sport and recreation | Live Well Lamoille

Safety in the Dark

Oct 15 2019

By: Caleb Magoon

Fall is here and all Vermonters are starting the countdown to winter. Our long to-do lists of outside projects take top priority as we prepare for the cold and dark months. But we also want to squeeze out the last bike rides, hikes, and other outdoor activities with the few nice days we have left. As LED light technology has improved by leaps and bounds, we increasingly are pushing those recreation activities into the evening hours.

Here are a few tips to take advantage of the dark hours and stay safe.

First off, be aware that dusk is a far more dangerous time than full dark. Drivers can’t see safety lights as well and the flat light makes obstacles much harder to see. So be prepared and ready to turn on those lights earlier than you think.

When going for a run or bike ride, reflective clothing and material is a great place to start. At the minimum, wear a reflective vest or add reflective tape to your arms or shoes, which are always moving and hence more visible.

But remember that reflective material on your clothing isn’t necessarily enough. For those to work effectively, they need to be hit by car headlights. People often don’t have their headlights on at dusk, making the reflective gear ineffective. So make sure you have lights, preferably in a strobe or blinking function on your body.

Adding lights to your setup greatly increases your safety. You can get clip-on strobing lights very inexpensively – under $20 for a set of two or $40 for a nicer set that is rechargeable. These can easily clip onto your clothes, belt, a bag you carry, or reflective vests.

If illumination, not just visibility is your goal, a two light setup is ideal. Lights pointed away from a car can be hard to see. But having lights pointed in both directions, ensuring one is pointed at a driver in each direction increases visibility dramatically.

Many bike companies are now offering daytime running lights. As dusk becomes longer and more prominent, consider adding these to your setup so you are always visible. When biking, adding one light on your handlebars to illuminate where the bike is going and one on your helmet to see where you are looking provides excellent coverage.

As you get out in the dark more and more, keep adding to your safety setup and looking for more options. Drivers will thank you for being as visible as possible. I love getting out this time of year when the weather is perfect for outside exertion. But as the darkness comes, we all have a responsibility to make ourselves as visible as possible.

Caleb Magoon is a Hyde Park native who grew up hiking, hunting, biking and exploring Vermont’s Green Mountains. His passions for sports and recreation have fueled his career as the owner of Power Play Sports and Waterbury Sports. Caleb encourages outdoor activity and believes it is an essential element to a healthy lifestyle and the Vermont way of life. Caleb serves the Lamoille Valley by volunteering on numerous community boards such as the Lamoille County Planning Commission, The Morrisville Alliance for Commerce and Culture, Mellow Velo, and the state chapter of The Main Street Alliance. He lives, plays and works in Hyde Park with his wife Kerrie.

Spring Caution

May 08 2018

By: Caleb Magoon

spring sports_Live Well Lamoille

It’s spring and boy is it nice to have some wonderful sunny days, even if it’s only a few. Our inkling is generally to get right out there and get after our favorite activities. The bike comes out, we lace up the running shoes or hiking boots or put the kayak in the water. Tough to resist, right?

Yes, go out and do those things. But I encourage you to exercise some caution. This is a dangerous and injury-prone time of year for several reasons and it’s important we slip into spring activities slowly. Few of us get the same activity level through the winter and spring as we get through the summer. Spring is probably the worst for me because once the snow goes, my ability to cross-country ski, snowshoe or do other winter-based fitness activities goes away. My fitness level, in general, is low.

That said, I sure do want to jump on a bike. I’ll want to bike like I did in the fall, though physically my body has changed quite a bit in the last few months. It’s important that you go easy during those first couple of rides, runs or activities. The last thing you want is an injury to stifle your spring and set you back well into June or later. Make sure your first activities are shorter and easier than your max or even your average. Ease your way into activity and be ginger while finding your limits.

Make sure you are making healthy choices leading up to your first activities. Ensure your fuel levels match the activity you have chosen. Eat enough before the workout and drink more water than you think is needed.

You may not be much for stretching, but if you ever took a swing at it, this is the time of year. Look up a few Youtube videos of dynamic stretches. They’re super easy and only take a few minutes. Post workout, you should also stretch or use a foam roller to roll out your muscles. This will speed your recovery.

Lastly, be aware of your body and if you feel pain or discomfort, stop activity immediately and take a couple days off. If it feels like a bonafide injury, consult a doctor or physical therapist. Above and beyond all else, go slow and easy!

One more note about easing into spring: We need to not only protect our bodies, but also our recreation assets. Roads and trails are particularly tender this time of year and can be damaged quite easily. This applies not only to mountain biking and hiking trails, but also access roads to bodies of water etc. This time of year is when we can do the most damage to trails. Please don’t hike or mountain bike until local experts give the “all clear”. Consult the Green Mountain Club for hiking trails and the Vermont Mountain Bike Association to find your local chapter if you don’t know them. I know the wait is tough, but it’s essential to ensuring these recreation assets don’t need repairs, taking them offline during the best parts of the year.

Have a great spring!

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Tag - sport and recreation