I am an early morning runner. If I miss my morning workout, I might miss it the entire day, so I run early. Unfortunately, this means running in the dark 70-80% of the year except for a few long days during the summer. Running in the dark means extra precautions for me, and my focus on safety dates years back to when I was a Soldier in Germany. One day, A Soldier was hit while running at night with no safety gear. I didn’t know the Soldier, but he had an impact on me because the base immediately implemented new safety measures that included Safety Vests among other gear while working-out outdoors. Doing it every morning for our runs for a couple for years, I became used to it and a safe habit was born.
Now, I love to be seen! In fact, I worry more about being seen at night than I worry about other running in the dark issues. Lately, there has been a boom on the safety. I am enjoying all the new technology coming out with LEDs and flashing lights which are great for costumes or night races! Previously I had been running with RoadID light up wrist straps on blink modes, which are great, but then I received the opportunity to try Glimmer Gear.
Glimmer Gear offers LED lighted apparel that adds that extra element of Safety to any time of day. The settings have three modes Just Light, Slow Blink, and Fast Blink. I feel safest running at full Blink mode. At first I was distracted by the bright lights (oooh blinky…) but I got used to them rather quickly. The sizing seems to run a little big, as I ordered the 3XL based on the sizing and it was a wee loose. But the tops stayed up great! I had no issues with pinching or tightness either which was nice. They were very comfortable and bend very easily while you are running. The LED light strips are flexible and heat resistant and allow you to be seen from over a 1/4 mile away. It would be nice if they were more stylish but they are working on that. You can now order Custom Glimmer Gear (with a minimum order amount), and their gear comes in numerous fun colors and options. The Sleeves themselves (if not custom) come in Black, Yellow, and Pink (Pink only comes in sizes small and medium).
Oregon weather was generous in allowing me to test out the truth of their claim to be waterproof. Several rainy days along with one downpour I was unable to avoid proved they worked great and were very durable. Shipping was quick and customer service seems to be excellent. All my questions were answered quickly. I love small companies that are personable! The peace of mind I received from these bright lights made me feel much safer in the dark. In my mind, I felt I should not be missed while running, even if the driver was distracted. Rational or not, it was how I felt.
They have really come a long way since opening their company. They have sales often, so look for them. If you can’t wait- use promo code: Run for 10% off Good Until 5 March 2014. These things are awesome. They are a fun and practical gift that anyone will love.
See it in action on Youtube:http://www.youtube.com/user/GlimmerGear
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