Day 187: Night running becomes a thing of the past

In years past, I usually spent the winter months avoiding weekly running with excuses such as rain, cold weather, and short day light hours. Exercise was gained with indoor bike rides, swimming in a heated pool, and weekly hockey games. This is a luxury I can no longer afford. With under 200 days left until IM Canada, my work out schedule forces me outside after sunset. Armed with my iPod and a head lamp, I crank out the miles and hope the raccoons and other wild animals that live along the los gatos creek trail leave me alone!

Although it sounds like I'm complaining about running at night, I've actually come to enjoy it. The weather here doesn't drop below freezing, so a cool start is quickly over come by my own generated body heat. There are also fewer pedestrians on the trail, meaning less time spent dodging careless teenagers and young children learning to ride a 2 wheeled bicycle, and more time working on my form and heart rate.

These days are, however, slowly coming to an end. The sun sets at 6 pm, allowing for some light during the start of my run, and every day that sun goes down one minute later. In less than a month, daylight savings time will end (or begin?) and I will be blessed with one more hour of daylight, pretty much eliminating the idea of night runs until next winter. Although my night runs will surly be missed, I also can't wait for the warmer weather, and for triathlon season to finally be upon me!

Speaking of triathlon season, I'm pretty sure I know my race schedule for 2011, and when I confirm all the races and dates, I'll update my blog with that information so you can follow me along this season! Arn't you excited? I know I am!