Running during the week in the winter
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lporter229
Posts: 4,907 Member
For those with full time jobs, what does your training schedule look like on the weekdays? With limited daylight in both the mornings and the evenings, I find myself forced to run around my subdivision because this is really the only place I feel safe running in the dark. Problem is, with a bunch of short cul de sacs, it's dreadfully boring. I find it hard to run much more than 45 minutes. What does your winter schedule look like? Where do you run and what do you do to feel safe running at night?
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Mine is highly opportunistic:
- the occassional early morning run, though this is usually too busy with kids breakfast
- lunchtime runs from the office
- after work run near the office
- evening run at home
- evening run during kids sports training
There's little chance for consistency so I keep a bag packed and available and grab the chance when it pops up0 -
I get between 4 and 5 am and run the roads in my area. There are hardly any cars or people around and I find it the best time to run. This time of year is wonderful for the sights, smells and sounds. Crunching leaves, wood stoves burning, steam rising off my clothes as i cool down, etc. I love the quiet and peacefulness of the late fall and the winter. Running can be truly meditative this time of year.
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I am semi retired so I have some day time oppertunity to run but Tuesday night and Thursday night are organized thru the running club on HS tracks that are kept lit till 9 PM
We can all run at our own pace during Tuesday and talk before and after the run My 4 miler may be someone elses 5.5 miler its a little boring but its safe. Thursday night are for speed work drills and different exercises ie 100 meter splits or 800 meter hard rest then 1600 meter hard rest then a mile or so jog and loosen up then cool down also on a track at a sportsplex so well lit and safe0 -
I'm lucky and get 90min/3x week afforded to me, so I use that in conjunction with lunch. But sometimes I skip it and run after work. And on my 4th day I go after work too.0
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I run in the morning, in the dark, year round. 5 to 6 am. I pretty much always stick to the same routes, some days just a little farther than others. I tend to always see the same fellow runners out as well. But I stick to the same well lit streets so that I feel safe. It is a little boring so I make it interesting by changing up my music, occasionally running with a friend, or doing varied workouts, different paces and whatnot. The thought has crossed my mind though that I am going to be running these same streets for probably the next 20 years...so I try not to think about that. :laugh:0
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I usually run three days a week right after work. On the weekends I'll run early in the morning and get my long runs done.0
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I'm lucky enough to live right beside a bike path that runs beside a major road (in the city) so it's very well lighted, and there's no cars.... Just the occasional road crossings but again it's well lighted and I wear reflective clothing.
So to answer your question I run 2 days a week after work on that path. I'm lucky enough to get off work at noon on friday so I my longest non LSD run is planned friday afternoon. I do a short run saturday afternoon + my long run sunday.
You may take into consideration that it might be safer to change your route a bit as it's easier for an agressor to "attack" you if you always have the same schedule. Just a tought someone told me once...0 -
I am fortunate enough to run during lunch on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and I do my speed work on the track Thursdays...it's lighted. Otherwise, I would just run with a headlamp and reflective vest on the road. I currently don't run on Mondays or Fridays. But I'm only worried about not getting hit by cars vice being creeped on.0
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I run over lunch two or three days per week.0
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I'm usually out the door no later than 4:30 am on weekday mornings. The only cars out seem to be delivery vehicles and minivans delivering newspapers. I usually run on some city streets over to a walking/jogging trail and then run on that. My biggest hazard seems to be the skunks I encounter! I've been lucky so far.
I actually love those quiet early mornings. The air is super still, you get to see the world start to come to life, you realize your newspaper delivery person deserves a really big tip (did you know that lots of them turn their car lights off when they flip U-turns on neighborhood streets so they don't shine light in house windows?)... anyway, it's a great start to the day. I always come home, shower, etc., and then I take our dog out for a morning walk. It's funny, though... I feel like the world I go running in is completely different than the one I walk my dog in, even though they both start at my front door.0 -
My winter weekday schedule is the exact same as my summer, fall, and spring schedule; I wake up early (usually 4:30-5:00 AM or so, depending upon when my first morning meeting is that day), head out the door, and run. I do that every day except for Tuesday, which is my rest day. The only difference with the winter is how many layers of clothes I wear!
Happy running! :flowerforyou:0 -
I run shorter, but more often in the week. Last winter I did the Thanksgiving Challenge and did at least a mile every day from Thanksgiving to New Years. So Mon - 1-2, Tues - 3, Wed - 4-5, Thurs - 1, Friday - 1, Saturday - 10 - 15, Sunday - 1 - 2. I've increased my weekly mileage this year, so this winter will look a little different, but the pattern will be roughly the same.
*Edit
All of this is after work. Usually first thing when I get home, I try to be home by 6:30 PM0 -
I feel your pain Lori. I spend a lot of time in a slummy area in Mexico . . . my small gated subdivision is the only safe area. Loop after loop after loop. I don't have a solution for you except wait for Spring
. there's always the treadmill Ugh! 0 -
My winter weekday schedule is the exact same as my summer, fall, and spring schedule; I wake up early (usually 4:30-5:00 AM or so, depending upon when my first morning meeting is that day), head out the door, and run. I do that every day except for Tuesday, which is my rest day. The only difference with the winter is how many layers of clothes I wear!
Happy running! :flowerforyou:
Same here, only I usually rest on Monday.0 -
I run at lunchtime from work round the local park and have a wet-wipe shower when I get back!0
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I don't run at night. I don't like it. I do run in the darkness of early morning though. I'm usually out the door by 4:30 am. I'm fortunate to live in AZ. It's never really too cold for me. Most days, I run from my house in varying directions. Never the same route for safety and sanity. I'm also one of those strange birds that actually likes the treadmill. So, one day a week I use the tread at my gym. I'm located right in the middle of retirement communities too, Sun City, Sun City Grand, Sun City West, etc. So there's tons of golf courses nearby, although, I don't run on their paths, other runners have told me they don't like that. But I do drive to their clubhouse & run through the community. I'm most afraid of coyotes that wander around out here.0
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I bought a head torch and go run my regular trails in the woods in the dark. Things I meet in the woods in the dark are much less scary than people I'm likely to meet around town at unsocial hours.
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This is the winter that I am going to man up a bit and deal with the dark. I took a nasty spill in the dark two winters ago and I've been super cautious ever since. I live near a beach though, that's lit up at night- so no excuses.0
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I have done it. I have made the switch to becoming a morning runner (see my blog post about it at http://therunnerdad.com/the-morning-run). In order to have time to spend with my family after work at night, I needed to make the switch. It's dark, it's cold, but so far it's pretty awesome.0
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I work at home on my own schedule but I still run every morning at 5:45 so that I can run with a group. If you can find a local group I think that's the best way to get motivated and stay safe. There's also the added benefit of good company and often a good cup of coffee afterwards.0
