Want to hear something cool?

Western Europe uses blue emergency lights for police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks. Not red. Not red-and-blue like in the U.S. Just blue. The reason goes back to World War II.

During the war, many cities operated under blackout rules during nighttime air raids. Streetlamps dimmed. Headlights were masked. Any light visible from above risked attracting bombers. Emergency crews still had to move through dark streets, but they needed lights people could see on the ground without glowing in the sky.

Blue turned out to be the answer. It scattered more in the atmosphere. Up close, it created a soft glow that was easy to spot. From altitude, it faded faster than red or white. It kept people safe on the ground without drawing attention from above. After the war, the habit stayed. Today, from Berlin to Brussels, blue is simply the emergency color.

Blue sirens look odd if you’re used to red ones. But Europe had its reasons. Red stood out too much during air raids. Blue kept people safe. Here in the U.S., we picked red because it cuts through everything and we didn’t have the same constraints. Different signals. Same goal.

I use the treadmill a lot. I’ve qualified for Boston running mostly on a treadmill. The pushback I’ve received from others over the years has been surprising.

Why the treadmill? When my kids were babies and we were living in Cincinnati, it was cold, and I couldn’t be away from home for long stretches. The treadmill in the basement was my answer. Over time, I grew to love it. I can talk all day about why it works for me. And I don’t mind when people argue against it. They aren’t wrong. There are drawbacks to treadmills. There are also benefits.

It’s like the blue and red lights. Different tools. Same goal. We want to be better runners, and we do what we can to get there.

Best wishes on chasing your running goals,
George