Running at Night

My internal clock has a preference for working out in the evening. And for years, I've noticed that my running is more productive and enjoyable at night in the dark! I just read this article in Runners World about running in the dark.

Here's an excerpt from the article:
In fact, Youngstedt says that some athletes may benefit from evening workouts, citing recent research among a group of swimmers whose performance peaked between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Although the responsible mechanism isn't yet understood, Youngstedt says there are several potential contributing factors. One is body temperature, which tends to be higher later in the day and has been linked to increased strength and reaction time. Another is the release of two hormones important for energy metabolism, cortisol and thyroptopin, which are at their highest levels in the evening. "We all have internally generated body rhythms that dictate when we feel and perform our best," Youngstedt says. "You have to find what works for you."

To read the entire article, go to http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-267--10838-0,00.html

Of course, I run on a well lit paved running path, wear my cute reflective vest. Now I just need to remember to add the headlamp.

Night running in the rain

Sometimes I surprise myself. After a long day, I headed out at 8:40 pm for a run into the dark, rainy night. Turns out I had the best run in a long time. In fact, I think I prefer running at night and in the rain. Could it be there are fewer people on the running path? I don't want to be noticed as the slow runner? Of course it helps that I have a constant view of a lit up downtown Seattle while running on Alki.