Commute by Running (Read 2917 times)

Julia1971


    Does anyone run to work on a regular basis?  How much of a pain is it?

     

    I'm about to start another marathon cycle and am thinking of running to work for my medium run during the week.  I've been writing out some of the logistics and I'm afraid I'll either end up 1) forgetting my Garmin or iPod at work and not having it for the next day's run from home, or 2) weighing myself down with a lot of stuff I normally have in my purse. 

     

    Are there any tips or tricks you use to make it easier?  (Like having two of everything for forgetting something isn't an issue).

    xhristopher


      I do lots of run commuting. (I've done lot's of bike commuting too.) I never run to work but I'll run home all or part of the way. Did it tonight. Did it Tuesday and Monday too. I live 9 miles north of my job in downtown Boston so I take public transportation. This works out pretty well for run commuting. Sometimes I'll run all the way home from work but mostly I'll just get off the T (Subway) at whatever stop I want and run home.

       

      I don't know how much you want me to go into logistics but having two of everything helps. Stuff get's left or "staged" at work. Getting in the groove of staging and retrieving your stuff on non run commute days is key. I'll leave shoes at work and commute wearing my running shoes and jacket so I don't end up with too much stuff piling up. I also use a running backpack. The upside of the backpack is that it helps solve lots of the logistical issues (ipod, wallet, phone, lunch stuff, thermos, random clothes, etc...) The downside of running with a backpack is running with a backpack. I got used to it.

       

      Are you thinking of doing the round trip? If so, that takes a bit more "staging" than one way. If you do it once a week on a regular day it shouldn't be so tough. 

       

      Yeah, forgetting your Garmin or iPod would stink. Perhaps you put them in whatever you are going to be taking home right away. Perhaps you won't need your Garmin once you get your route figured out.

       

      Commuting sucks. I spend more time each week commuting than running or doing other things I like. This pisses me off  and is a waste of productive time. I'll tell you this. If I worked from home I'd be running more miles and faster. Ok, now I'm ranting... Damn, I was going to keep my reply short. Well, whatever you try, I hope it works out for you. It can be a pain sometimes but also well worth it.

      Trent


      Good Bad & The Monkey

        I have done this some.  The biggest challenges for me are making sure I have time to get a shower in at the office (adds ~30 minutes to the day by time I cool down, get my clothes, walk to the office gym, shower, get dressed and go back to my office) and making sure I have access to a computer at work.  Since I do much of my work off of a laptop that I carry to myriad meetings, I try to keep one at the office and one at home when I am commuting.  Smaller things like ID cards, my cell phone, etc, I store in a tiny backpack or in my pockets.

        xhristopher


          I have done this some.  The biggest challenges for me are making sure I have time to get a shower in at the office (adds ~30 minutes to the day by time I cool down, get my clothes, walk to the office gym, shower, get dressed and go back to my office) 

          Yeah, that's why I only run commute from work. It's ok to be stinky and sweaty at home.

          Julia1971


            I also use a running backpack. The upside of the backpack is that it helps solve lots of the logistical issues (ipod, wallet, phone, lunch stuff, thermos, random clothes, etc...) The downside of running with a backpack is running with a backpack. I got used to it.

             

            Is this backpack pretty light weight?  Do you have a link to it online by any chance?

             

            Are you thinking of doing the round trip? If so, that takes a bit more "staging" than one way. If you do it once a week on a regular day it shouldn't be so tough. 

             

            I'm thinking of running to work, but taking public transportation back home.  So, one of the logistical pains I'm anticipating is keeping an extra winter coat at work for my commute home.

             

            Commuting sucks. I spend more time each week commuting than running or doing other things I like. This pisses me off and is a waste of productive time. I'll tell you this. If I worked from home I'd be running more miles and faster. Ok, now I'm ranting... Damn, I was going to keep my reply short. Well, whatever you try, I hope it works out for you. It can be a pain sometimes but also well worth it.

             

            My commute takes me 35-45 minutes, door-to-swivel chair, to go less than 6 miles.  It would be nice to use that time for running so I won't feel so rushed in the morning.

            Julia1971


              Smaller things like ID cards, my cell phone, etc, I store in a tiny backpack or in my pockets.

               

              Do you carry a pager, as well?  I have two Blackberries - personal and work.  I figure I can put one in my arm pocket but having run with one in my pocket in the past, I hated all the jossling around.  I guess I could clip the other one to my tights or something.

                I did it sometimes when I worked in Boston.  It was about 14 miles so I used it as my mid-week mid-long run.  The trick was planning ahead to make sure I brought clothes the day before and making sure I didn't bring my laptop home the day before.  I'd just put my cell phone and wallet in a ziplock bag in the pocket of my vest or jacket. It was pretty simple, really.  We had showers in the building and I took the train home at night.

                 

                It actually only took about 30 minutes longer to run to work than to commute by car or train/walk so when I factor in that normally I'd run at home, then shower, then commute to work it was almost a wash.

                 

                Now for the last 3 years I've had a job where I work virtual office so the days I don't have customer meetings in the morning my commute is about 10 feet from my kitchen to my office.

                Runners run

                  I live 29 miles from work, but I have a co-worker that lives 8 miles from work so I will park at his house and ride into work in the morning with him. His neighborhood has a private access to a multi use trail that connects the town he lives in to the north side of Willmar where we work. From the trail head its about another 2.5 miles through town to get to my building.

                   

                  During the summer months, we both commute on bikes a couple times a week, depending on our schedules. We have a locker room with showers at work so I shower when I get there after a bike commute. I will run from work to his house on occassion, but not as much I as should. I try and swim 2-3 times a week over my lunch break, so I need the car to get to the pool. I also run at that time on the days I'm not swimming.

                   

                  The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

                   

                  2014 Goals:

                   

                  Stay healthy

                  Enjoy life

                   

                  xhristopher


                    I'm happy with my REI Stoke 19 but they also make a smaller version. I'm sure there are other good bags out there that are probably better than my REI but I'm happy and it was a good value. Mikey's right, ziplocks are good, both for sweat and rain. Keep them in your commuting gear so you can keep reusing them. I'll also put small items like my phone, keys, etc... in socks, preferably clean, to keep them from jingling around. If there is a little extra room in the bag I'll throw in an item of clothing I need to take home just so stuff doesn't slosh around in the bag too much.

                     

                    I'm guessing you will need to use an extra winter coat and will be taking it back and forth along with your shoes and clothes. In the winter I'll just wear my running jacket during the non-run part of the commute and just layer up instead of having jackets left at the office.

                     

                    Yeah, and like Mikey said, it probably won't add much time to your commute. When I run all the way home from work, after I subtract my regular commuting time, it's like getting a 9 mile run in 20 minutes.

                    xhristopher


                      my commute is about 10 feet from my kitchen to my office.

                      Damn you! That's your secret.

                      BostonRnr


                        I take public transit to work and run home sometimes. I only live 4 miles from work, but I add extra miles when I want to. I use a running fanny pack for my cell, credit card, cash, building pass, transit pass for the next morning and keys. I take only the keys I need to get into work/home. I wear a reflective vest if it's dark, which has an extra pocket.

                         

                        It's easier in the summer when you don't have to worry about coats. In the fall/winter, you end up with extra coats at work and have to strategize how to get them home on nonrunning days.

                          A compact and nice winter coat that I use is the Patagonia Micro Puff, easily found on sale for about $100T. It weighs about 10 oz and stuffs down to the size of a football. Go-Lite has some backpacks for adventure racing that would work, specifically the Rush, VO24, and the Slipstream.

                           

                          xhristopher


                            About running backpacks... I'd never be able to run efficiently with a backpack that didn't have waist and sternum straps. You'll see some small packs out there without a waist strap. North Face makes a nice one which is great for cycling. Don't overlook the waist strap.

                            xor


                              The REI one works for me and is cheap.  I also have a GoLite VO24, which is sturdier and I like a little better, but was spendier.

                               

                              Having two of these turned out to be pretty important to me during the rainy months and during the two weeks out of the year when it is honest-to-pete hot in Seattle (and I sweat a ton).  The one from the day before may need extra drying out.  But that's me, ymmv.

                               

                                I don't use a backpack when I run back to my car after work. I usually leave my office clothes in my locker at work and carry my cell phone in my hand. If, for some reason I need to bring my clothes home, I have my co-worker bring them back to his house for me.

                                 

                                When I bike commute, I use a slingback I recieved from a triathlon as a swag. Its neon green, super lightweight and fits all the office attire I need in it.

                                 

                                The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

                                 

                                2014 Goals:

                                 

                                Stay healthy

                                Enjoy life