Night Running

Saturday evening I decided that I’d run though the park in the dark of the night. I started with enough light that I’d be able to make it far enough that only 15-20 minutes would require a light. Once it got dark I turned on the light and was making pretty good time.

Then I made it to a swampy area where I saw a snake. Then I turned my head and saw another snake. Then I looked to some puddles of water and saw another snake or two! They were all over. So I got a little closer with the light so that I could figure out what they were. Sure enough, I was blocked by some water moccasins.

Although I hadn’t seen any of these at the park, I wasn’t thrilled to be greeted with them this evening. A close relative of the copperhead (of which I’ve seen). Now it might have just been a water snake as harmless snakes are known to mimic the water moccasin as a defense mechanism. In fact, most of the time people claim to encounter a water moccasin they are probably actually seeing a harmless water snake that flattens its head and acts more aggressive to scare you into thinking it’ll harm you.

Smart snakes. I was content to let these snakes, water moccasins or not, be smart. I turned around and ran back. That turned my 7 mile run into about an 11 mile run.

So you think you’ve seen a water moccasin when out hiking, running, or boating? More than likely not but in any event here is what you should look for. On the water the water moccasin swims with it’s entire body exposed. If you saw only the head of a snake it’s more than likely not the water moccison. Furthermore, the water moccasin is unjustly considered aggressive. There have been lab-type tests done that show they are not generally aggressive. They tend to only bite if they are grabbed. Even then the bite is usually a dry bite without venom. If you see one you would be right to leave it alone but you don’t have to have a deathly fear of it

Last night, my neighbor dropped by to see if I wanted to go out to the park and run. I can’t turn down an offer for a run, so I put on my running clothes and we headed out.

We didn’t make it to the park until a little after five, yet we planned on running the five mile. I told my neighbor that I’d carry a light because there was no way we’d beat the sunset. Sure enough, by mile three it was dark enough that the light was helpful. By the last mile, it was absolutely necessary.

I hadn’t ever run in the dark while trying to guide someone else. I was the only one with a light so he ran closely behind me. I listened closely to his feet as they made contact with the ground to see what his speed was like. If he was hitting a lot of roots, I knew that I couldn’t speed up. We did a good job of focusing on the trail and adjusting speed accordingly.

We finished the run in 38 minutes which is close to the fastest I can run it. Then on our way out of the park we saw a huge owl in the middle of the road.

Ok, I didn’t like my solo night run on the trails. I was spooked by my own stupid shadow, I turned my ankle, and I ran into a huge puddle of mud. Ugh.

Tonight I went on a five mile run along the northeast side of White Rock Lake. It was a good run with a strong finish. Not really too much to say about the run itself because it was just a staying in shape run. It did get me thinking about a question my friend asked me at work: what side of the road are you supposed to run on?

I have always read that you should run against traffic but it isn’t advice I follow. Generally, I feel more comfortable running with traffic because I think a car is more likely to be looking for people that way than someone coming towards them. However, I change my thinking when I’m running at night with a light. At night, I want the light to really shine on the person driving so that they know I am running right there. Also, if they have their headlights on then I can see them in the distance and plan accordingly.

My general rule is during the daylight hours I run with traffic but against traffic after the sun sets.

As I was driving into my apartment complex I saw a guy leaving for his evening run. There was no daylight even though it was only 6pm yet he did not have a partner or light. I’ve stated before that you should run with a light if it’s dark.

I think that it’s a matter of safety to use a light if you’re night running. This helps you see the road/trail, scare away animals, scare away potential criminals, and help other people avoid you. Just like you wouldn’t ride a bike without a helmet, you shouldn’t run without a light when it’s dark.

Alright, so I did take a different route today because I wanted to go further, but it wasn’t really the wrong way to run. Instead of heading south along the east side of White Rock, I went north. This path is a bit different because it’s through more of the paths and land rather than being along the lake. I enjoy it from time to time.

For most of my run, I was out there by myself with nothing but my flashlight, keys, and a cell phone. It was a medium paced, strong run. I didn’t slow down or stop once, so I was pretty happy with myself. Like I said, I only ran into people a couple times.

On my route back I went by a group of runners who had a guy singing and another guy telling me that I was going the wrong way. They seemed like a jolly enough group but I was ready to get home and work out.

Once back at the apartment, I went over to the work out center and rode the stationary bike. As I ran further, I only rode the bike for twelve minutes. I just made sure to set the bike at nearly the highest resistance so that I’d get some good leg work finished.

I’m still thinking about White Rock…

Alright, so I ran yesterday and today without any sort of a break in my run. I probably shouldn’t mock my weakness of walking too much because I didn’t run too far.

Yesterday and today I ran 2.5 miles each time. I took the same course around one little section of the lake. It is an easy run but with the cold and dark, I don’t want to go out too far.

After the run, I have gone to my apartment workout center for some cross-training. Yesterday I rode an exercise bike for 24 minutes. Today I rode the same bike for 12 minutes, did some weight training, and then ran the treadmill for 12 minutes.

Weakness bad. Cross-training in a warm gym good.

Daylight Savings Time has always presented a problem for me because the daylight hours shorten which leaves me less time for running. I know many runners will either turn to cross training, treadmills, or simply take time off but I enjoy night running.

Recently, I have been going on runs around White Rock Lake with after the sun has set because of the peace and focus I can achieve. It’s very satisfying to focus on one small area of space as you run without worries about the world around.

Night running is certainly more dangerous, so I would not recommend it to everyone. Most importantly, you have to have a running partner if you are going to run safely. I think running partners and running clubs are very beneficial to running in general, however, I think it’s essential if you’re going to expose yourself to the dangers of night running. This means that the group or partner should adjust their speed to make sure the entire group is running together.
Slow down. Night running isn’t meant to break any records and it’s going to be a little more difficult to react to your surroundings. This is most applicable when you are trail running at night.

It’s important to have a good headlight or flashlight or both. Petzl and Princeton Tec make light weight headlights that will light a 60 yard area as you run. Lightweight LED flashlights are also a good option if you want to carry a handheld light. Make sure that you pack a extra batteries if you plan to be out on a long night run.

It’s also a good idea to let someone else know that you’re going out on a run. I have really enjoyed all my night runs and always look forward to this time of the year when the runs are still early enough in the evening that I can get a few good miles in before heading home.