teddy Roosevelt and so can we. There are variations of the stick that will work for your particular lifestyle. If it’s a run, hike or walk in the woods, a hiking pole will suit.
The citified version of this would be a cane or a walking stick. Whether or not you need it for strength or balance, it can be handy in self-defense and also quite stylish.
My friend Carol with her hiking stick maneuvers around a rough course and any unsavory humans or animals that come her way.
The street and travel version can be the very elegant and decorative canes I have seen used among friends. They vary from rhinestones and animal prints, to classic wood business styles. You can find canes specifically for women at many retail stores or on lines at numerous websites such as this one. I haven’t taken this up as a safety accessory myself but if it is something you use as a safety ruse, please comment on how it has worked for you.
Who Are You?
If you are hurt and can’t speak for yourself, let your identification bracelet or necklace speak for you. It won’t keep bad things from happening, but it can quickly provide necessary information to medical or other professionals. Most outdoorsy folks will wear some form of identification that gives their name, at least one contact person and any other pertinent information.
ROAD ID bracelet just happens to match running gear for the Harrisburg Mile.
Road I.D.is one of many companies where you can find them. Mine is on a wrist stretch band so small I sometimes forget I’m wearing it.
What’s That Odor and Why Are My Eyes Burning?
Pepper spray or mace can be a safety accessory. You can find these in most sporting goods stores. Models vary from handheld to clips.
Some sprays can be considered a weapon and are not welcome everywhere, so think twice before throwing one in your handbag or pocket when you visit certain office or government buildings, arrive for a flight or travel by any means to foreign countries.
That’s my list. Now it’s your turn. What do you recommend adding as a low-tech safety accessory?
(A version of this post was previously published on sixtyandme.com.)
My DWR’s (Daydreaming While Running)
Who doesn’t love that sensation of being in the zone during a run? My generally cautious nature of being aware of my surrounding goes by the wayside when running in the zone moves to a state of running in trance.
Industrial Road section of the Harrisburg Marathon course – not a good place for trance running
So far the most unsettling result of moving to the trance state occurred on a day I left my office for a quick lunchtime run. Somewhere along the riverfront on that beautiful afternoon, I slipped into the trance. Coming out of it, I was more than a mile past my planned turnaround point. After picking up the pace while rehearsing in my head the points I needed to make at the upcoming meeting I would be late for (or was it already happening), taking the fastest shower in history and silently slipping into a chair in the meeting room, disaster was averted. For some reason, my fellow attendees thought I had been at another meeting and were impressed that I rushed over to participate in their discussion. I don’t know what led them to that conclusion about my tardiness, although it may have been my red cheeks still flaring off/on like a stuck red traffic signal, still settling in from the effort of my sprint return.
Then of course, there was that finish line incident. Are any of my readers old enough to remember when road races used pull tags from race bibs and if the race was large enough, separate shoots were for set up for men and women? I was in that punchy-near-the-end type of trance when one of the shoot monitors was shouting “Miss, Miss – to the right – women to the right.” (I was young enough then to still be called a miss.) It didn’t register that he was shouting at me until somehow through body language, he redirected my trance-like brain state to do that simple thing – finish in the women’s shoot.
But enough about my tales of trance-like running state. Surely, you have some to share. Please tell.
An unexpected running partner in her own trance. It’s a good thing one of us was alert.
Early Morning Runs Among the Homeless
We runners tend to have a rare view of the world. Most of us will have mornings where we are out the door and back while the household sleeps. Other times we are traveling, staying with friends and family or in a hotel. Again, and always with safety in mind, the most opportune time to get in a run is early morning before the day’s activities begin.
So it is that my view of the homeless on our streets and in our parks is through the sleepy eyes of an early morning runner.
Thinking back several decades to the 70’s, the homeless population seemed to be a smattering of men, usually along a skid row area viewed through a car window. By the ’80’s I was seeing more people on the very streets I walked and ran near my office. Because I moved from one city and state to another, I first thought the larger homeless population was a quirk of my new hometown. It didn’t take long to realize that the increase in homelessness was not just where I live, but was a national and international phenomenon.
Running offers time to think and question. Questions like, why do I see more of the homeless now, where do they come from, what occurred in their lives that brought them to this park, this riverfront this retail doorway this particular morning?
The news reports I occasionally hear identify certain percentages of homeless as military veterans, those suffering mental illness or plagued with addiction, LGBT youth estranged from parents, and young families suffering job loss. Whatever the percentages, I, and I’m guessing many runners, have witnessed those from every category above.
My travels abroad have affirmed we in the U.S. are not alone in a growing homeless population.
Several years ago on an early morning run along a river walk in Osaka, Japan, I was jolted, realizing I had come upon a homeless encampment, blue tarps spreading in the distance. I quietly turned and rerouted to avoid disturbing anyone’s sleep.
Versions of that experience have occurred during most of my travels. I used my softest running steps as I encountered the homeless sleeping in doorways along Avenue de Clichy in Paris. At dawn, I’ve side-stepped those “sleeping rough” under the display windows of Christie’s Auction House in London’s South Kensington.
If you’re expecting to find my recommendations or solutions, I have none. I’m just an early morning runner reporting my observations. I do, however, believe there are smarter and more creative people than me who have within them the potential to contribute to the resolution. Policymakers, counselors, non-profit agencies, maybe some from the homeless community; among you I believe there are answers. By example, Back on my Feet is a relatively (2007) new organization with an innovative approach. In this wide world of creative, caring people somewhere there is someone, probably many someones, who have the beginnings of other solutions.
Personally, my meager contribution is to donate to organizations that are sincerely helping. When I travel, I make it my business to identify a local group with a proven track record. Since I have benefited a city by spending my tourism dollars in restaurants, hotel stays, and race registrations, it makes sense to also contribute to the population least likely to benefit from my stay.
Could 2017 be a breakthrough year? With hope and determination, who knows.
On this chilly December evening, I wish all of my readers the warmth of family, friends and most of all, a place to call home.
When is Black the New Bad?
About 50 feet away, that’s me holding a safety light reflector (that white speck you see).
Answering my title question upfront: Black is the new bad when worn at night without reflective material anywhere there is vehicular traffic.
I’m saddened by three recent reports of people over the age of 65 killed in pedestrian/auto accidents. Two I knew personally; one a neighbor who power-walked past my home almost daily, the other a former colleague and community volunteer. To my knowledge, none of the three were runners. I don’t know the details of the accidents but I do know under any circumstances vehicles and people are not an even match.
So why am I telling you this on a blog post primarily about senior runners? Because it dawned on me that I, and I suspect you, don’t take adequate precautions when we are are not in running mode.
Out the door for a run anytime of day or night, we are in safety green or day-glo yellow. At dusk or dawn, we are wearing headlamps, flashing red lights and those bizarre but effective neon circle lights. But dear fellow senior runner, what are you wearing when you step out during the holiday season? Is it that little black dress that you can still get away with because you are a runner and in great shape? Are you out for happy hour in bluejeans, black knee-length boots, maybe a dark fleece jacket to shield you from the evening cold? Black gloves? Uh-huh, I thought so.
At about 30 feet away, look closely, safety light still in hand I am barely visible.
Are we as attentive when out in the evening socially as we are when running? On a run, I find I can still do a fast ditch-dive when a vehicle comes too close. My antennae are on alert. Do I have the same level of caution crossing streets when out socially in the evening? Honestly, no.
When we walk across a dimly-lit parking lot on our way to a holiday concert, to church, to a restaurant to gather with friends, is a driver likely to see us in dark colors – before it is too late?
Probably not the driver on their cell phone, not the driver talking to soothe a tired child, not the driver hurrying to a store before it closes. Even the driver with brilliant attention and quick reflexes may not spot us in time.
About 12 feet away from camera. Would a driver stop in time?
I’m taking my own advice here and please join me. Black is a great evening color and without it my closet would be nearly bare, but the fatal accidents of late have convinced me that it won’t hurt a bit to keep something lightweight and reflective tucked in my purse or pocket ready to add when in dark areas.
Please be safe out there and when taking in holiday events with family and friends or when crossing a street in the evening. Use the same precautions used when out for a pre-dawn run.
We are approaching the year’s shortest day and longest night, with sunset tonight at 4:43 p.m.
Just added to my gift list – an amphipod xinglet. Can be adjusted to fit any size and over any coat.
Lighten up!
Stay safe and healthy. Peace.
