RoadID

I have never been a particularly safety conscious runner. In fact, over the years I've made some pretty silly decisions. I've been up at 5am running around a deserted Arthur's Seat in the dark in winter with no streetlights. I remember once a couple of years ago I was doing just this and almost bumped into a random guy just walking. It was all quite innocent, but it made me realise how you can put yourself in unsafe situations.

I've never done anything about it. Admittedly, I never went running in the dark on a deserted hillside again. But essentially I'm still not being very smart.

You might have noticed that I run a lot, and I run on my own 80% of the time. That's how I like it. But, I never tell anyone where or when I'm going and I don't carry ID. (I carry my phone, but its always locked).

For some reason I've been thinking about this more recently. I found out about an app that emails or texts a family member when you go for a run (via your iPhone). It really means two things:

1. Should I go missing or anything on a run, at least someone knows I went running, and
2. If that person doesn't hear from me or get an email notification to say I've finished my run, they can track my whereabouts through the app and GPS.

Through the same company, I've also got this nifty wristband. It is engraved with my Name, DOB, ICE contacts and the fact that I am an organ donor. If something should happen to me on a run, emergency services will know who I am and who to contact. And in the worst case scenario, give my organs to someone who can use them, while they're still viable.

I know this all sounds terribly morbid, but its good to be prepared. RoadID is an American company, but as you can see they ship to the UK. I got mine in the post today. I couldn't seem to find as good a product in the UK (but admittedly I didn't search far). Stay safe people!