My New Safety Sidekick - RoadID Sidekick

Disclaimer: I received an RoadID Sidkick ID to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!

2nd Disclaimer - I've been a loyal RoadID fan/customer for almost 5 years now. As someone who does a lot of their runs alone and sometimes at dusk/dark, I am a big fan of anything that can help make me safer. When I first heard about RoadID I thought it was a great idea. Heaven forbid, anything did happen to me while I was out and about, it gave a way to contact my family. I bought myself a Slim ID the same week that I first heard of them. And then I bought several others for other friends and family members for holidays as well. Cause I'm that girl - the one who yells "CAR UP" and makes people run on the correct side of the road, and who makes sure you have your contact information handy. 

My Classic Wrist ID

Over the years I purchased a few other RoadID styles. The second ID I purchased was the more classic Wrist ID. This was because (and I am not proud of this) because I actually lost my Slim ID. See, I didn't wear it all the time, just when running so I had a bad habit of forgetting where I left it. I then purchased the Shoe ID thinking it would be better to just leave it attached to my shoe - which worked great, except that I rotate shoes and never seemed to rotate the Shoe ID. Back my tag went onto the Wrist ID, which I kept better track of, but still didn't always remember to grab.

Enter, the Sidekick ID. Y'all I feel like this was made just for me. The Sidekick just slides right onto your Garmin band and boom, it's always with you. At first, I was a bit worried that it would be bulky and I wouldn't always want to have it on, but I've worn it for a month now and never once take it off my watch band. And I wear my watch constantly (except when charging) even to bed - I use my Garmin as my alarm - and never once did I notice the ID on it. It ALWAYS has me covered!

There are a couple of other little things I wanted to mention about my RoadID that I love. One of which is that I just love the customer service that they offer. I know they are a big company, and in the grand scheme of things, I am just a single customer (though admittedly a loyal and repeat one), but they do not make you feel that way. When I placed my order, I received personalized update emails throughout the process of making and shipping out my RoadID. They were super cute and I really appreciate being kept in the loop like that. The ID came with a card telling me about the guy who actually made my ID, further personalizing the process and then a few weeks after, I got a follow up email asking how I liked my purchase. I also received a $10 off coupon to share, which I did with another local runner.

One of the adorable emails I received during the order process

I also love how you can customize your RoadID in a few different ways. I added 2 lines of inspiration on to my ID. The bottom two lines read - Keep Moving and Just Breathe. These phrases are ones that I try to keep focused on when things are tough, be it for a run or just life in general. I love having them always right there to remind me.

Another way I customized mine is by adding 2 cute little badges. RoadID has a ton to choose from, and I have a heart (to remind me I really do love this) and one that says "run" (because, well duh!).

My whole order - Sidekick, extra strap, and 2 badges.

So yeah, RoadID helps to keep you safe by providing vital information in case of an emergency, is super cute and now so convenient, what is not to love? But seriously, I recommend any runner to have one. And even non-runners, anyone can benefit from having a RoadID. Heck, they even make ones for you pets!! 

You can get one for your self and save 20% off your RoadiD purchase by going to the following link: https://road.id/BibRave

Wrapping Up Running Safety Month

Disclaimer: I received a pair of AfterShokz Trekz Air and a multicolor assortment pack of Brilliant Reflective Strips to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Over on Twitter, Facebook and the BibRave.com site, the BibRave team has been celebrating BibRave Safety Month during the month of February. This is because winter running can present a whole slew of challenges unique to the season for outdoor runners like me. 

More than likely, especially if you have a day job, your runs will be in the dark due to reduced hours daylight. Another big challenge, and one I struggle with the most, is finding the motivation to get out the door when the weather is less than perfect. Cold is not my friend. Throw in rain or heaven forbid, snow and just NOPE, not a happy girl. There's a reason I live in the South. 

So how do I say motivated and safe in the winter? I get by with a little help from my friends. AfterShokz and Brilliant Reflective to be specific. Each provide me with necessary tools to help me to Be Prepared, Be Aware, Be Seen and Be Open.

Be Prepared

For me, being prepared is both a motivational tool and a safety aspect. The less barriers to me getting out the door, the better. So being prepared mean having your clothes picked out in advance, having your gear all together including any water bottles filled and nutrition stored, making sure your clothes/gear are reflective for dark runs, and having your Aftershokz charged and ready to go. Trust me, I can be super creative with coming up excuses when I don't really want to go out. Having everything ready ahead of time and knowing that what I have ready is safe takes away most of my arguments against myself. 

Having everything laid out beforehand can help motivate you out the door

Be Aware

Being aware of what is going on around you is just basic common sense. As runners we can encounter a number of potentially dangerous situations including distracted drivers (and bikers) loose animals, other people who might want to do us harm and even nature itself in the form of falling tree limbs or loose running surfaces. When you are out there, it is important to have all of your senses fully engaged to keep yourself safe. On a recent run, on a fairly deserted stretch of road, I came up on another runner who was blasting music with her ears fully covered and I scared the absolute heck out of her when I passed her. She had no idea I was there until I was running past her and she jumped about a foot in the air and let out a little yelp. I felt terrible, but there is no way I should have been able to come up on her like that without her noticing if she had been playing it safe and paying attention to her surroundings. That's why I love my Aftershokz. I can hear my music and I can hear my surroundings thanks to bone conduction technology. 

See, they don't cover you ears!

Be Seen

If you are going to be running in the dark you absolutely must have reflective gear to help you be seen. Period. End of story. Even if you tell yourself, I only run on sidewalks, you eventually have to cross a road here or there. My preference for reflective gear is Brilliant Reflective Safety Strips because I am able to add them to my existing clothes/gear instead of having to purchase specialty reflective clothing, which can be expensive, or wearing vests or belts that can add bulk to already bulky winter running outfits. Simply iron on or stick on to your items and you are good to go knowing that you can be seen. 

Now my Hot Chocolate half zip can be seen on dark runs

Be Open

Being open during a run refers to being receptive to all the information that is available to you out there. I stands to reason, if your ears are covered by headphones or blocked by ear buds, you can't hear what is happening around you, even if your music is down low. The importance of being open really hit me this weekend. I was running though a neighborhood when all the sudden I heard a click clacking behind me. It wasn't that loud of a noise, but thanks to wearing my Aftershokz instead of ear buds like I used to, I was able to hear it. I turned and a large dog was running full speed up behind me. I was able to turn and shout NO! before it reached me stopping it in its tracks and giving me the time to get away. Even if it were just running up to me to be friendly (which it probably was, but you never know) it could have knocked me over in its enthusiasm or startled me enough that I fell over on my own upon seeing it come up suddenly. By having my ears and my senses open, I was able to avoid a potentially dangerous situation. 

Perfect for those dark winter runs

What about you? How do you stay safe and motivated during the dark and chilly winter months? 

For more information about Aftershokz Trekz Air, visit my previous blog post here: https://runnerdgirl.blogspot.com/2017/11/be-open-with-trekz-air.html

For more  informationa bout Brilliant Reflective Strips, visit my previous blog post here:

https://runnerdgirl.blogspot.com/2018/02/be-safe-be-seen.html

And be sure to follow me on Twitter and Instagram if you don't already!