I recently started running again. As I have gotten back into a routine I am finding that there are only certain times during my busy schedule that allows me to run. If I am lucky, I can run during the day, sometimes after work. If I am unlucky, it will be at a much more inconvenient time. The other day, I had the unfortunate luck to have a day where I had an unfortunate time to run... at 9 o'clock at night. Pitch black, the overcast clouds most of the time I had no clue running. Even though I was running the same path that I had run just the previous day, things felt different. Spookier. I was more unsure of my surroundings, cautiously taking each step. Almost afraid of an area that I thought I knew quite well. I would see a light that I thought was nearby, run to it only to find it was miles in the distance. The dark is not a friendly place for a runner.
When you are an environmental educator, a lot of the time you may find yourself "running in the dark". The unknown can be intimidating and at times it is easy to be unsure of yourself. How do we get back to "running in the light"? The answer is simple: STOP! Slow down, think, observe, and then plan. Take time to get feeling for your surroundings and understand the moving world around you. Know where you are and what is happening around you so that each step you take forward can be taken with confidence.
Coming back to the run, I have a question for you: Which run did you think I had a better time on, the one during the day or the run at night? If you guessed during the day you were correct. I was half a minute slower running at night then I had the day before. It goes to show, the going is easier when you have a sense of place.
It's good to back.
