Running before sunrise and after dusk is discouraged by national
running advocacy organizations, but since daytime training isn't always
an option, runners need to take extra precautions.
Fred
Kaiser and Pam Cantelmi, two veteran long-distance runners in
Sacramento, Calif., know winter's running hazards all too well.
While training after work on a rainy December night several years ago,
the duo was struck at a suburban intersection by a pick-up truck.
Details of the accident were bizarre, with the vehicle driver and the
two runners unsure of exactly what happened.
Kaiser was only slightly injured, but Cantelmi suffered
head and shoulder
injuries and was hospitalized. Fortunately, both runners were able to
resume their exercise routines. The accident was particularly ironic
since both runners were wearing
reflective gear. Other runners--some wearing
reflective vests, some not-- have been less fortunate."I had on a reflective vest, I had a flashing light around my waist and I was carrying a flashlight," recalled Kaiser, a
real estate attorney who has completed many marathons and ultramarathons since his accident