Where do people do their mileage when they have full time jobs?

Fjuddcvbbjj wrote:

Any joker can throw on shorts and a tshirt and go for a run in June. When it's pitch black and cold and you're alone doing repeats on the track in the winter, that's true love of the sport.

Lol. Exact opposite here :-)

During the week, I get up between 3:30 and 4:00. After I have a cup of coffee while surfing the net (and take care of other business), I start my run.

I usually run on an unlit bike path with a headlamp (Fall, Winter, Spring). This trail is .75 miles from my house. I started wearing a head lamp a couple of years ago after tripping over a tree branch.

If the trail is icy, I run multiple out and backs on a well lit, long, flat (1 mile) residential street near my house. Not many cars in the early morning hours. Surprisingly, it is not that boring.

I now run with a reflective vest & a small LED safety light that clips to my waistband of my shorts/tights. I know it's dorky, but running in the dark is about being safe & doing the miles.

As others have said, you can choose to run or not. It's up to you. Nobody is forcing you to do it. Where there's a will, there's a way.

I guess I don't understand why running in the dark is such a problem? I've been a 4:00 a.m. runner ever since I got out of school, and never gave it a second thought. The majority of it on sidewalks and neighborhood streets. Again, what's the problem?

Work 2nd shift.

I run in my neighborhood during the week usually starting at 4:30 am. It's not so bad as it is very hilly and I'm in the 'burbs. I enjoy the dark quiet solitude. On the weekends I run trails and take in my natural surroundings.

Central Park, which is two blocks from my apt. I've mostly lived in East Coast cities, and you're never that far from pretty good options if you make that a priority in your housing search.

Morning runs are done around 5-530am depending on the day. I live in an area just outside the city that's pitch black, no street lights, and no sidewalks. I hate running with a headlamp so typically just carry a little hand held light. Quality work is done in the evenings after work either on the track or the dirt canal in town. Now that the weather is finally getting nicer I'll start shifting my morning runs to lunch time.

It's not a "problem" it's just not ideal. I doubt anyone would choose to run on sidewalks in the dark in a busy city over afternoon runs on a park path with a group of friends.

And yes, unfortunately for the working, dark runs on sidewalks is a reality during the week in winter. Not ideal, but it's the way it is.

A year ago I struggled with the same issue. I lacked motivation because I hated running on the road and my mileage dwindled down to 10 miles a week. I beat myself up about it until I decided to do something to spark the inspiration. I started running trails again, and I started getting up early enough to run them in the dark before anybody else was up (I have three kids). The inspiration turned my running life around and now I'm doing 50-60 mpw, mostly in the dark. I've scaled my trail miles back a little bit so now I'm doing about half on dirt or trails but still about 80% in the dark.

I lay out my kit before I go to bed and make a cup of coffee to drink in the morning. That way I avoid the somewhat loud noise of the coffee maker at 4am when I get up. I sit in an uncomfortable chair for 5-15 minutes while I drink the cold coffee and put on my clothes, then hobble out the door in the dark with the dog. I'm almost always back before anyone else is awake. From October onward, a 6am return means I don't see the sun when I run. Once or twice a week I'll run at lunch and on Saturday or Sunday I'll do a long run at the same time (back by 8am) or with a group (back by noon).

A year ago I was running trails almost exclusively with a bright headlamp (Coast HL-7, $35). These days I run on the roads with a cheap head-strapped headlamp ($15) around my waist (upside down) and for the most part I only turn it on when there are cars or people. Cars like to turn their brights on when they see someone without a light and people get a little freaked out if someone approaches them running in the dark.

My suggestion for you is to find something that inspires you and figure out how to make that work. Whether it's a park or trail section that you can run to or drive to, find the time to do it. Run happy.

Also, you may find some local runners that run on a track at 4am. These little groups are all over the place and include people of all abilities. Do some poking around the running community in your town or city and you might find a group like that. Juggling work and running isn't that hard if running is a priority. Lots of people share those priorities and you can find them if you look hard enough.

Same, except it's three blocks for me, and because I have a quick commute I don't even have to be up that early or run in the dark.

Thanks everyone. I appreciated it when I had it, but I sure to appreciate it a whole lot more now that it's gone.

I accept my fate. I'm not opposed to running in the dark or on sidewalks if I have no choice, it's just not the same. And I was wondering what everyone else did. 10 mile runs on sidewalks seemed, well, it is what it is. With regard to the dark, for some long stretches near where I live I would need to bring a light and that just felt wrong. I guess I was being elitist there. In my head I think of people with headlamps as the same people with fanny packs and water bottles. Have to let that go and do what I've got to do.

The other thing about sidewalks for me is this - my very first good coach (he was such a great guy) forbid us from running on sidewalks. He was convinced that the hardness concrete sidewalks just leads to injury. He was passionate about sidewalks. So that is in the back of my mind kind of bugging me whenever I run on sidewalks. Is this actually an issue? Is a sidewalk that much harder than an asphalt road? I only ask as I do have a bit of an issue with tibia problems when I ramp up mileage. Do people just have to go slower on sidewalks while building mileage?

Myself speaking, there's a local pond with a 4 mile trail around it. Drive to the trail after work and do a few laps in the dark with a headlamp. It's nothing for me to do 10 miles a night and review the days activities.

If conditions aren't suitable for running, I hit the gym and do some strengthening exercises. If it sucks for multiple days, I put some miles on the treadmill.

Weekends, I run in the daylight with some friends. Rain or Shine.

40-50 hour work week - Run After work, ~7pm, Northeast, Sidewalks, headlamp - it's awful - I hate winter running. Friday night I get on trail with a group.

before work- in the dark, after work, in the dark. get used to it for at least a few months. Been doing it for years.... thankfully I'm a teacher though and the 2 months of summer offers reprieve and relief of running daylight twice a day. even trade off.....

I run in the dark every single day year-round, and have never owned a headlamp, or run with a flashlight, or any such silliness. Honestly, where do you people get these notions?

My medium size suburb is pretty dead at 4 a.m., except for the paper delivery guy and an occasional dog walker. Most everyone else is still asleep. You people are creating problems where they don't exist.

Get up early. Go run. Repeat the next day. No big deal.

Headlamp in the forest on the trails at around 6:30 or 7:00 until 8:00. Not optimal but you gotta do what you gotta do.

Doing it on my own is a little boring but I really enjoy the one or two times weekly that I can run with someone else.

IndianaJeff wrote:

I work at a big law firm, 60-70 hours a week, and have two young kids. I wake up at 4 to run and run in the dark. I'm fortunate to be able to hit the door and be on a bike/running trail within four blocks. I cross a single intersection, near my house, with no traffic except occasionally the newspaper delivery lady making her stops.

I was in the same situation. I'm now 66 with "kids" in their mid-30s and about to retire. I did the same thing except I got up at 4:30 and on weekdays figured out a route that was about 1/2 roads and 1/2 urban park grass and trails. I generally didn't run Saturdays until my kids were old enough to run with me. Sundays there was a long run group who met at a local trail at 8AM. Running alone during the week made me really appreciate the Sunday group runs.

If you have a demanding job it is very difficult to consistently find the energy to get out the door for running in the evening.

I tend to get in my miles at your mom's house. Oh snap.