Do you run in the dark? (Read 404 times)

I like it sometimes, but it gets old quick (and that's about to happen, since the time change will have me starting most of them after sundown).

I used to wear a headlamp, but found it less comfortable than just holding a handheld light.  I have one that has the beam set at a 90-degree angle to the body of the light, so I don't have to contort my hand to shine it in front of me.  Going to ask Santa for some Knuckle Lights this year.

I love the peace and quiet of pre-dawn and after-dark running (especially if it's a clear night - really spectacular light show in my rural area with almost no light clutter), but night after night, it gets tiresome.  And, as others have pointed out, it's a little tougher to get up to speed on tempo runs.  I think I subconsciously want to go slower since I can't see as much of the ground I'm covering.

I dislike running in the dark and will only do it if I have to.  Never for training only for a race.

mta:  Okay, that's not counting the infrequent early morning runs with my husband up and down our

       very well lit street.  

 

My observation is that running on roads in the dark at night is way more dangerous and nerve wracking than running in the dark in the morning. There's way more traffic in the evening, the drivers are going faster and they are more distracted.

This is my observation too while running through my large neighborhood.  If only it weren't so dang cold in the mornings during winter!

I run in the winter in the dark. Fortunately though, I can stay off busy roads. Either I run the boardwalk or through the streets of the local shore towns, which are mostly deserted of cars after Labor Day.

On Saturday, I left the house at 6am for a long run without a headlamp.
The problem was that it was a new moon.

Wowsers.

The route was about as dark as I've ever run.  I'm not scared of the dark, but when you smell as skunk while running in the dark on mile 3 of 20, it kind of freaks you out a little knowing that you might either (1) step on a dead skunk and ruin the rest of your run (and your shoes), (2) find a live skunk and get sprayed and have what would end out being the worst run of your life, or (3) raise your heart rate in anticipation of having either #1 or #2 options above occur.

For me, I was lucky to have #3.

The next 1 1/2 hours of running in the dark were less worrisome.

Cheers,

As a trail runner I can say quite honestly, I prefer to run in daylight, if for no other reason than even with a very bright headlight, footing can be a bit sketchy after dark.  That said, I am an afternoon/evening runner, and even before the EDT to EST change over this last weekend, the sun was setting around 5:30 which in turn meant at least five or six miles after dark; tonight's run will start after it's already fully dark and I'll be doing my full ten miles in a pool of light maybe ten feet across and fifteen feet deep.

 

As much as I love winter running and snowshoe running, the whole lack of sunlight thing is pretty annoying.

 

Side note: Do y'all know what the fastest growing winter sport is here in New Hampshire?  Showshoe racing.  http://www.granitestatesnowshoeseries.org/

 

I ran the Kingman Farm Moonlight race last February, my first and so far only showshoe race, and I had a blast.  The Race MC stood up on a crate in the middle of the snowy woods (we'd had a bit over six inches of new snow that morning) and said, "It's twenty degrees, the wind is blowing, it's dark, the snow is deep, the trail is narrow, you're all wearing snowshoes and headlights, and you're all crazy!  Have a good race!"

I've been eyeing the Kingman race.  Thing is, I grew up on the big beaver tail snowshoes and have never really come to terms with the modern ones.  To go even more modern to the running snowshoes?  I don't know if I can make that transition.  Thoughts?

ETA - I'm going to start a new thread for this...

How many people wear a headlamp?  I haven't really tried one.  I have a small handheld light I throw in my pocket and usually don't use it too much unless it is a really dark night and the road/trail is uneven.

I just got a headlamp a couple of weeks ago.  Comfort is not an issue; I hardly notice it.  I don't especially like to have the white light on, however, since I prefer the moonlight or streetlights.  Most of the time, it's on red blinky mode for safety.