The days are getting shorter -- just one of the depressing signs of winter's impending doom. Runners, lack of light is no reason to stay home, but stay safe while you pound the pavement.The key to staying safe on a run? Making yourself visible to other runners and vehicles. That means you should wear light-coloured reflective clothing and possibly some safety lights too. Need suggestions? Over at Fitsugar, they have plenty of them -- click here for the scoop.

But what's the least expensive, most effective safety accessory you can take on your run? A running buddy. As an added bonus, having a running buddy helps keep you motivated too!