What is your night running routine now that it gets dark so early?

FFF wrote:

will run for beer wrote:

My running routine is swearing like a sailor when I fall on my a$$ after tripping over a root in the dark.

I see headlamps mentioned and OP, I see you do trails. How’s the headlamp for downhill in the dark? As in, how far out in front of you can you see the trail?

I’ve been doing way too much road and treadmill lately. My 43-year-old bones don’t like the former and my brain finds the latter mind numbing.

You don't run faster than the speed of light. Get one now.

Well now you’re just making unfounded assumptions... [grin] Seriously, though, there is such a thing as outrunning your headlights (I’m frequently reminded of it as my spouse drives from the back seat). I’m curious if anyone’s got experience with these on rocky downhill trails. I wish I could be headed uphill on the way back when it’s dark, but then I’d have to drive to a different starting point and that gives me even fewer miles in daylight.

49yroldrunna wrote:

I forgot. There's a park only 2 min run away from my front door. It has 2 baseball diamonds and is about 400-500m loop depending on which loop you take. It's often very lit up with softball leagues going until 9-10pm some nights. Even when it's not that lit, it's light enough to run at night. But it's all sidewalk/concrete. Doable but not ideal for my old ass.

How far do you run there? Seems like it would get repetitive fast especially for long runs.

You're 49 years old and you can't figure this out on your own?

I don't like running in the dark either but we all have to do it. I either run in the dark in the morning (6am) or after work. It's just something I do without much thought. I put my clothes on and head out the door. The less I think about it, the less likely I am to skip going. Put your shoes on, and go. Ditch the stupid headlamp and vest. You're not spelunking.

For the record, I prefer going before work because I have friends and a wife and prefer doing other things after work.

DST, all the time wrote:

Shout out here for permanent DST.

A few weeks back it was dark at 6 a.m. and light at 6:30 p.m. when I ran.

Now it's light at 5 a.m. when I'm asleep, and dark at 5:30 when I'm still driving home.

Thanks idiots who prefer 'standard time.'

+100000

The clocks shouldn't be touched. It's beyond stupid to intentionally make the day shorter when it's ALREADY getting shorter.

will run for beer wrote:

FFF wrote:

You don't run faster than the speed of light. Get one now.

Well now you’re just making unfounded assumptions... [grin] Seriously, though, there is such a thing as outrunning your headlights (I’m frequently reminded of it as my spouse drives from the back seat). I’m curious if anyone’s got experience with these on rocky downhill trails. I wish I could be headed uphill on the way back when it’s dark, but then I’d have to drive to a different starting point and that gives me even fewer miles in daylight.

Rocky downhills you're going to cast shadows from one of these headlights. Nothing is going to allow you to descend faster than prudent safety would suggest.

But these headlights rule. Not just for runs after dark, I use them on my bicycle when heading to and from the gym, when taking the cans to the curb, when doing whatever in the backyard after dark. Half the time I'm wearing it every night from 6 p.m. on during the dark months, they're just handy to have.

will run for beer wrote:

My running routine is swearing like a sailor when I fall on my a$$ after tripping over a root in the dark.

I see headlamps mentioned and OP, I see you do trails. How’s the headlamp for downhill in the dark? As in, how far out in front of you can you see the trail?

I don't run on the trail at night at all. And it's flat anyway.

Here is my routine wrote:

You're 49 years old and you can't figure this out on your own?

I don't like running in the dark either but we all have to do it. I either run in the dark in the morning (6am) or after work. It's just something I do without much thought. I put my clothes on and head out the door. The less I think about it, the less likely I am to skip going. Put your shoes on, and go. Ditch the stupid headlamp and vest. You're not spelunking.

For the record, I prefer going before work because I have friends and a wife and prefer doing other things after work.

Who said I couldn't figure out? I was asking for opinions. Maybe you can't figure out the meaning of sentences.

I only wear the headlamp when I'm running on very dark streets. The vest works wonders as well as cars see me easily. "Stupid" is running invisible and trusting you'll be seen.

Philip Exeter CC wrote:

49yroldrunna wrote:

I forgot. There's a park only 2 min run away from my front door. It has 2 baseball diamonds and is about 400-500m loop depending on which loop you take. It's often very lit up with softball leagues going until 9-10pm some nights. Even when it's not that lit, it's light enough to run at night. But it's all sidewalk/concrete. Doable but not ideal for my old ass.

How far do you run there? Seems like it would get repetitive fast especially for long runs.

It's a last resort really or if I'm running for only 30 min or so.

it's not ideal wrote:

physics defiant wrote:

I run in the dark. Is it really a big deal to run in the dark?

If you're trying to do faster speedwork it's not ideal.

Why would that be? I do all my indoor track training in the dark and have no trouble running fast in the dark.

Unless you are an actual 60m sprinter you're making up an obstacle that isn't really there.

49yroldrunna wrote:

physics defiant wrote:

I run in the dark. Is it really a big deal to run in the dark?

Since my daylight run consists of mostly a trail in the woods, it's not really a desirable option at night considering the coyotes, bobcats, and raccoons. So I run in the dark too but not where I usually run when it's not dark.

None of those animals are realistically going to bother you at all. Since you have another route you really don't seem to have a problem.

I do harder efforts on the treadmill. Easy runs in the dark/rain don't bother me too much, and harder efforts on the weekends plus two treadmill workouts during the week are enough to stay sharp, I think.

I just checked them out on Amazon and am getting one. I never *plan* on running downhill after dark but I travel a lot and I have a tendency to get lost in unfamiliar mountains. I agree there are lots of other uses for a headlamp in the winter.

49yroldrunna wrote:

will run for beer wrote:

My running routine is swearing like a sailor when I fall on my a$$ after tripping over a root in the dark.

I see headlamps mentioned and OP, I see you do trails. How’s the headlamp for downhill in the dark? As in, how far out in front of you can you see the trail?

I don't run on the trail at night at all. And it's flat anyway.

You are clearly blessed with more maturity than I am...

Run whenever TF I want to. Usually late morning or early afternoon.

I may be slow AF, but at least I got something in the trade.

Labor on MFers. Did my time!

Headlamp is a good option for trails, pair it with a handheld and it helps tremendously with the shadows. Just get a simple 150-200 lumen headlamp. Petzl Tikka works great.

I run an unlit canal mornings and evenings. If I’m running easy I just enjoy the dark and don’t bother with a light because it’s really not necessary. The canal is fairly flat and wide and the visions adjusts enough to see any oncoming traffic in time. If it’s a workout then I’ll hit one of the few lighted areas of the canal (it’s dirt and does have some ruts so tripping/stumbling is a hazard when moving faster) or the track. Running through the lighted tunnel of a headlamp drives me crazy after about thirty minutes.

Biggest issue with running in the dark is oncoming traffic (typically cyclists) with their 8 billion lumen lights that blind you for the next hour.

The hand held is a great suggestion. The section I do in the dark is always an easy run because it’s the way back plus usu. unplanned. I’m working in a gorgeous mountain area right now and I hate to miss out on the outdoors because of the short days. There’s surprisingly little cycling traffic and, unlike back home for me, no wildlife that would pose a threat. There are just the pesky loose rocks and tree roots which on the steep descents can end badly. I’ve been getting hurt this year a lot anyway; I don’t want to add knocked out teeth to my list of medical expenses.

I just keep it to the park loop and the track when it's lit and open. Better than getting hit by a car.

I think the answer is obvious: let's be afraid of every last thing that could possibly happen to us in the dark and be as anxious as humanly possible about. Anything to rush us closer to the cataclysm.

strategies wrote:

Run outside at lunch when it’s light out. Break from work and few people out.

This is the answer, as you work from home. If someone can run just before lunch I don't see why they wouldn't, its the perfect time of day. Never dark, sun is high, perfect point in your digestive cycle, midday energy boost, not groggy from just waking up, not tired from a full day's work, I could go on...