The single most important piece of exercise gear that I own: RoadID

When I started exercising again I became very mindful of my safety. I'm not 100% sure, but I think that it's because people depend on me now...much more than before. Even people that are 6'5" tall and 280 pounds can get jumped, but accidents are totally nondiscrimanatory.

I live in a very busy congested and busy part of town. Metro buses go to and fro in front of my house every 10 minutes. I can be at Home Depot's front door in 4 minutes...walking. I can't even imaging the number of cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other vehicles pass by me, behind me, or in front of me on a 4-mile run.

With that in mind, I started to research what I needed to do so that I am as prepared as possible to both avoid injury and, God forbid, that first responders have all of the information necessary should I not be able to communicate with them.

The very first thing that I did was order a RoadID. This ingenious little bracelet is perfect for everybody. All of their RoadIDs include a stainless-steel ID tag that can be used on multiple mounting applications. I own a black Sport, just like the picture to the right. That ID tag can be removed and added to a Shoe Pouch, a Shoe Tag, or an Ankle Band.

In addition to the RoadID Sport, they also have a swanky style called the WristID Elite that is on a rubberized watch-style band that could be worn all day, every day. The tag is a little different, but it has the same information available.

On the ID, you put your name, city, emergency contacts, any medical information, and any motivation that you may want for yourself. For those of you that have frequent contact information changes or that have complicated medical history, they also have and Interactive ID that directs the first responders and hospital personnel towards a 1-800 number or a website that contains all of your information.

Here's a comparison of the two types of ID:

The highlighted portion on the Interactive ID is not orange; it's just highlighted to show the difference. So, if you are a private person, someone who has frequently changing contact information, or someone that has extensive medical history, this is the ID for you. They only charge $9.99/year for the service. I think that we can all agree that is a very reasonable cost for the service provided.

In addition to their ID products, that have TONS of other road safety products. The one that I already used was the Firefly Supernova light. I was running behind the Target store by my house at about 10:30p (the only time that I'm free most days) and a car came around the corner. Being the cool-guy that he was, he only had on his fog lights, so he couldn't see me. He was coming right at me, so I started to get out of the way. About 25ft from hitting me, he swerved and slowed down. As he passed he shouted, "Nice light." I was sold.

I have formed a little relationship with them in order to help me continue to be able to pay for the races that keep me motivated as well as to be able to purchase exercise clothes as I continue to lose weight. If you or someone that you love exercises away from home, they need a RoadID. They are so inexpensive ($19.99 + $1.49 shipping) that you almost can't afford to NOT have one. They're safer than a piece of paper...what happens when that gets wet? I even wear mine at the gym. If I get injured and they call 911, they will be able to contact my wife immediatly and know that I have "NKA" (no known allergies).

If you order it after clicking through to the website through any of the links on this website, I get a small percentage of the purchase. I don't anticipate making a ton of money through this, but maybe I'll make enough to get a workout shirt or two per year. I've already gone from XXXL to XXL and now to XL. I'm halfway to my goal, so I'll get down to a size L at the very least.

So click and order...your friends and family (including me) will thank you.