Are you afraid of running in the dark?

[Laurie]

or rather.. how do you get past the fear of running in the dark.
Do you have any tricks of the trade?!
With winter coming, and daylight shrinking...its getting harder and harder to get a run in during the daytime...
somehow i get spooked often at night when I'm running alone.
thoughts? ideas?

[Cathy]

I'm not one for the dark but my time for running is first thing in the morning.  With longer training schedules the times get earlier and earlier.  I have a headlight that really helps but only gives me limited light and since it sits on my hat gives errie shadows around me.  I know that I shouldn't especially early in the morning, but I listen to the Wolfe (the only station that I can keep in).  I keep it low and always try to keep a listen out for cars.  The lights are always obvious that time in the morning so that helps and we don't get much traffic on our country roads at 5:30 although there is a bit.

I have had some really lovely mornings to go out both running and biking.  One morning the moon was so full and bright that I hardly needed my headlight.  It was really neat.  I admit that it is hard to see things clearly and I have a tendancy to get spooked but I just concentrate on what I am doing and keep moving.

[Cathy]

I should add also that probably the biggest concern that I have is being seen by the cars on the road.  I try to flash (turn my head around and show my headlight) at least twice when I hear or see a car, to make sure the cars know that I am not some kind of gas powered vehicle.  I try to keep my hair in my coat so that the most reflective materials that I have on my cloths shows.  I also wear light coloured clothing.  I will have to look into getting more reflective cloths so that I really stand out.  I still find that even in light, some cars don't give you enough room on the road, walking and certainly biking.

[Sandy]

Why are you afraid of running in the darK?  Is it falling, being hit, being attacked, the unknown?  I love to run in the dark, makes me feel fast but I choose my times and areas carefully.  I won't run on the trails by myself, and when running on roads I stick to well lit, high travelled areas that are close to home.  I always bring my cell phone, tell my husband where I'm running and how long I'll be gone.  When in doubt I hit the treadmill.

[Robyn]

Being that I'm absolutely not a morning person I like running in the evening after dark.  I find there are less distractions and allows me to get some quiet time alone.  I stick to well populated areas where there are a lot of houses and lights.  Most of my neighbours leave their outside lights on, so it's great just in case there's an emergency or something scares me.

[Jane]

I think the best thing to do is not run alone.  Especially if you are running in a place that isn't lit. 

If I have to run in the dark, I prefer to do it in the evening too as opposed to at 5 a.m.  For some reason, I find 5 a.m. creepier.  I don't know why - maybe because there aren't as many people out and about.  I feel like the more people, the safer it is which isn't necessarily true because the more people, the more chances some of them are BAD people.  But then after hearing about women being attacked in Belleville around dawn makes me think that maybe the BAD people are going out just before sun-up. 

Anyhow, I would only run in our neighbourhood after dark (which is like 5:30 p.m. on in the winter!) but it has streetlights - I guess I am getting something out of my tax $$$$.  I wouldn't even venture into the industrial park because the street lights end part way into it.  I really DON'T like the dark -- as I have told people before!  Don't like the sensation that I cannot see.  We started trail running in the dark one morning last winter and I really did not enjoy it.  It just felt way too disorienting.

[ShoppinShannon]

I'm with Jane on that topic.  If I can't see, I don't have control.  Me no like.