This is the Paris I love. The one when I'm running across Pont de Sully to L’île Saint-Louis at 6:20 in the morning darkness. Is getting out of my warm bed difficult at that hour, oui for sure, but Paris is a whole different animal before the sun rises and one that I've grown to love as much as my cozy comforter. My predawn Paris is quiet, calm, and collected, not the noisy beast of mid-day when mopeds are zipping, cars are honking, sirens are blaring, and people are up and at 'em blocking your course down the sidewalk. But, a quiet Paris can also be a creepy Paris. You've got your unlit streets, darkened doorways, shady parks, and of course the occasional person who's out and about under questionable circumstances. And because I am a chicken little and more importantly a girl, I take extra precaution when going for runs when the sun is still a few hours away from gracing Paris with her presence. Actually, I take precautions all the time, sun or no sun, when I'm running by myself.

_Anytime I'm running alone, I roll out with this super cool bracelet on my wrist. It screams, "DORK ALERT," but I'm OK with that. The bracelet has emergency contact information in case something happens to me while I'm out running. You know--I slip on a doggie present and twist my ankle or I pass out because I see Johnny Depp strolling along the Seine. Really any number of things could put me in danger. In addition to my name and phone numbers, I also had the bracelet printed with three very important words--"ENGLISH SPEAKING ONLY." I figure if I'm injured the little French I do speak will evaporate from my brain and leave me bumbling so better to let emergency personnel know exactly what they're working with.

If you're a runner, and especially if you're a runner in a foreign city where you may or may not be fluent in the language, I really recommend carrying ID and numbers to call in case of an emergency (even more so if you've got a medical condition that puts you at risk.) I might be over cautious, but safe is always better than sorry. Why not be safe when knowing you've taken an extra step to keep yourself out of harm's way means you can enjoy all sides of a city, even the slightly eerie early morning ones? (In case you're wondering, I purchased my bracelet here, but there are several companies that offer this product.)