Running in the (wee) Dark Hours

With the quickly diminishing daylight, most of my runs are happening in the dark, pre-sunrise hours.

It's crazy how fast the shorter days/longer nights crept up on me. It wasn't that long ago (it seems like a couple weeks ago, but it's been a bit longer) when I was leaving the house in the dark and returning with a beautiful sunrise behind me. Those beautiful sunrises are now happening 90 minutes later, as I leave for work, which means I'm spending more time in the dark (than in the daylight hours) logging my miles.

That's not all bad.

I live in a somewhat small Iowa town (population is just over 10,000). Although I'm comfortable running in the dark, there are numerous things I do to ensure I'm safe. I respect that everyone has their own level of comfort when it comes to personal safety, and not everyone lives in an area as conducive to being outside in the dark as I do.

While these tips are not all-inclusive, they are working for me as I continue with my training for the Route 66 Marathon:

1- Be seen. High-viz colored clothing (white, yellow, lime green, etc.) are ideal. Some clothing has reflector strips, and most running shoes have them as well.

There's a plethora of accessories available to use as well... Knuckle Lights, ViziBelt, clip-on head lamps, etc.

Knuckle Lights in my hand, ViziBelt on my waist

2- Watch where you're going. Sidewalks may seem safer than the road, but there are a lot more cracks, bumps, and debris to encounter. If you run on the street, it's safest to run on the left side of the road (facing the on-coming traffic). That said, depending on the time of morning (or night), running in the middle of the street might be something to consider...the surface will be smoother (from the wear and tear of vehicles) and should be relatively flat (no side sloping, as you may encounter on the shoulder).

3- Run a familiar route. I have several routes of varying distances, but I try to stay fairly close to home when it's dark outside. Also, I try to utilize well-lit streets. I live a few blocks from our college's main campus...and there are street lights almost every 20 feet. The central campus sits on a span of several blocks, and it's an approximate mile in distance around the circumference...often times, I just do several laps around this area.

4- Mix up your routine (once in awhile). Although I have my familiar routes, I seldom ever run them in the same sequence. I run the route(s) clockwise one day, and counter-clockwise the next time. Sometimes, I run the big loop in a figure-8 pattern. I also try to head out at different times. I doubt there's anyone casing my route, but (on the off-chance there is) varying my routine will keep them guessing.

5- If you can, do bring a friend! Occasionally, I can persuade my friend, Barb, to join me. Trust me, the two of us are quite a sight with our blinking lights and belts in the wee dark hours!

Other things to consider:
***Have a phone with you (for emergencies)
***If you listen to music (like I do), have the volume low, so you're able to hear your surroundings
***A subtle way to "be aware" without looking scared is to watch the road for shadows. Ironically, the more street lights, the more shadows you will see (in every direction)
***If running in the dark is just not your gig, then stay inside. It's not worth the anxiety.

Are you a run-in-the-dark runner? Any favorite tips you'd like to share?

I'm linking up with the DC gals (Mar and Courtney and Cynthia), for their grand finale on their awesome Friday Five link-up. Please head over and check out their blogs, as well as all the other linked blogs.