Running in the Dark

on November 5, 2008

Daylight Savings Time is putting a damper on my evening runs — it’s PITCH BLACK by 6:30! Eck! I still managed to squeeze in a 4.0 miler, but this time change is going to make longer runs during the week difficult. Maybe I need to invest in a reflective vest?

Despite the darkness, my run was still glorious. Here are my statistics:

Duration: 39 minutes (4.0 miles)
Average Heart Rate: 161 bpm
Maximum Heart Rate: 189 bpm
Calories Burned: 350

Dinner – Baked Tofu Salad

I came home, gave Maggie a bath, cleaned up, and started dinner. I had a Baked Tofu Salad.

I put 1/3 a block of extra tofu in between two paper towels in the fridge this AM, so the tofu was extra dry (yum yum!). I rubbed the slices in maple syrup and pepper. After baking for 35 minutes, they were super crunchy and sweet!

My salad also contained spinach, a sliced carrot, 1/4 a cucumber, and a sprinkle of Italian cheese.

Other Eats of the Day

Before my run, I had yogurt + granola (which is hindsight wasn’t too smart… I definitely felt the fiber in my belly around mile 2.0).

Around 3, I had a slice of WW bread with cottage cheese.

Do you wear in special gear for night-time running?

I have a blinking button I wear, but it’s only seen by cars

approaching me from the front, not from behind.

{ 21 comments }

Jewels November 5, 2008, 6:46 pm
Hi Caitlin!
When you changed your life for the healthier- Did you one day change all your habits or make slow changes?
Thanks!
Caitlin (see bride run) November 5, 2008, 6:55 pm
hi jewels! GREAT question. my eating habits were definitely a more gradual change…. but once i decided to start working out, i stuck with it and never looked back! different things worth for different people. some people thrive under “all or nothing” and some hate going cold turkey.

and, i think as you see positive changes in yourself, you are more likely to continue changing for the better. it kind of snowballs.
Oh She Glows November 5, 2008, 6:57 pm
I feel ya on the time change….it gets dark in Toronto at 5:30pm now….yuk!

The baked tofu looks so yummy! I never would have thought to put it in a salad.
Meg November 5, 2008, 6:58 pm
That baked tofu sounds delicious. What a great idea to use maple syrup!
haya November 5, 2008, 6:59 pm
i don’t run in the dark (well. sometimes i do when i start my crazy long runs at 5 am in the summer so i can be done by 8 or 9!) but when i bike i’ve got lots of reflectivity on my jacket, a white flashlight thing in the front and a red blinky in the back. i’d recommend getting another blinky for your back and maybe look into some sort of running headlamp? always run against traffic!
sara November 5, 2008, 7:17 pm
your food always looks so delish!

i try to stick to the sidewalk on well-lit streets. i have a headlamp for camping but have never run with it. i really need to start using it though, because i routinely run in the dark year round 🙁

the vest sounds like a good idea.
Lee (seeleelive) November 5, 2008, 7:33 pm
yum num nums! and i cant wait to eat roasted brussel sprouts. Hmmmm!!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! and question..does anyone have a good recipe for oatmeal with cottage cheese added?!!!
Zesty Cook November 5, 2008, 7:37 pm
Caitlin, I am with you on the time change….. drinving home from work gets me feeling down in the dumps. Ahh well we will get ovber it!

zesty
Mrs. LC November 5, 2008, 7:43 pm
Also feeling you on the time change. Hubs and I went for an evening jog when he got home from work. I foolishly decided to go somewhere different tonight, which ended up having a section without any light and a dirt path with lots of holes. :/ definitely a distraction. Oh well, maybe this will encourage me to get my butt up and go early in the morning!
just me November 5, 2008, 7:49 pm
i would def invest in a reflective vest…i bought one last year when training for the marathon and it def kept me from getting hit SEVERAL times at night!!!!
runningwithfood November 5, 2008, 7:54 pm
Your dinner salad looks fab! Definitely have me cravin’ tofu now! 🙂

I don’t ever run in the dark – I’m too chicken! This is the time of year that I make the transition to the treadmill. I think you should definitely look into a reflective vest if you are going to be out in the dark! Got to keep you safe and sound! 🙂
Caitlin (see bride run) November 5, 2008, 8:24 pm
lee – try my green eggs and ham oatmeal (under recipes n the left)
amanda November 5, 2008, 8:40 pm
so funny you ask about the reflective vest! when my mom heard that i was running before work (aka in the dark), she brought my dads old reflective vest from when he would run after work. its bright yellow with 3 reflector strips on the front and back. i look like SUCH a nerd, but i feel safer!! now that the sun comes up midway through my morning run, i’m a little embarrassed to be seen in it 🙂

also i feel you on the early night darkness!! my run tonight was cancelled due to darkness AND rain – and the treadmill really doesn’t do it for me like running outside does!
Erica November 6, 2008, 4:26 am
Hey! I tend to move it inside when it is too dark to run outside. My dad always loved his outside run too much to move it inside so he had a reflective vest and he got like extra reflective sneakers!!
Caitlin (see bride run) November 6, 2008, 4:43 am
amanda – hahah well at least when people see you still running in your vest in the daylight, they know you’re so hardcore you’ve been running all morning!!
Jen November 6, 2008, 4:49 am
Oh yes, girl…my reflective vest will be here anyday! We are all thinking the same thing. I ordered a Nike vest off Ebay for like $10 including shipping, new. The Nathan one at the running store was $40.00!!!! Yikes!

I totally agree with Amanda…if the sun comes up, I think I will feel like a big dork. Silly how we care so much how others perceive us. A fact of life nonetheless.
Let us know what you decide.
Jordan November 6, 2008, 6:22 am
I NEED to get some cottage cheese. I miss it so much. Ever since I started eating my plan Greek yogurt, I’ve forgotten about my old beloved cottage cheese!
Sistercooks.blogspot.com November 6, 2008, 9:07 am
The maple and pepper tofu is such an interesting combo- it is definatly now on my list of things to try!
aron November 6, 2008, 10:57 am
i have been challenged by the dark lately too… i use a headlamp so i can see but i really want to get a flashy red light to clip behind me.

i was thinking of you and your FH the other day cause my mom has had migraines forever and she just started going to accupuncture for them and its working!
Caitlin (see bride run) November 6, 2008, 11:00 am
aron – it really does work! im happy to hear that!
Andrea (Off Her Cork) November 6, 2008, 2:31 pm
I don’t care for running in the dark but sometimes it’s unavoidable. I have flashing lights that I can clip on anywhere and they are awesomely bright! I bought them from RoadID.com I clip mine on the side so cars can see it whether they are approaching me from the front or back. They stay put too! They are called Firefly Supernovas. I have blue!

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