Tuesday, May 4, 2010

An illuminating run

Today's run (street): 2.4 miles at 9:40 per mile

Not quite this bright!
I know I've already made too much of Sunday's long run but this morning my legs were really sore. I tend to feel the effects of a tough workout a couple of days later and that was the case today. My first thought upon awakening was to give myself a break and take another rest day. I dismissed the thought and considered an easy elliptical or treadmill session instead. Once I saw that the temperature at 4:00 AM was in the high 60's I decided to run outside.

The last few times I'd run with my Petzl Tikka headlamp I noticed that the intensity of the LED beam seemed low, even on the brightest setting. It had been a year since I bought the Petzl unit and had not yet changed the batteries. I corrected that on Sunday and this morning I was amazed by how well the lamp illuminated the streets. I had obviously become used the diminishing beam and had actually done an early morning run recently without the headlamp and didn't notice until I returned home. It was fun seeing my neighborhood lit up this morning, the bright blue-tinged light again creating illusions of evil faces reflected off the front of BMWs and Acuras. More importantly I could see the road better and was able to avoid a torn up stretch where a gas line was recently installed.

I didn't run fast today but I really felt great while I was out there. The air was cool enough to keep things comfortable and my legs, though tired, were fine once I hit the street. It may not have been my most rigorous workout of late but it was one of my most enjoyable early morning excursions. Today I plan to visit Jackrabbit with a friend who is looking for a new pair of running shoes. Between this morning's run and an opportunity to visit a running store during the work day, I couldn't be more pleased.

3 comments:

  1. Great Post man. It is coincidental I just bought a head lamp last week end to start fitting in some night time runs. When I am out there at night, I don't even care about speed, cuz it is very fun. Have fun looking for shoes. Keep on shining.

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  2. Which brand/model of headlamp did you buy? How do you feel running with it? It's great to be out on the dark when it's quiet. A great way to start or finish your day.
    Take care.

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  3. The one I bought is by Coleman, I got it at Target for $10. They had one by ll bean and another Coleman for $20, but wanted to try out this one. Has 3 leds and the light is pretty good. I can at least see where I am going. It is very light weight, and when I run, I don't even notice it being on my head. I feel great when running with it, like exploring a cave. And you focus on the space that is lit up, so there is hardly any distraction. Awesome feeling! Can not let the darkness be an excuse anymore as far as not running.

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