Running in the rain

Now that it's getting darker earlier I find myself doing my runs in the dark. And as it happened last night - in the rain.

I have a dilemma that I need to solve soon. I don't have great running stuff for the dark. This could obviously pose a potential safety hazard. I've been looking into reflective gear. I'm partial to a hat I found and a jacket/ vest thingy. I know they make those reflective bibs but I just can't bring myself to wear it.

No offense to anyone who has one - but due to certain family stories those reflective bibs reminds of a grandpa. Apparently the hubby's grandfather did (and apparently still does) put reflective tape on EVERYTHING. My M-I-L loves to complain that her dad covered her bike in that stupid reflective tape growing up. (although I do agree that's a complain-able offense...) The hubby said grandpa once showed up with a new Honda with reflective tape on the front and back bumpers.

Ok, a bike I can kinda understand. But a CAR?!?!

So that's why I think the bibs are a bit grandparent-y.

The gear that I use now for running in the dark - a white long sleeve Under Armor shirt. Not reflective or anything - just the only light-colored item I own. The hubby also had me attach a blinking red light to the back of my baseball hat. That's getting really close to covering my in reflective tape - but I didn't complain.

I have found that running neighborhoods in the dark can be hazardous in other ways. The asphalt is sketchy in some places. I swear I almost turned my ankle once because it was dark and I couldn't see the cracked pavement in front of me. So last night I decided, in addition to my blinking red light on the back, to put a white light on the front. The only one I could find was the hubby's headlamp that he uses for reading in bed. ('cuz we're too trashy to actually purchase reading lamps...)

I had already run in the dark earlier this week so my white top was dirty. So I was in black shorts and a black long sleeved top. Hence the reason I decided I needed a bit more lighting on my person.

I'm sure I was a sight to see. In all black, as though I'm looking to burglarize some place. With a baseball hat on with a headlamp on the front - pointing as much as possible to the ground. When drivers then saw me in their rear view mirror they were greeted with my blinking red light from behind.

Oh. and it was raining. Apparently harder than I originally thought. There's a piece of my run between neighborhoods were I have to run on a busy road for a quarter mile. (thank goodness it has a wide shoulder!) Since I'm a considerate runner I run against traffic. Cars were passing me splashing up rainwater all over the front of me.

Not long before I got home I realized when I ride my bike in these conditions my bike is covered in gross road grime. (think dead animal bits and such). And then it occurred to me...

GROSS!!! I was covered in road grime!!

Ugh!! all over my face!!!

Yeah - I was spitting all the way home. I scrubbed my face as soon as I got in the house.

I gotta figure out a way to keep all that grossness out of my mouth and face.