Running on a trail vs indoors C25k... HELP

SPFAFF19

I'm currently participating in a Couch to 5k program and with the time change coming this weekend it is going to be very dark by the time I get off work. I currently run on a trail by my home. It's in the woods and its in a good area I just dont feel safe running when it is truly dark out. It gets really dark under the trees! Where do you run when it gets dark? Do you join a gym and run on a treadmill? Is that harder/easier than trail running? I've never used a treadmill, only an elliptical. I could run in my neighborhood but I am so self conscious... I have lost 21lbs so far and want to keep going with this program. I love the trail because it gives me privacy to huff and puff and be fat and not have to worry about other people judging me. What do you do when it gets dark? Do you change where you run? Do you have any ideas of where else I could go? TIA!

KANGOOJUMPS

I start at 4am, through bush. yep, it is scary, but it makes me go faster. I get skunks, wolves, rabbits, squirrels, foxes, take spray, music, lights if you feel better., I cannot do anything inside, even in the winter, minus 30 and in a blizzard , I HEAD OUT!

H_Ock12

You can get an inexpensive headlamp or a light that will clip to your clothing if that will help you feel safe...personally, I'm clumsy and trip over things in the dark without a light! Your neighborhood at a time when other folks are in their homes or away might be another option.

l_lake

I totally get you on liking privacy when you run.
I usually run in my neighbourhood, but wait til after sundown so people won't see me. I just take precautions for safety. Wear reflective gear for drivers and make sure I stay aware of my surroundings. I actually prefer running at night because I can see the car headlights on the road way before they're anywhere near me. When I run in daylight I notice they get a lot closer before I spot them.

Duck_Puddle

I run in my neighborhood. I am lit up like a Christmas tree and sporting all the neon and reflective clothing a person can possibly have and I’m still nearly invisible - particularly to cars. As it gets dark earlier, people tend not to be out as much (meaning people won’t see you out there-everyone is hibernating), and you should be relatively incognito. I am old, fat, slow, self-conscious and live near the high school so I get heckled a lot and I can appreciate the desire to just be invisible. The darkness kind of makes that happen for you because you’re semi-invisible and people aren’t out as much to see what’s happening outside.

I can barely run on trails without tripping on things in daylight. Doing it in the dark seems to be upping the level of difficulty substantially and I’d likely hurt myself in the first 5 minutes. But if you’re more coordinated than I am (most everyone is), that might not be so much of an issue for you.

lorrpb

If it's dark, people in your neighborhood won't see you. If they fill, they don't care what you're going. Most likely they'll be impressed. Many of us have had to learn not to imagine what others might be thinking. You just have to do what you need to do to reach your goals.

peleroja

Personally, I'd never run trails in the dark because I'm clumsy and need to see where I'm going (even the old sidewalks in my neighbourhood are challenging in the dark, headlamp and all), but I do run in the dark a lot in my neighbourhood. I wear LED bracelets and reflective stripes so I'm pretty obvious and I stick to sidewalks, crossing carefully. I wear headphones but they are the type that let in ambient noise and I can still hear my surroundings, plus I stick to audiobooks as they cover less noise as well.

I bought a treadmill last year and cancelled my gym membership (where I previously went every weekday morning but only to use the treadmills there anyway) and I like it too and use it whenever the weather is bad. It has the benefit of being able to choose your incline, being able to wear whatever you want, and being able to listen to music/watch netflix/etc at any volume. I have to cover the screen with a towel so I don't watch the minutes tick by, but honestly I do find the treadmill to be pretty great and a good opportunity to zone out completely, watch some TV, and be blissfully alone while I sweat.

I find running outdoors slightly easier than the treadmill but I think it's mental, since when I go outside I just run at whatever pace feels comfortable instead of saying "Okay, 6.8 miles per hour" or whatever and having to stick to it.

AgileK9

I was doing a Couch25K one year and was running in the dim morning light and I wiped out, landed on a rock on my knee and it's never been the same. Just found out recently that I tore a bit of meniscus and since I ignored it for so long, now I have arthritis. Be careful even with a lamp!

Do you have access to a local gym, even maybe a school with a treadmill? What about a big parking lot that will be empty early but have lights? Do some laps around it.

Rosemary7391

I will have to change where I run since the park doesn't open until dawn and closes at dusk, which is getting pretty close to times I need to be in work

I'm thinking of just running around the local streets first thing in the morning. I never get any bother because it's before the kids are heading to school, so anyone about its an adult too busy trying to get to work to pay any attention to me .

apullum

I think the biggest hindrance is worrying about what people will think if they see you. Most people who see you honestly do not think very much about your running at all. If they work out, they probably think it's great that you're running; if they don't work out, then they probably think they should get out and exercise like you are.
Besides, who cares what they think? Run in a place that feels safe to you. If that's a well-lit neighborhood, then do it.

girlinahat

I find running in the morning better than at night. I figure all the bad people are still in bed, plus if I trip and injure myself, at least it will be getting light over time rather than getting darker when all the ghouls come out....

I run in the dark on unfamiliar trails with my club, but someone has practised the route - I would only run trails I know well, and even then the woods can get pretty ghostly on my own. I don’t like running on the road but my general route is towpath- a gravel path with no cars by the side of the river.

I’d still avoid the treadmill if I could. I tried it once, in a fit of being sensible. Seven minutes later I was back outside.

Saltine24

Personally I find running outside harder on my knees than running on my treadmill. I run about 4-5 km every morning on my treadmill around 5:30 to 6:30 and walk about 7 km outside during my lunch hour. I would love to run outside but as soon as I do my knees swell up like balloons.

MeanderingMammal

SPFAFF19 wrote: »

I currently run on a trail by my home. It's in the woods and its in a good area I just dont feel safe running when it is truly dark out. It gets really dark under the trees! Where do you run when it gets dark?

I wear a high capacity head torch and trail run, you could also use knuckle lights as well to give you better visibility. The most I've done offroad in the dark is about 14 miles, and that was a route I knew well.

Slow your pace if you feel you need to, but for me anything beats the tedium of a treadmill. I have some admiration for people that can cope with that for more than ten minutes at a time, it really is grim for me, but others will argue that it works for them.

And fwiw, as far as others judging you. Runners don't care, non runners don't matter.

Joanna2012B

I run early morning in my neighbourhood. I am worried to run on the trails because they are so dark and uneven. I know it's easier said than done, but don't worry about what anyone thinks. You are the one that is up and moving!! I only use the treadmill for days that is it really icy out. Other than that I run outside in whatever weather comes. When I first started running I felt slow, sluggish and awkward. Every step I took I felt like was the heaviest step ever! That feeling goes away with consistent running. Good for you and just keep running!!!!