I'm not saying my run tonight was slow, but at one point I was passed by three octogenarians, and one of them bumped me with her walker as they passed.

3.2 miles.

I'm not saying my run tonight was slow, but at one point I was passed by three octogenarians, and one of them bumped me with her walker as they passed.

 

3.2 miles.

lol

I'm not saying my run tonight was slow, but at one point I was passed by three octogenarians, and one of them bumped me with her walker as they passed.

 

3.2 miles.

Lol

 

I'm no expert commuter, I just know what works for me and what I like.

 

For me the big challenge is keeping the weight of what I carry as low as possible, and not forgetting anything.

 

I bought a good run commuting back pack. Went in a LRS  and spent at least an hour trying packs. I went for light weight, but I could have gone for better ventilation between the pack and my back. Better ventilation means some kind of armature and makes the pack heavier. My personal preference. My pack is fully water proof and although I rarely commute in pouring rain, I got caught a couple of times and it was nice that my stuff was completely dry. Bring some stuff to the store to put in the pack as you try them on: jeans, a water bottle, a jacket, to see how the pack feels when there's stuff in it.

 

I plan ahead. I prepare all the stuff I'm going to need the evening before, and make a nice pile so I don't have to think in the morning. Thinking in the morning exposes me to forgetting stuff. The thinking includes choosing clothes that are "commute friendly": light weight, if possible, and wrinkle free is nice too.

I like leaving stuff at work, especially heavy stuff, like shoes. I carry my shower stuff with me, but I have this small plastic bottle in which I pour from the bigger bottle. Plus it's shampoo and soap all in one, so only one small bottle. My towel is also very light weight. Not a very comfy towel, but I cut weight wherever I can.

 

At first you could only "half commute". Makes the planning much easier as you take the bus once a day and run the other time, so you can bring stuff to work or back regularily.

 

I leave a pair of clean socks, underwear, a pair of jeans and a t-shirt in my drawer. If I ever forget something, it's better to have some spare stuff always.

 

I also have a pack of wet baby butt-wipes, in case the shower is out of order or something. No ideal, but better than stinking. I have a spare stick of deodorant in my drawer, too.

 

That's the way I do it. I choose to bring my clothes back and forth day in, day out. Less planning needed, but more weight on my back. It's all a matter of choice. The less you want to carry, the more planning you'll need.

 

I use run commuting for my easy mileage, but I don't do workouts with my back pack. Again, it's a matter of planning. I look at the weather forecast and will move workouts around to better fit in my commute schedule. Actually my run commute is part of my planning. Not sure how to say it. Today I wanted to do a workout at lunch. Got to work by vehicle, did my workout at luch, and ran back home this evening.

 

To save on weight and planning,  I also decided that I was going to wear stinky clothes on my way back home. Gross, but it's a a choice I make. When I get to work, I hang my clothes to dry, and by 4PM they're all dry and I wear them again to run back home. Not my underwear, though. That is where I draw the line. Again, maybe not a choice you'd be willing to take, but it is what I do.

 

In the winter, it's the same thing, except my back pack is usually a little heavier. I already had all my winter running gear, so run commuting was no different equipment wise than just running, other than the back pack, of course.

 

I'm not sure what else to say. Hopefully you can get some tips from that. Happy commuting!

Thank you!  This reassures me that I'm on the right track and just need to tweak a few things in my new routine.

I've been "half commuting" 2-3 days a week, running in to work and getting ready at the gym in my office building (they have shower/towels/hair dryer, etc), so bringing stuff back and forth hasn't been a huge problem except when I forget something.  I've been leaving toiletries and an extra set of make up at work so I don't have to remember that and there's a CVS in the lobby if I get in a bind.

I guess at this point my biggest concern is winter.  I think over the next couple of weeks, I'll try a few days of run commuting both ways before it gets really cold and see how that goes.  If I do that, then I don't have to worry so much about having a good coat at work for the bus ride home (walk a couple of blocks on both ends and sometimes have to wait 10-15 minutes for the right bus), which would easily solve that problem.

I have started researching running backpacks and think I found a good one, just need to wait to find the right deal before I purchase it. Having a good backpack would help when I forget to take things to work in advance, that way I can carry with me instead of scrapping the run altogether.

Apparently, there are entire websites devoted to run commuting (just discovered this!) and one of their suggestions was to rinse out the running gear in the sink with either hand soap or something call camp soap or de-finishing soap (I have to look into this) and let it dry so it's not stinky when it's time for the run home.  I can't hang dry clothes in my cube, but there is an empty space behind the cubes that I might be able to squeeze into and figure out a way to hang clothes to dry back there.

It seems like it would be easier to do a half commute where you run home rather than to work. You don't have to worry about getting your work clothes wrinkled, and you don't have to start as early. If you take a bus or train in, you can carry your running clothes in a small bag or pack, but wear your good clothes. Then leave those at the office to take home another day, or if they are something you don't mind crushing in a bag,carry them home in a pack. No need to worry about bringing makeup, shampoo, etc.And in winter, it would probably be warmer at 5 pm than at 6 am.

There's a lot of truth in that, but sometimes I have to work late and often don't know until late in the afternoon.  It just depends on what comes in during the day and the deadlines.  Sometimes I'm able to go the gym during lunch, but it's not a guarantee depending on work.  And if I have clients in town, that often involves lunch and/or dinner meetings.  It's not impossible, it's just that nobody in the world wants my time or attention early in the morning (including my family), so that's the best time for me to run and is protected me time.

I have a regular Monday night run group that is a couple of miles north of downtown.  Lately, I've been driving to work on Mondays so I can get there in time.  This has been the perfect time to bring in work clothes for a few days during the week and leaving them in my file cabinet (we are mostly paperless, so it's not like I need room for files).  It just means planning ahead and being better organized, which is what I'm trying to sort out.  The backpack would really only be for anything I forgot or if I impulsively decided to run a day that wasn't planned, or because something came up and that's the only time I could get the miles.  I've been bringing the gym bag on Mondays with getting ready stuff (make up, etc) and leaving it at my desk all week, and taking it home on Fridays if anything needs replenishing.  I invested in a whole second set of make up, etc. so I don't have to take it back and forth all the time.

I do have really good winter running gear.  And all my work shoes live under my desk anyway (I commute in retired running shoes or flip-flops).  I think I can make this a normal routine if I can just wrap my brain around some of the little details.