So running this time if year is very difficult for me. When I get up in the morning it is dark out and when I come home from work it is also dark out. I have used a headlamp for years but felt it never worked the way I wanted it to. I was recently given a pair of knuckle lights and let me tell you these babies are awesome!!! I have heard about them for a while now and was so excited when I was sent a pair!
First off a little bit about knuckle lights....they were developed in 2010 buy a guy named Dan Hopkins. He was training for a half marathon running at night and running with a headlamp just wasn't cutting it. He then decided to wrap his headlamp around his hands and use them as "knuckle lights". He then developed the official knuckle lights and they took off from there!
They come in three colors blue, silver, black, yellow and pink. They are adjustable so can fit over your small hands large hands or if you are wearing gloves or mittens you can adjust them so they will fit over those as well, and they are super comfortable. The lights go on in three settings fully on, slightly dimmer and then flashing. I like to keep them on full power! The button to change the light setting is in between your pointer finger and thumb so easy to change if you want while your running. They also come with batteries which is a major plus!
So enough about how they look lets talk about how much I love them! These are amazing and so bright! Extra bonus you don't have to wear them around your head and get a head ache half way through your run. I love that these are so incredibly bright! You can see the road so well in front of you to see if there is a pot hole or something in the way or the biggest thing for me right now...ICE. I think because they are lower to the ground everything is brighter. Also cars can see them better because they bounce around when you swing your arms. The last thing I love about them is that if you hear something in front of you off to the side you can point your knuckles in that direction to see if there is anything there instead of moving your head all over the place. This is a major plus for me because every tree or mailbox I see I am paranoid it is a person who is after me or some kind of wild animal (I was chased by a fox for about a half mile one time so I like to know what is going on around me.)
If you run in the dark you must get these! They are amazing I can not say enough about them! Luckily I was provided with an extra pair to give away to one of you! Here is how to enter to win them.....
1. Comment below with a funny night running story
2. Like me on Facebook!
3. Follow me on Twitter!
Winner will be announced on Wednesday January 22nd!
Disclaimer: Although I was given a pair of knuckle lights, these opinions are my own.
I couldn't help but notice you have Ragnar in your 2014 line-up. I don't normally do night runs when training but I've done 2 Ragnars and I always seem to draw the night runs (for all 3 legs!! lol) I saw knuckle lights for the first time this year and they seem amazing! (though Ragnar requires you to wear a headlamp as well). As far as a fun story goes, my night runs have been pretty standard, though one time my van picked up 3 runners when a large wolf/dog thing came out of the woods and chased down runners. So Scary!!! I'm so jealous you'll be running in Ragnar Cape Cod though. I can't wait for your story!
ReplyDeleteOK...funny night running story, a girlfriend and I were running on the left side of the road, facing oncoming traffic in a quiet neighborhood. A car drove up turned around and started following us. We of course think that this person is crazy, and scoot over a little further on the road, hoping this lunatic would pass us. Then this mom rolls down her window, compliments us on the blinky lights we are wearing and asks where she can get them.
ReplyDeleteIts only funny because we were so scared...and we plugged the local Fleet Feet who was hosting the fun run. :)
First off: I LOVE your blog, you sound exactly like me (no joke!)
ReplyDeleteSecond, My night running story: One morning I went for my run about 4am and I used to live in a wilderness preserve so running through the woods was part of my route and the rest of the road is pretty dark/quiet so I was used to the animals and pitch black. But one night when I was on the road portion I "felt" something behind me and saw a shadow so I was freaking out, literally almost passed out from fear before I decided to turn around and confront what was behind me, and when I did it was a baby deer, munching on the bushes across the street (I guess it ran right behind me) but I was so terrified my legs were like jello and I went straight home b/c I couldn't get back into my run haha. The worst part- the baby deer was the least scary thing I have come across, I have run near alligators, snakes, skunk (ew), creepy people and of all things Bambi freaked me out!
These would be fun to run in. I did a group night run with some friends and we were on a trail. We could see something dark ahead of us but couldn't quite make it out. Turns out, one of the gals ran into one of many cows in that were in the area. :-) Scared us all half to death...and then we laughed!
ReplyDeleteSo not funny, but my first 50 miler attempt was an all night event. My headlamped that seemed perfectly fine for short runs at night, seemed very pathetic for 8 hours in pitch darkness and flooded trails (it rained for a week before the race).
ReplyDeletehttp://www.runtomunch.com/
Can't figure out how to comment with my name, but its Liana
DeleteI can't think of a funny night run. Most of them I try to run as fast as I can so I can get back home!
ReplyDeleteOnly funny story I can come up with "night running" is more of "dawn running" I was on a mission to hit the gym at 5am so I would get my work out in, the gym is only 2 miles from home so my plan was to get out by 4:30 hit the gym and run home. I got up, got all my gear on, no headlight, and got to the end of the driveway and got scared cuz it was so dark. I turned back around and crawled back in bed....never attempting again. Winter is so hard to get runs in, and the treadmill is so hard to get used to with anything over 3-4 miles. I'd love to try these to get more road time in :) I'm with Liana I can't figure out how to post my name....it's staci :)
ReplyDeleteMy couch to 5K group meets at night. It had snowed the day before, and during the day the sun melted some of the snow, and at night the temperature dropped. Our cool down walk was on a downhill sidewalk - I was feeling proud of myself for being tough out in the cold weather.
ReplyDeletePride goeth before a fall -- I fell like a cartoon character. WHAT?! I was walking! I had a flashlight and was watching the ground for snow/ice! (and darn it would have been less embarrassing if I had fallen while RUNNING!) I'm sure it was comical.
Ellen
I don't have any night run funny stories... I lived out in the middle of nowhere with no side walks or road lamps and TONS of coyotes... needless to say I never ran in the dark before! haha!! BUT we just moved to a small city with sidewalks and I'm hoping I get the opportunity to run at night finally! :) OR early morning! Thanks for the giveaway!!
ReplyDeleteI like you on facebook as Runner's Luck Blog :)
ReplyDeleteI follow you on twitter as @superwoman4002
ReplyDeleteyou earn your running stripes the first time you fall flat on your face on the cement. I think it happens to everyone at least once... right? not just me? lol. I could totally use these lights. thanks for the giveaway
ReplyDeleteoh, yeah, I followed you on Facebook and Twitter (Lea Genders and @gealenders) - and I had a little trouble with your captcha on my first comment, but I kept trying until I got it. lol.
ReplyDeleteOnce upon a time there was a girl K., whose friend J. lived about 2 miles away. In between their homes was a road that skirted the state forest. This forest was a beautiful place to hike during the day, but spooky and dark at night. And of course, it was home to at least one black bear!
ReplyDeleteK and J would sometimes run to each others' houses, or run to a meeting point in the middle. One day, J called K to let her know that she didn't feel well and was skipping the planned run. K went out anyway, in the early morning darkness, along their usual route. "There's nothing here to scare me! Besides, I have my trusty headlight! And my German Shepherd Dog!"
As she entered the dark edge of the forest road, her dog pricked up her ears and stopped. She heard rustling. The dog was on high alert and started pulling on her leash, toward the trees. "Eek!! It must be the bear!!" thought K (still drowsy and not yet at her most alert). She turned and ran home as fast as she could - it had to be a 2-mile PR!
About an hour later, K answered the phone. It was J. "I changed my mind and tried to meet up with you. But I had to run back because when I stopped to pee in the woods, I heard a dog and some definite creep out there! When they left, I came out and scooted home!"
I was out running with a friend of mine a few weeks ago and part of our course took us along a sidewalk where a new neighborhood is being built. The builder just recently installed some plants and other landscaping stuff along the sidewalk, and I guess a sprinkler system to go with it.
ReplyDeleteWe were running along, chatting away, and heard a rumbling and rattling noise. We both screamed and jumped out into the road, thinking it was a rattlesnake. Nope, just the sprinklers coming on. Thankfully it was darn so nobody saw us!
I liked your page and followed you on Twitter - andrealschultz for both.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a funny night running story - it's serious business! : ) I love the idea of knuckle lights - great idea! Thanks for the opportunity!
andreaschultz at gmail dot com
I love Knuckle Lights but sadly mine are scratched up and flickering because of a fall last week. That's not really funny though, but I did laugh after!
ReplyDeleteI did almost jump into a friends arms while running because someone else thought it would be funny to run up behind us and scare us....at 5AM!! Not cool.
Followed on Twitter @howmyworldruns and FB as Sarah McCutcheon
Great giveaway!
Omg was about to buy them but winning one would be even more fantastic! -Anna Hung
ReplyDeleteLove your blog! I'll have to invest in a pair of these, all my running is at night.
ReplyDeleteLiked and followed!
ReplyDeleteI was running with my staff last summer after an evening sail (I am the waterfront director at a local summer camp). We were about a mile from camp when all of a sudden we heard what sounded like gun shots (not funny I know). We ran so fast that we all had PR's only to find out the local resort was setting off fireworks for a wedding on the opposite side of the island.
ReplyDeleteLIked your page and follow you on twitter as @irun4fun4me
ReplyDeleteHey ...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great giveaway. I have wanted knuckle lights for awhile. I run most nights and use a headlamp which I find does not do the job anymore. I want to share something that happened on one of my runs last week. I was running along my typical route when all of a sudden 20 to 25 wild turkeys flew across my path, three at a time to two large oak trees across the street. It was a close call on my part that's for sure. After I composed myself, I stood and watched the entire group complete their mission of heading to rest for the night. If you have ever seen a wild turkey you know they are no small birds. This is quite a feat, I can only imagine. I was so inspired by them all that I finished strong that night. That's what I love about where I live. There are some awe inspiring things in nature that unfold from time to time as I run. Probably one of the favorite things about why I run, seeing the beauty around us. Anyway, I think the lights would help me out a lot and keep me safer that is for sure. Thanks for the opportunity to win them and keep blogging! You are good at it and fun to read. I hope you love running as much as I do. It's good for the soul and keeps you sane at the same time!
Take care
Sophie :)
I'm not sure this is very funny, but I am often guilty of "blinding" fellow group members on Saturday morning runs! My husband gave me one of his headlamps which, although it illuminates wonderfully, was not made for running. So, instead of looking people in the eye when we're talking, they request I look at the ground.
ReplyDeleteWell, a few weeks ago while running, someone in my group was playfully complaining about the light, so I covered it with my hand, and the darkness enveloped us! I haven't heard another complaint since, but it'd be nice to have something made for runners :-D
p.s. "Liked" but I don't tweet, so I can't "Follow"