beginner question

3 watchers

Little Critter Sep 2018 8:53am, 19 Sep 2018 First-time poster!!	0 Little Critter I've just started running again (not that I ran much before, but have done little bits on/off) Already the nights are drawing in and I'm now wondering if it's going to be possible to run more than just on Sat/Sun through the autumn / winter. I live in a village where only the centre has street lights, I don't fancy running on my own round dark country lanes. Can you progress (even just slowly) just running twice a week on consecutive days? What do you guys do through winter regarding mid week runs?
um Sep 2018 9:03am, 19 Sep 2018 493 posts	0 um Welcome to Fetch ... Firstly - 2 runs at the weekend will let you progress more than zero runs. But no chance of midday runs? A few alternatives? Depending how rural you are. I assume your closest town based running clubs will have evening runs in lit areas? Or find a floodlit running track?
minardi Sep 2018 9:03am, 19 Sep 2018 4,207 posts	0 minardi Hi Little Critter and welcome to fetch waves Can you drive somewhere with more pavements and lighting? Join a local club who run in packs (safety in numbers and all that)? Any regular running (even on consecutive days) will see an improvement, especially at the beginning when you're just coming back to it. Have you got a local parkrun for Saturday mornings?
Sweetie Sep 2018 9:07am, 19 Sep 2018 3,151 posts	0 Sweetie Welcome Little critter! Completely agree with Um, you can always make progress by just exercising on the weekend. Something is always better than nothing. Like you I live in a rural area with no street lights so options are lunch runs, treadmill runs or headtorch / chest torch, drag someone else out with you if you don't fancy the dark runs on your own. Or as suggested above joint a club for company.
Little Critter Sep 2018 9:12am, 19 Sep 2018 2 posts	0 Little Critter Thanks all I'll have a look at your suggestions. No chance of midday runs - I work and only have 30 mins lunch (and nowhere to run from work really). But I agree with the something is better than nothing argument.
Autumnleaves Sep 2018 9:41am, 19 Sep 2018 12,799 posts	0 Autumnleaves Try the RunTogether website as a way of finding a local group - they list a lot of more informal running groups as well as the affiliated clubs. If your local area has a Facebook community page/group ask there - you might find a local running buddy/group. There are some really good torches available that do widen the opportunities, is an early morning an option? Then at least it gets lighter as you go! As others have said - 2 runs a week will still help - can you do some other midweek exercise instead? Circuits maybe?
MazH Sep 2018 9:41am, 19 Sep 2018 9,811 posts	0 MazH Could you use a midweek session to run in the village street lit areas if you made it a speed session.... not sure how long a village end to end run would take, but short and fast thru the runnable street, recovery jog back, and repeat x 3 or 4 times. you could probably spin a couple of quality miles out of it, and it would be a worthwhile speed session that would help no end. and you'd only be out 20-30 minutes!
MazH Sep 2018 9:42am, 19 Sep 2018 9,812 posts	0 MazH if end to end is short, is there a village green? village football /cricket pitch for same?
Little Critter Sep 2018 9:46am, 19 Sep 2018 3 posts	0 Little Critter MazH - yes I did think of having a shorter interval session through the lit bit (I noted where the lights start and end last night) I'd probably get about half a mile each way. No green or cricket pitch, just a pub! Early morning / early evening isn't really an option because I have to do my horses first, so it would have to be a really early morning (and then it would still be dark)
Old Croc Sep 2018 9:49am, 19 Sep 2018 29,411 posts	0 Old Croc Weclome aboard What has been said above - headtorch and hi-viz will help - lots of kit available including flashy ones to get you seen. Joining a group / club will help safety and encouragement