Running in Complete Darkness

I know the safety precautions for running in complete darkness pretty well (see my article 7 safety rules for running in the dark).  Regardless of how many times I run when it's dark, I never get completely acclimated to the idea that there may be something out there I cannot see.  We have less than a week before the time goes back an hour in the US. And, I am impatiently waiting to get that hour back for the selfish reason of bringing daylight to my early morning runs.

In this neighborhood, it's difficult to believe that we have few streetlights, especially considering there are lots of kids and elderly people who could be easy targets for crime (I have heard the area was designed with  few streetlights to create an "ambiance" unlike other Chicago suburbs.) Having only a few streetlights might be a thing of beauty for some people here. But, it would really help the runners, bikers , walkers, and pet owners who just want to see where their next step will land.

During yesterday's Easy Run, I noticed the wooden bridge I use to cross Butterfield Creek was missing a few planks. Apparently the creek rose pretty high due to the heavy rains and a log or two hit the bridge causing the damage.  Thank goodness there was enough light for me to see the missing planks otherwise Isis and I might have been injured.

I doubt if there will be any streetlights coming in this area anytime soon, so I guess the runners, bikers, walkers and pet owners must deal with the darkness for now.


Training
This is week 4, day 2 of my 12 week half marathon training program. Yesterday I completed a 4 mile Easy Run and today I completed a 5 mile Tempo Run.  Tomorrow's scheduled run is a Pace Run and then Friday the schedule calls for the second Progression Run.  I can probably do a good pace run outdoors. However, I'd much rather do the progression on the treadmill to ensure my pace is accurate.  I love doing progression runs but it's a challenge to look down at my watch often enough to be sure I'm running at the right pace for the right amount of time.

So far there are no kiddie activities planned for Saturday morning.  That could mean that I can get in a good Long Run this weekend.  Shame on me: I've missed the last 2 long runs!

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