And now, a subject worthy of reflection — running in the dark.
A farewell to Daylight Savings Time was a reminder that the weather is getting colder, the sidewalks are slippery with fallen leaves, and it's a really, really bad idea not to make yourself visible when you run.
"You have this perspective: You see the car, therefore, the car sees you," said Janet Hignett, veteran runner and owner of a running store in Bethel Park, Pa.
"When you're out there, just like you should be a defensive driver, you should be a defensive runner."
There's a rainbow of running clothes on the market that incorporate reflective materials, and most running shoes come with some reflective patches. But Hignett said that's just a starting point.
"You can't count on that alone," she said.
Brooks recently announced its NightLife collection: jackets, shirts, caps and other items of apparel in high-visibility green. At dawn or dusk, the colors alone attract the eye, but the 3M reflective materials help drivers spot anyone on the road.
Plus, there are detachable, flashing LED lights that attach to clothing by way of strong magnets.
"You don't even know you have it on, but you have some LED protection," said marathoner Craig Vanderoef, Brooks' global apparel product manager, www.brooksrunning.com.
"Peace of mind and visibility is what we offer."
Hignett likes battery-powered lights that clip onto clothing or caps. The Web site, www.night-gear.com, has a dizzying array of clothing and lights for numerous sports, including running.
Shedding light need not be expensive; www.night-gear.com recently listed a 3.53-ounce, water-resistant clip-on light that runs on 2 AA batteries. Sale price: $12.27. At REI, www.rei.com, light-up choices include a Zipka Plus LED light in three levels — or strobe — that's small enough to attach to a hat or helmet (these aren't just for runners, of course. Spelunkers know all about the dark). It costs around $45.
"A Runner's World survey a couple of years back showed that 80 percent of new runners run before or after work, so if you're a 9-to-5er, it means you run in the dark," Vanderoef said.
When it comes to safety, it's not so much a matter of lighting one's way as just making yourself seen on dark streets or sidewalks.
Hignett has this recommendation: Have a friend dress as you would for running. Have said friend stand out in the street and see just how difficult it is to see him.
"It'll be an eye-opener," she said. "You're darker than you think you are when you're out there."
Nighttime or pre-dawn running presents more than visibility problems. It's not a good idea to run alone, especially if you're a woman. Run with a friend, or at least take along a cell phone, and stick to routes you know well.
The fall is not a bad time to take advantage of high school tracks, where there are usually higher numbers of runners and walkers after dark than on the streets. True, they're rarely well-lit, but it's safer than relying on the distant glare of street lamps.
Track running can be a bore, but it's also a relatively safe place to listen to music or a podcast. When running along streets, MP3 players aren't a hot idea, even if the music moves you.
Dist. by Scripps Howard News Service