Running @ Night

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I woke up this morning at 4:40 to the sound of Rocky knocking over his water glass and his food dish (something he’s never done before)  Poor lil’ guy got his shots on Sunday and has been acting really sluggish/ weird since then. 😦  But he seems to have a tiny bit more energy this morning so I’ll see how he improves today before bringing him to the vet. 

Now I’m up, drinking coffee from my favorite (only) xmas mug as a kid, and typing away at 5am…..   

I remember having hot cocoa with a spoonful of fluff from this mug all the time.  Which is so much better than coffee with almond milk…  😀

Yesterday

Yesterday afternoon it decided to warm up to the upper-50’s.  So as soon as I finished my work I laced up my sneakers and hit the road for Castle Island.  I left my apartment around 4:30 when it was still nice and sunny…… 

  And within 10 minutes the sun was gone. 

I finished my 5 mile run wearing knee-length compression socks, running shorts and a T-SHIRT (t-shirt weather on December 3rd in BOSTON is amazingggg).  Btw, as I was taking the picture above and thinking “oh, it’s such a beautiful view….  I’m so lucky to be able to run in a pretty area…. blah blah blah” a big scary rat (probably the size of Rocky) scurried right next to my feet and totally ruined my zen moment!

Running @ Night

By the time I get home from work and get out the front door for a run, I have about 15 minutes of running before it’s dark out.  It’s not ideal running weather but at least I see a sunset and it’s much better than running on the treadmill at my hot, sweaty gym.  I don’t know about you but I can only run about 1 1/2 miles on a treadmill before I become a hot mess. 

So here’s some tips on how to run safely at night-time:

1) Choose a well-lit route:  it might not be your favorite run, but it’s the safest choice.  Goodbye my beloved Castle Island route….. 😦 

2) Always run against traffic: this is a pretty obvious one but it’s easier for cars to see you coming.

3) Be visible: wear headlights and/or reflective running gear (this is something I actually need…  hint hint, Mike)

4) Carry a cell phone: for emergencies and to take pretty pictures.

5) Find a running buddy or join a running club: there’s strength and safety in numbers.  Plus, it’s a lot more fun!

6) Keep it simple: instead of running a long route, find a shorter loop close to home and run it multiple times.

7) Run without headphones: sorry to be a Debbie Downer with this one, but it’s so much safer when you can hear your surroundings.  Plus, it can be more peaceful running without music.

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Do you run at night?

Any other good safety tips? 

 

2 thoughts on “Running @ Night”

  1. I don’t usually run at night…if the street lights are on, it freaks me out running through downtown and far away from home. Luckily I get home early enough to get out and back home right as the sun is setting now, or I save my outdoor runs for sat/sun mornings! I always run with my headphones on and occasionally take them off to listen to my surroundings and make sure no one is following me…i’m a freak. I always remeber a trick I learned growing up…if you feel like someone is following you, start walking up the drive way/yard of a nearby house…the stranger will think this is where you live and hopefully stop following you =)

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