One of Those Days... (Read 817 times)

Can you relate to this? Terrible day at work (too long to explain). No problem - can't wait to get home to get in my 5 miler. I get home later than usual, and it's already post-dusk, heading to dark. OK - scratch the 5 miler - I don't feel like picking my way along uneven pavement in the dark and I need to get some track work in, so I'll go to my local HS track and do 8x400 intervals, followed by running 10 sets of stadium steps. Did I mention that the weather was turning a bit ugly?? I get to the track, slow jog for 5 minutes, a little stretching, then off I go. Into my second 400, lightning starts (I am in a bowl stadium, surrounded by metal.) No problem, I can continue. As I finish my fourth, the loudest clap of thunder hits overhead ("It's just the angels bowling"my a**) accompanied by multiple-bolt lightning and sends me veering off to my car. On the way home, things subside. No problem, I say again. When I get home, I have a nice 200 yard hill of a street behind my house - I'll just salvage something by running 10 hill repeats and call it a night. I park the car, drop off my keys, head down my back yard hill to the street, walk down to the bottom of the hill... Did I mention that the wind was picking up?? As I finish a quick hamstring stretch and look up to prepare myself for my onslaught of the hill, the skies open up (no, I don't mean a nice mist that feels so good and rejuvenates - this was a "don't look up 'cause you'll drown" kind of thing). I'm now sitting at my computer with a cold Sam Adams Octoberfest beer as I type this... hey, I had to salvage something from my day! Thanks for listening. Jeff

Wow - that definitely was 'One of those days'! I hope that the beer more than made up for it. Always tomorrow eh? Claire xxx

Beer has such a great way of making things "all better." k

couldnt be more true

I recommend a head lamp; it's a great way to get those night time runs in.

Not to hijack thread, but 2 questions: 1) Do people look at you like you are crazy when you are wearing this? 2) Do you have a particular one you would recommend?

Not to hijack thread, but 2 questions: 1) Do people look at you like you are crazy when you are wearing this? 2) Do you have a particular one you would recommend?

(1) I don't care if people look at me like I'm crazy as long as they don't run me over with their car. I've been hit before, and if wearing a head lamp keeps it from happening again then I'm happy. Plus, now that I'm running trails at night on occasion, I don't necessarily have the benefit of street lights or the moon to light my path. (2) I don't have a particular one to recommend; I'm using a cheapo one that I bought at Home Depot when I reinsulated my attic. It works okay on the roads and is great for getting under the kitchen sink or cooking on the grill, but I think I'm going to have to upgrade a little for the trail running.

A headlight is AWESOME to use when you have no light. It's actually really cool (at least to me) It gives me tunnel vision and makes me feel like I'm running with a scuba mask on (so I'm a freak lol) This is like the one I use http://www.greatoutdoorsdepot.com/yukon.html MTA you don't have to run with your head down since the light is on your forehead

\ If there are no street lights, I'm wondering how effective the head lamp would be in lighting up the sidewalk road road. E.g. I don't tend to run with my head down so I can't see it lighting where I run.

The head lamp tilts to light as far ahead as you need, so you don't have to run with your head down. I'd recommend a relatively high-powered lamp with a red light. Since the red light doesn't force your eyes to adjust to the light instead of the dark, I find that I don't lose my peripheral vision (no tunnel vision effect). I prefer to use a headlamp so that other people can see me. I like relying on my shoddy night vision - it adds to the challenge.