This morning reminded me why I typically don't
run in the winter... BLACK ICE.
We don't see it but we all know it's
out there. Some of us are more daring than others. "I'm not
going to fall." "I won't get injured." "It's not going to happen to me." My
blog post today isn't about slipping and falling, wearing the right shoes,
avoiding icy roads, or staying indoors this winter. My blog post is about
paying attention.
True story from today: Georgie and I
were out for our morning walk. The roads in my neighborhood were a thin
sheet of ice. The entire road. I thought about turning
around and heading back inside but Tuesdays are my longest day away from her
and I had already bundled up so we were committed.
For the most part we were able to walk
on grass in our neighbors yards with the occasional slippery driveway. We
watched a car slide all the way down the road, unable to
make a left hand turn, ending up in the grass. Georgie and I were about
halfway home when she stopped to sniff. I saw a car coming towards us and
I started to worry that it too wouldn't be able to make the turn. I tried
to get Georgie to move along as I watched the car accelerate towards us.
I ran but Georgie wasn't budging so I pulled the leash and she
went air born. The car ended up right where we were standing and about 6
inches away from a telephone pole. It all happened in a matter of
seconds.
Often times when running or walking,
athletes are not paying attention to what is actually going on around
them. Running. Sight seeing. Wait, how's my form? What's my pace? Is my heart rate in the target range? Race
goals. Daydreaming. Brainstorming. Stressing.
Singing. In the zone.
I'm only sharing this because it could
happen to you. Run "on defense." So please, leave the headphones at home. Focus on
your surroundings. Stay alert and be careful out there!
[Related Post: Running Safety]
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