Shedding a Little Light on Running in the Dark

Sadly, we're entering the time of year when we lose daylight. I hate this time of year. By the time I get off of work, it is dark and my internal clock thinks it's about time to go do bed. On Tuesday I was in my PJs and snuggled into my bed watching Netflix by 5:30 pm. Regardless of daylight hours, there are mile to run. Having a winter marathon scheduled at least gets me out the door when the only thing I really want to do is sit in front of my fireplace and veg out in front of the TV. But it's a different game running in the dark.

When you have to get in most of your miles in the dark there are dangers out there that aren't a factor during those daylight runs. You suddenly need to be worried about being seen, about being able to see, and about the safety of your surroundings. Having embarked on many a dark run in the last couple of months, I've come up with a few rules I try to abide by to increase my odds of making it safely back home.

1. Lights. Running in the dark presents 2 major problems. One - you can't see where you are going, and two - other people can't see you. The answer to both these problems: lights! In the past I tried a head lamp. It gave me a bit of a headache so after wearing it twice, I started wrapping it around my upper arm. I tried the reflective vest but it kept inching up as I ran. I wrote about my visibility options back when I was training for my last marathon. Luckily since then, more products have flooded the market. My current favorite is my set of knuckle lights.

Knuckle Lights

I love these because I hate carrying stuff with me. They strap onto your hands in a very natural position so it doesn't feel like you're actually holding them at all. They have 3 settings: almost blinding, what the heck is that?!, and strobe.

While the knuckle lights are good for seeing and being seen there are also a variety of products that make you more visible. These items include reflective vests, belts and water bottle carriers, blinking lights and a whole manner of clip-on items. Make sure to stock up!

2. Apparel. Just like lights can make you be seen more easily so can your wardrobe choice. I know most of us run in black tights or shorts because that is the color the majority of these items come in. I try to keep that in mind when I select my top. If I must wear solid black on the bottom, I try to pair it with a more colorful shirt. But now there seem to more colorful options for running clothes, at least for women, so it's a little easier to avoid the invisible black outfit. One new pair of tights I bought is this fun pattern. It's much easier to see. (Disregard the fact I'm lying on the ground - it was a long day of running.)

Patterned tights are a better option for running in the dark.

One bonus of wearing running-specific clothing is that most items have at least one reflective element on them, making you visible to cars.

3. Alter your running routes. One of reasons I bought the house that I currently live in is that it is close to a great running/biking trail that runs through the twin cities where I live. I love running on that trail. But in the dark, the section of trail by me is fairly dangerous to run on. Being surrounded by mature trees, when it's dark outside, you can barely see your hand in front of your face out there. So as much as I hate to leave my trail, during dark runs, I change up my routes to well-lit streets. It's not as pretty but it's much safer.

4. Run with someone else. Shockingly, this isn't always possible. I mean, I can't imagine why many of my friends aren't keen on getting up at 5:00 am and trekking 8 miles around town before they have to get back home and ready for work. Odd. But luckily I do have some friends who are as crazy - or crazier - than I am and have offered to join me for my early morning dark runs. I'm not one of those women who worries about going places alone or anything but I just feel a little better having company during these runs. If I were to trip and get hurt, I'd have someone there with me, and of course, there's strength in numbers in case we run across any 'unsavory' characters. This hasn't happened yet - I think the unsavory sorts tend to be sleeping at the oh-heck-no-o'clock hours.

Even though running in the dark is a sad reality in the winter months, there are ways to make the runs a little safer. And at there is a winter running bonus - if your running outfit doesn't match, nobody will notice!