Daylight savings occurred a couple of weeks ago now, and there are some happy runners and also some unhappy runners. I have been on runs with friends over the years, and depending on their schedule, the runs were at 6:30 a.m. or 6:30 p.m. The morning runs were the most frequent and usually ran in the dark of the morning. We usually ran out at Country Estates for a four-mile run. As the months went by, the light of dawn started to make the runs a little easier, and we could see our surroundings. Just as we were getting to enjoy the sun coming up on the horizon, daylight savings arrived and we were back to the dark morning light. We were the unhappy runners during that time period.
The evening runs were just the opposite. Most of my evening runs were at 7 p.m. after a weight lifting session. We ran a mile or two to get the aerobic fitness in. Since it was dark we tried to run on the sidewalks as much as possible. The trouble with sidewalks in the dark versus the paved road was the hazards of uneven cracks, low hanging branches and trees growing in the middle of the sidewalk. The solution was to run on the less traveled roads with very little traffic. We wore white shirts that were better for cars to see us. We also ran against traffic, so if the car didn’t see us, we saw the car and could move over. Daylight Savings time ensured that running occurred in the sun, so we were happy.
There was a period of time when my running partner was a radio station disc jockey for the 6 a.m. crowd. We ran between 3:30 a.m. and 4 a.m. The best part of that run on roads was the street lights were still on and helped visibility. The one run I recall, we were heading down Wonder World and a runner came running out of the dark going the other way. We were not the only crazy runners that night. We knew each other, and he turned and ran with us for the remainder of the run. This was back before it became a major road with stores on both sides of the run. Street lights were the main light back then.
Runners that have the privilege of an afternoon run don’t have to worry about cars seeing them unless the traffic is heavy and the driver is concentrating on the road and not looking off to the side of the road where runners are. One running friend of mine was crossing an intersection just as a car made a right turn into her. She made the newspaper photo lying in a hospital bed with a cast from her hip to her ankle. And in the summer, the hot temperature is a real problem for heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
The weekends are a loss for scheduling when a runner is training for a marathon. Those 20mile training runs are at least three hours long. And in my case, after a 20-mile run a nap of another couple of hours was needed. That pretty well used up most of the day.
The point of this is the question of is there a good time to run? Depending on work schedules, class schedules, running partners availability and family time, a runner will find a time to run. It may not be the best time, but for serious runners, the daily run is a priority.
The main point is if the runner is scheduling the daily run at an unusual time to take the necessary precautions for a safe run. I still see runners in the evening wearing dark clothes. These runners are invisible until the headlights hit them, and if the driver is looking to the other side of the road for traffic, it is often too late to avoid them. The availability of reflective clothes and lights that can be seen from a long distance are a must for runners that run in the dark. The reflective shirts and vests can be purchased at running stores, sporting goods stores and even lumber stores that workers use on the job. You need to run but be sure you run safe and visible.
