running at night

[Babs]

Do any of you run at night? Do you guys think it's safe?

For three weeks it was about 105 every day. The temp wouldn't drop below 90 until 1030 or 11 at night. So that's when I would head out for my run. I didn't think anything about it, but when I mentioned a run to my parents they freaked. Are they overreacting or am I just really naive?

[Surfah]

Do any of you run at night? Do you guys think it's safe?

For three weeks it was about 105 every day. The temp wouldn't drop below 90 until 1030 or 11 at night. So that's when I would head out for my run. I didn't think anything about it, but when I mentioned a run to my parents they freaked. Are they overreacting or am I just really naive?

I didn't care for Gidget running around 8pm, so I am sure that I would have issues with her running at the 10 o'clock hour. Our neighborhood doesn't have sidewalks or street lights though. Plus between some of the houses are some heavily wooded areas withing 10' of the road. I guess what I am saying is the only way I'd feel comfortable with this is if the running were on a treadmill at that hour.

I think you should be a bit more cautious. Do you carry any mace? Cell phone? At the very least I'd tell someone where you are going and how long you expect to be gone. This is good practice at any hour. I be sure to tell someone whenever we go hiking this information. But that's just me, the overprotective controlling jerk.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

For three weeks it was about 105 every day.

The Seattle meteorologist said the other night the starting Saturday Sea-town will have four straight days of 90+ temperatures. Then commented that would be the first time that has happened.

[Babs]

The Seattle meteorologist said the other night the starting Saturday Sea-town will have four straight days of 90+ temperatures. Then commented that would be the first time that has happened.

Yeah, there are reasons Flash is aiming to make it north and west. I've heard you guys have had an unusually warm summer, though.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

It has been great camping weather for sure.

Also to not totally thread jack you, I don't like running after about 9ish. Of course I am a wimp who often get scared when I have to go upstairs after turning off all the lights.

[Commando]

I always go running at night-- the sun is my kryptonite when it comes to exercise. Nothing better than a good 15k run at midnight.

[beelzebabette]

After a couple of uncomfortable incidents (one of them being a racoon jumping out of the brush on the Provo River trail and scaring the bejeebees out of me), I adopted what I termed the "Rule of Three." One point for each person, daylight gets a point, as does a cell phone. I feel pretty strongly about running safety and give my friends a hard time about following this rule. If you can come up with another factor to add to your safety (maybe running a route where you know several homes en route where you know the people), I say go for it. I really like night running.

[UtahDan]

Do any of you run at night? Do you guys think it's safe?

For three weeks it was about 105 every day. The temp wouldn't drop below 90 until 1030 or 11 at night. So that's when I would head out for my run. I didn't think anything about it, but when I mentioned a run to my parents they freaked. Are they overreacting or am I just really naive?

I have been going out the last two weeks around 8:30-8:45 so the second half of my run is in the dark. I do it through a neighborhood that doesn't have much traffic and I make sure to run against traffic so that they see me and I see them. I also where a white shirt and light colored shorts. That is my big safety concern.

But being a man who is 6'2 and 250ish, I'm not worried about getting abducted or assaulted. As a woman it is a sad fact of life that you have to think about that just as you would avoid all sorts of situations where it is dark, you are isolated and something bad could occur. I think you are probably a bit naive here, but of course it also depends on the neighborhood. If you are running through a gated community where all the homes are 7000 sq. ft. or better you probably have nothing to worry about, or less anyway.

[SteelBlue]

Do any of you run at night? Do you guys think it's safe?

For three weeks it was about 105 every day. The temp wouldn't drop below 90 until 1030 or 11 at night. So that's when I would head out for my run. I didn't think anything about it, but when I mentioned a run to my parents they freaked. Are they overreacting or am I just really naive?

I run at 10:30 or 11 most nights for the same reason you do. Sometimes it's still well into the 90's but I don't have a morning option so that's when I have to go. I run along the Sacramento River trail and no way would I want my wife running that alone. Lot's of people sleeping on benches or just hanging around under bridges.

[beelzebabette]

If you are running through a gated community where all the homes are 7000 sq. ft. or better you probably have nothing to worry about, or less anyway.

FWIW, couldn't disagree more. The worst neighborhood to run through in Orem was off Palisades (homes just as you described). Too many places for someone to hide in the landscape and too little going on in the neighborhood to discourage lurkers. Average middle-class where you have the occasional neighbor sitting on their front porch rather than the gazebo in the back yard is much better. Just my opinion.

[UtahDan]

FWIW, couldn't disagree more. The worst neighborhood to run through in Orem was off Palisades (homes just as you described). Too many places for someone to hide in the landscape and too little going on in the neighborhood to discourage lurkers. Average middle-class where you have the occasional neighbor sitting on their front porch rather than the gazebo in the back yard is much better. Just my opinion.

I happily concede that you are more attuned to this issue than I am and stand corrected.

[Babs]

The funny thing is that I've always felt like I was at lot more risk during the day. When I run during the day, I run on Indian Hills - a 50 mph road with no sidewalk. When I run at night, I run at the back of a culdesac nearby. I always felt like there was a much higher risk that I'd get run off the road than anything else, but nobody ever expressed concerned until I was running after dark.

Maybe I just like to live dangerously. I think the superhero gig has given me a sense of invincibility.

[beelzebabette]

Maybe I just like to live dangerously. I think the superhero gig has given me a sense of invincibility.

I have pretty strong feelings on this topic. I thought I'd play the odds for a while until I was chased once by a car with four 20-something guys in it once. While I'm guessing they just wanted to mess with us, I didn't know for sure. That's when I came up with the rule. We ended up cutting through a break in the fence into a neighborhood and hiding in someone's front yard while the car had to go around to come back to the street. The car drove up and down the the street a couple of times and then took off. Ever since then, I've decided not to take unnecessary risks.

[Babs]

I have pretty strong feelings on this topic. I thought I'd play the odds for a while until I was chased once by a car with four 20-something guys in it once. While I'm guessing they just wanted to mess with us, I didn't know for sure. That's when I came up with the rule. We ended up cutting through a break in the fence into a neighborhood and hiding in someone's front yard while the car had to go around to come back to the street. The car drove up and down the the street a couple of times and then took off. Ever since then, I've decided not to take unnecessary risks.

crazy. Your approach is clearly the wise one.

[TripletDaddy]

I have pretty strong feelings on this topic. I thought I'd play the odds for a while until I was chased once by a car with four 20-something guys in it once. While I'm guessing they just wanted to mess with us, I didn't know for sure. That's when I came up with the rule. We ended up cutting through a break in the fence into a neighborhood and hiding in someone's front yard while the car had to go around to come back to the street. The car drove up and down the the street a couple of times and then took off. Ever since then, I've decided not to take unnecessary risks.

my wife will go out running with some of her friends in the ward. I don't feel comfy with her going after dark unless the group is 3 or more women. Even then, I still don't like it. I prefer that they go to a kickboxing class or whatnot rather than run around in the dark outside.

Yes, it is probably sexist to assume that women can't defend themselves against an attacker, but so be it. There are some weirdos out there and running after dark in sketchy areas is a needless risk. There are plenty of other, more safe ways to get your cardio groove on.