Running at Night

For our afternoon practice yesterday we went on a run. There are a few elements that make this noteworthy, at least for me. First of all, since this is the only form of our training now that consists of us going outside (we erg and lift weights indoors), we have to dress properly. I don’t think I have ever worn so much spandex before at one time. With the addition of a cap, the only part of my body exposed to the cold are my hands and my face, which with the combination of the sleek spandex, makes me feel somewhat like a ninja.

The other elements that make the run so enjoyable is that we run in a park which is on the top of a hill somewhat near our boathouse. Now that the cold has arrived and all of the trees have lost their leaves, we can see the city of Bydgoszcz below as we run our laps. But the view is enhanced by the fact that the sun has been setting around 4 p.m., thus making it completely dark by 4:30. So our run that starts at 4 goes through some changes in light until we are running completely in the dark, not really knowing what is lying ahead of us and only having a decent idea of where the path lies (by park I mean an area that is void of any building developments with a dirt path etched along stretches by people who go on walks or runs). We can see the city lights below us coming through the trees and there is an occasional lamp that is somewhat close enough that illuminates part of our path.

There is something great about running in the cold and the dark, and just listening to literally nothing but your footsteps as you fly over the ground that is unseen below you. It reminds me somewhat of running the UCLA perimeter at night during final's week of Fall quarter. We usually did not meet for formal, organized practices and were left to our own devices to train. I usually ran the perimeter at night and this run reminds me of that. Especially running along Veteran Ave, since that part of the perimeter is not well lit at all and you have to stumble your way along to find the path. Also, I would sometimes cut through campus and run between Royce and Powell, and I always enjoyed the yellow glow of the lights that illuminated the campus. It made it look very regal. To those of you at UCLA training now, enjoy the runs and know that wherever you go after, you will look back at those times.

(photo taken with some light still left in the day, so it’s even darker by the time we finish our run)