Surf City Week 2-Christmas Lights & Sirens

I ran at night!!  You guys- I went out in the dark and the cold and ran at night!!   😄😄😃😃

But before we get to that, here’s a brief recap of last week’s slacker-ness err, training.

Monday– Rest
Tuesday– Work holiday party
Wednesday– Treadmill 5K
Thursday– 2.70 miles – OUTSIDE!
Friday– Rest
Saturday-Unexpected emergency road trip
Sunday– Rest- tired, stressed and way behind

So, yeah still not awesome but that’s ok.   Sometimes life rears it’s horns and you change your plans.  I’m still playing catch up.  But let’s talk about the exciting thing-

I ran at night!  It was slow and short but it was kind of awesome.  😃😃   I had been considering attempting a night run for a while now.  I’m a big baby when it comes to running in the dark.   You never know what’s out there, right?  But, I figured realistically I had a better shot of running at night than I did in the early mornings.  One- I like my bed and sleeping until the last moment.  Two-less likely to have a run in with a creature of some sort.   Or at least that’s what I tell myself.

 I packed 2 sets of clothes- one for an outdoor run and one for the gym if I chickened out.   I don’t own any night gear and I didn’t want to buy anything because what if this was a one and done?   I’m not sure what I was thinking though- I had purple pants, a coral shirt, black and yellow jacket, a coral headband and mismatched gloves.  Maybe I hoped the tacky-ness would be extra visible? 😜   I had reflective strips on my arms and an ancient, tiny flashlight.  My jacket was supposed to be reflective- spoiler- it’s not.

I parked under a light at a local business and headed for my route.  I chose one of the busier streets in town but I chose it for it’s sidewalks, uneven as they are, a few streetlights and the sea of Christmas lights.   I started out slow and I was presently surprised at how much light the Christmas lights gave off.    The temp was in the mid 40’s and the jacket was too much.  I stopped half a mile in to tie it around my waist.

 The dark is funny- I felt like I was hauling but in reality I was putting along at an 11 minute pace.  I laughed out loud when my Garmin buzzed at mile 1.     I don’t usually run on the sidewalk on this street, if I run this street I am in the bike lane.  I knew the sidewalk was uneven but dang!  I stumbled a few times and there were a few times the sidewalk disappeared entirely.  Hello!

My plan was to keep it short, sweet and uneventful and it was working out to be that way.  Until just shy of 2 miles.   I was coming up on an intersection and heard what sounded like a school fire alarm.     I stopped and tried to figure out where it was coming from.   I finally pinpointed it to an older apartment building down the side street.  I wasn’t sure what to do.  I didn’t smell smoke and everything else seemed quiet.   I finally took my cue from the people playing ping pong in their side yard.  They didn’t seem alarmed at all, so I thought maybe this happens all the time at 6:30?  I ran on down the street.   I hit my planned turn around and headed back the way I came.    As I came back to the siren intersection, I didn’t hear anything so I was relieved.  Only to discover a fire truck now parked outside the apartment building!   What?!?!  Last time I trust people hanging out in their yard!

The route is short, so I was back at my car around 2.7 miles and part of that was already overlapping.   So this would route would work more as a shakeout/ easy run than anything else.  Plus, once the Christmas lights come down it could turn a lot darker.  That said it was kind of awesome and it pushed my boundaries a little.     I can’t wait to try it again.  😊  With a better flash light.

I had good intentions of running this past weekend but late night phone calls are rarely a good thing.  My mom and I ended up heading down to LA for a family emergency.  It wasn’t the best of days.

 
Sunday brought the realization of just how behind I am with Christmas shopping.  And laundry.  Seriously, I did 4 loads.   So, like I said before- not the best training week.  But again, I am ok with it.   This week should be interesting as I have to head back to LA again.  This time for myself though, I have another appointment at USC for my stomach.   Nice timing right?

But it’s Christmas week!!!  Are you ready?

Do you like running in morning dark or night dark?

 

15 thoughts on “Surf City Week 2-Christmas Lights & Sirens”

  1. Definitely prefer morning dark … maybe it is just because I have done early morning runs for almost 27 years now – but the peace and quiet and stillness of that time of day really allows me to become centered and introspective … whereas at night it is just dark, yet there is still a buzz of activity. And more cars. But so long as I’m out running … 🙂

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    1. I love the idea of morning runs plus having done first things sounds awesome but then there’s the mountain lions. It seems like every time I consider a morning run, there is another sighting. Before my yard was fenced there were the occasional odd footprints in my driveway. I know I need to get over it though but until then, I will take the cars! 🙂

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  2. Ugh, still not done Christmas shopping! Plus some of the stuff I ordered online isn’t going to get here in time. Dang procrastination! That said, though, I am VERY excited to see my family and have a few days off. I have been doing evening runs in the dark a lot lately, and while it’s not my favorite, it’s not as bad I as I once thought it would be. I also have a kickass 295 lumen headlamp, so I can actually see where I’m going, and potentially blind attackers if I shine my lamp directly in their face 😉

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    1. I just checked the status on something I ordered and now it says delivery set for 12/28. What did I pay extra for?!! I will look into a headlamp but I want to get a few more night runs under my belt until I commit to buying one. Is it uncomfortable to run with? I just imagine it bouncing all over my head with each step. 😛

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  3. Night running is awesome! I get to run in the evenings with my club- we run by Tower Bridge and the Tower of London and it’s so atmospheric! I’m soooo ready for it to be Christmas already- I have one full day at work and then I’m heading home 😀

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  4. I am finally almost ready for Christmas!!! But had to shell out a few extra bucks for express shipping for some cases lol. Still feels good to done though. I’m not a fan of running in the dark at all either. It makes me nervous unless I’m with other people. Kudos to you for getting it done! Hope your family situation is better now!

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    1. I paid extra for shipping on a few items and it still looks like they will be late! It was a little creepy, every now and then I would come up no people out enjoying the lights but it was impossible to see them until I was on top of them!

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  5. You know I’m a morning dark person – I have to get up and do it before my brain figures out what is up! And a Nathan $10 LED shoe light is worth the investment if you do any more night runs. It clips onto the shoe, it helps cars see you and it gives just a touch of illumination to the path!
    And your “shakeout/easy run” is what I’m up to for my daily, and I love knowing that one day, what I’m doing now will be my “easy run”! 🙂

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  6. Way to run in the dark! I run in the morning but wait until the sun is at least sort of up. Although if the summer is another hot one, it may be in the dark! Hope you find out some info about your tummy troubles!

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    1. With my sleeping issues and my commute, I haven’t worked how to even attempt running in the mornings. Well, that and my tendency to hit snooze. 😃 Thank you! Truthfully I wish I was more optimistic about this appointment.

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      1. And I go to bed early, with melatonin and ear plugs. Total insomniac too! I hear you about the appointment. They don’t know what’s up with our guts. It bugs. Took me forever to get my diagnosis and even then I have issues. I’m hoping you find some answers

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