Going Over to the Dark Side

prdavies1949

Hi I hope the photo works

In the past I have had a lot of good advice and info from you folks, here's hoping for some more. I am targeting a 10k race on the 30th Nov for a PR, a nice flat coastal course that if the on shore wind is OK should be good. Training is going well, I ran five and a half today @ 8:42 so am well on target to go sub 53mins on the day.
So far so good. Yesterday I was looking on line and saw another 10K which looked so good I had to sign up. It is two weeks after my PR attempt, it is also a trail race through a forest after dark, running with headlamps. I have just downloaded the elevation profile and though the majority of the race is undulating there is a 300ft climb at the end. I know that I will not run as fast as my PR but what kind of time might I expect to do given the dark, the conditions underfoot and the hill? How fast (slow) should I go out to conserve enough energy to get over the hump?
I have looked at last year's results and if they are anything to go by I will certainly be the oldest runner in the race. Last year the oldest was 61 so I maybe the only one over 65, A chance to age group place maybe?

throoper

For what it's worth, I just did a 10 mi trail race with a similar very large hill (~700 feet) about 1/2 way through. I wouldn't bother trying to conserve energy for the hill... it's steep enough that you'll probably have to walk up it regardless, and it's close enough to the end that I think you could just push through any tiredness. Just for reference, my PR for a half marathon is right about a 9 minute mile, and I ran the trail race (in daylight) at a 10:15 minute mile. The steep elevation (both up and down), the rocks and roots, the sometimes crowded singletrack, and oh the ELEVATION (8000-9000 feet) definitely slowed me down.

DavidMartinez2

Running on trails in the dark will slow you down, but on the bright side you won't be able to see how steep that hill is at the end. Go as fast as you feel safe running, unless the trail is super technical the darkness will act as a good govenor to prevent you from over-exerting yourself.

aldousmom

have you run many technical trails (likely, given how steep that is) and also, how much hill training do you have? That said, trail runs are a crap shoot, time wise, and the clock is a *kitten*. forget comparing it to your road times AT ALL. run, have fun, and don't hurt yourself too much. :P (I'm an ultra trail runner, fwiw)

noexcusesjustresults2014

DavidMartinez2 wrote: »

Running on trails in the dark will slow you down, but on the bright side you won't be able to see how steep that hill is at the end. Go as fast as you feel safe running, unless the trail is super technical the darkness will act as a good govenor to prevent you from over-exerting yourself.

+ 1. Personally I think running in the dark is fun. Both for the cooler temps and because there is less traffic. I do wear a headlamp for roads and mace in case I run into any unsavory characters

Trails are great. Have fun!

prdavies1949

Thanks for the advice. You are right. I will just do this for the fun. I'll aim for 10min/miles for the first 8k then get over the hill as best I can and just enjoy a night run.

plateaued

Since no one else is saying it, I will. Running in the dark scares me because of the sprained ankle or other injury risk. Could result in several weeks of layoff. Seems to me the risk for me is higher than the reward. But younger eyes may have less risk.

Abakan

I agree with the above post. Had a fall on Thursday evening doing a hill run in the dark,I've got bruises all down my right leg to prove it, fortunately nothing that has stopped me running. I need to invest in a better head touch one that gives off lots of light but it looks as if they cost at least £100 so will have to save up. I do enjoy running in the dark though .
Best of luck with both races.

aldousmom

If you have trouble with depth perception in the dark: ie. trip over crap b/c you can't see where you're going, a good solution is to add a hand held flashlight to use along with your headlamp. that way you've got light coming from two angles, and will give you more accurate information about the terrain. No need to trip b/c you can't see.