I’ll never forget the look on those peoples’ faces. They’d heard me coming before I even came into view, the scraping, skidding sound of my mountain bike tires sliding across the gravel as I slammed on my brakes. But it was too late. I had seen the corner coming, and knew there might be people around the corner. But I’d simply been going to fast, and instead of coming to a controlled slowdown or stop, I skidded violently, kicking up a cloud of dust and sending pebbles flying down the mountain. I was mortified—I had become one of them. One of those bikers whom hikers dread.
No, I hadn’t hit anyone, and nobody was hurt. But it didn’t matter—I was out of control, and the hikers’ expression showed that it was obvious. It had been enough to make them leap from the trail into the bushes, their eyes wide with terror. It was a turning point in my mountain biking life.
Unless it’s under the lights of a stadium, outdoor activity is usually limited to daylight hours. For the most part, running, especially trail running, is no different.
So it might seem a bit odd that I’m encouraging you to wait until the sun falls below the horizon to head out on your next run.
Running at night can actually be used as a training tool, and an easy way to get you out of a training funk. The best part is, it requires only a headlamp to get started.