Insurance Policy on my wrist

I know some of you will laugh at this but who cares. The nice thing about positioning yourself like a fool is that you don't have to care about seeming cool or smart :)

I have never been particularly safety concious. I do wear a luminous Pearl Izumi cycling jacket when I run at night but that is just common sense. What I mean is that I have never really over-thought safety. It's unusual for me because as you know from this blog, I tend to over-think lots of things. Inevitably, I started thinking about safety and I had this vision of me getting hit by a car and being unconscious. My family would not be informed because I have no identification when I run. The docs at the emergency room would not know that I have a history of asthma and that I am allergic to penicillin. It's true that Penicillin isn't the go-to drug for a head injury but you know what I am saying. So, having had this creepy vision, I decided to look for some sort of medical bracelet. I was pretty sure that I didn't want one of those old-schol tacky jewelry options dangling around my neck or on my wrist.

American Medical ID's marketing strategy. Scare the crap out of you. Nice!

I looked for the most simple and minimal wrist band I could find and came up with Road ID www.roadid.com. The elite model is like a Liverstrong rubber bracelet but has a no-nonsense customizable metal area where you can display contact information, medical information or whatever you want. You can pay more and have no personal information displayed but first responders can call a special number with a code to identify you. I'm not that secretive, so I went with the basic option.

Obviously, they have different styles and colors. You can even get ankle or shoe versions if you don't want to wear something on your wrist. They also sell a product called Firefly which is a flashing light that can be worn. There are other reflective belts and bands too. I like Road ID"s copy. They aren't beating around the bush. Example: "Yeah, we know Neon Yellow isn't exactly high-fashion, but who cares - if it keeps you from being run over by a bus".

Clearly, the purchase of this Road ID was a smart move on my part because Edward Wimmer, the co-owner of Road ID emailed me about my order and told me "it is quite obvious that you are a highly intelligent individual." I don't think I have ever been buttered up this much by an order confirmation email. I like it. More please.

If anyone wants to buy one, the first 20 people can get $1 off by using this coupon number: ThanksSimon9390013. Come on! All the paranoid kids are getting them. Even Dean Karnazes is wearing one. If you want a fun time, check out the Team Road ID video to hear a bunch of athletes talk about their near death experiences. They all add the fact that Road ID would have given them much needed peace of mind in these situations.

Old Deano's section of the site says "For me it’s like the best and the cheapest insurance policy I’ve ever owned". He reminded me of another cool thing about buying this product from Road ID. They donate a portion of ever purchase to a charity. They allow you to choose from the following: Arthritis Foundation, Lance Armstrong Foundation, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, National MS Society, Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the Wounded Warrior Project or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

My friend Paul was also trying to turn me on to a lightweight running headlamp that has a reverse flasher (not unlike the Firefly idea). A great thing for running safely in the dark. A couple of issues with this.... I run mostly on city streets with lights. It would also be the fastest way to get my ass beaten by a gang in my neighborhood. My luminous jacket gets me enough unwanted attention as it is. I think I am all good with safety for the moment until the next near death vision.