A night run is so much simpler when running in the country.
“Do you have an ID with you in case they find your body in a ditch?”
After my wife saw my raised eyebrows, she patiently explained what she was trying to say and it made a lot more sense.
When we lived in a small city in Wyoming, I would take off on runs at midnight with a million stars in the sky shining. The only thing that ever really concerned my wife is that I would take a wrong turn on a country road and run way more miles than I intended.
After a year living in a city with population of 1,729,000, up from the 17,849 of a small town in Wyoming where I used to live, I know much more. I had never really considered how much of a challenge running in the dark is.
If my mental preparation for a night run in a thriving metropolis is stressful, imagine what it is like for our female running companions and/or people of color. I wrote a little about my wake-up call to the differences in my ability to run versus my friends in 2020 with Running Fearlessly.
My year living here, along with my wife’s question, woke me up to a whole new level of planning needed to complete these runs with less stress involved.
Still, If you’re not already grabbing a couple of night runs every month, you should consider adding these to your schedule.
Why Run at Night?
There is something almost euphoric when you step out into the night to go for a run. There’s already that runner high to consider. Still, knowing all of your neighbors are sitting in an easy chair binge-watching Netflix will give you an incredible high.
Throw in the most incredible stress relief you could ever imagine, and you’ll never think about eating that gummy CBD before bed ever again. The calm I have after coming into the house after a two-three hour run in the middle of the night puts me to sleep like nothing else ever has.
Scientists at the “University of Chicago’s Clinical Research Centre conducted trial runs by wiring volunteers and recording physiological changes that took place during step machine exercises at all hours: morning, noon and night.”
A runsociety.com article, “Breaking News: Scientists Say Running at Night Has Too Many Benefits to Count!” concluded that the body’s metabolism adapts better to evening and nighttime runs.
For those living in high heat areas, running at night is less hot, which means your body isn’t having to work as hard to keep your body temperature moderated.
The main thing that convinces me to get out and run at night as much as possible, even in a big city:
When you get to a place in your run, and you can stop and look at the night sky, the unbelievable millions of points of light blinking back at you will take your breath away.
There’s something magical about running under the stars and knowing you’re part of a vast galaxy. Maybe there’s an alien on some distant planet out for a run glancing down at our solar system. They stop and acknowledge the vastness right alongside us.
Tips on Removing Some of the Stress-Related to Night Running
Whereas there are visual differences between running at night in the country versus the city, some common tips will add to your safety running at night.
The most significant visual difference is that in the country, there are no street lights. In the city at night, I often don’t need a head or waist lamp. In the country, the head or waist lamp is the only way to dodge obstacles on the country road or trail you are running.
The first safety tip I can provide is stay visible to vehicles while running at night. A head or waist lamp helps accomplish this goal as it alerts drivers that there is something different coming their way. Always run facing traffic instead of with traffic.
Along with a head lamp, wear bright clothing. Dark clothing is not the best idea when running at night. I have a friend who learned this the hard way when he was running in black shorts with a black shirt and a police car “checked” in on him because somebody had reported a person running suspiciously down their street in dark clothing. I dress as if I’m auditioning to be a rodeo clown with the brightest clothing and shoes I can find.
Another safety tip is to ditch the electronics. There’s already going to be way less traffic noise if you’re running in the city, so there’s no need to drown out what won’t be there. But the main reason to ditch the music is so you can listen to your surroundings.
The distraction of headphones, music, and your running app talking to you won’t allow you to hear traffic, anyone approaching you, and any other hazards waiting to trip up your peaceful night run.
Finally, the last tip is to stick to brightly lit areas, or find a local golf course to run. This really comes down to your preference. I prefer golf courses because there are homes near enough that I can yell. There is also a sense of peacefulness not found running on the well-lit streets.
Invite others along when I am going for night runs, especially people that have never run at night and might be nervous. I often find that there doesn’t need to be much conversation when you’re out running, but just knowing somebody else is beside, ahead or behind you, gives that extra bit of security.
There is such peace in a run at night and everybody should be able to enjoy the sensation. It saddens me greatly that we still live in a culture where many are afraid to run at night and gain the incredible benefits of a night run. We should all strive to do better at ensuring others’ safety as well as our own.
Get out there and enjoy the magic of running at night. You won’t know how peaceful it is until try it yourself.