Running Blind - January 8, 2008

Tuesday, January 8, 2008
3.2 miles very easy at night, no time.
It was ridiculously warm today, actually over 60 degrees – too warm to run. I waited until 9:30, and it had gone down to about 45-50. It was mostly clear, so I left my little headlamp home (I took off the strap and carry it in my hand if I need to see the road or alert vehicles, usually no more than 10 seconds total per run, on average), assuming there would be plenty of light from the moon and stars. D’oh! New moon tonight. I learned that the stars alone don’t provide much light, especially with low-lying mist from the warm weather sublimating the snow. I’ve got pretty good night vision, but for most of the run, especially in the low sections, I couldn’t see the road or my feet at all. In many places I was running by feel, trying to sense the crown in the road, the only light being a faintly lit “V” directly ahead of and above me, where the trees opened up to the sky. I ran easily and even felt pretty good after warming up. In fact, it was a prototypical recovery run, leaving me feeling much better afterward than before. Tonight’s car count = 0.