For the Runners and Walkers

This morning's revelation: When it is dark outside, don't wear all black!

Find the presunrise walker in this photo, wearing black pants, coat and hat while walking in the bicycle lane opposite the direction of traffic. Hint: look right in the middle of the photo.

Daylight savings time ended a few weeks ago and sunlit hours are growing shorter as the winter solstice approaches. If you are like BRBR and working during the day, this means all your morning and evening workouts are done in the dark from now until April.

Bay Ridge runners use the neighborhood bicycle lanes all the time. BRBR has run there, too, so we get it. The sidewalks are not always well lit and the concrete and asphalt pavers can be irregular and inconsistent.

BRBR isn't going to play crazy bike dude and rant to get non-cyclists out of the lane. But realize that there is a chance that some A personality nutter like yourself (but on a bicycle) is going to plow right into you. And trust us, it is going to hurt. We went head-on into a skateboarder going the wrong way around a blind turn earlier this year on Shore Road. It wasn't fun for anyone. And this happened in daylight.

So the odds of mutual pain and suffering are only increased when you run in the dark in the bicycle lane and:

A) Wear black or other dark clothes so you cannot be seen,

B) Run or walk opposite the direction of the bicycle lane, coming towards each other faster and reducing reaction time (note that better fitness only equals faster collision),

C) Run or walk (or bicycle) with head down in an asphalt stare, unaware of what is coming.

It"s New York. People wear black, we understand this. No need to fully change fashion to a colorful West Coaster going to a new age seminar. But take a few tips from above and lessen the chances of a physically impacting wake up before the sun rises.

This runner was wearing a reflective Run for Your Life jacket but otherwise black from top to bottom; at least a cyclist has a chance to her with the reflective patch.

These runners from Ft Hamilton do it right: the Army warm-ups are light clothes with some reflective panels. They even had a flashlight. The pennant is also a nice touch, but probably not needed for everyday runners.