VT Runner Mom

“I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day.”

~Vincent Van Gogh

Night running….. mystery….. the unknown…. darkness….peacefulness….calm. Night running is wondrous. It seems as though the world has stopped for a brief moment in time. No hustle and bustle.  All is silent.  The houses twinkle in the distance, the sounds of animals waking up, the moon illuminating the way.  The hills seem to melt under my feet, my mind unable to see far ahead to the next climb approaching.  There’s a sense of lightness, calmness, tranquility, and ease.

This was our first night run of the season, earlier than normal, usually we plan an epic overnight run to prepare the boys of Brownsville for the VT 100.  I was so giddy….excited for the longest run in some time for me, and a night one to boot!! A date night with the hubs, if you will.

A dog stick to ward off scary canine at night

Cool heel lights we picked up…they work great!

Have you ever ventured out in the night to run??? I’d love to hear your experiences! We only had two cars pass us (gotta love country living)…probably thought they were in an episode of the twilight zone with our blue and pink lights flashing.  Our tailwind turned to slush, but we unscrewed our caps and had lemon slushies along the way…yum! Coming out of a trail around mile 5, we heard a man and his dog in the distance. Naia (as we heard him call her)  was very curious as to why crazy, colorful, humans were approaching her.  The man yelled, “Are you walking or on horseback!!??”…we said “We’re running! Nice night for it, huh…….um…is your dog friendly???” She was a love bug, wanting to give us kisses. Phew! Hubs was recently bit while running, hence the pic of him with the “dog stick” just in case.  We followed the moon, who was playing peak a boo with us between the trees, lighting the way. The stars were abundant last night….a bit of quiet before the storm.

Things to remember

Always snag a running buddy or let someone at least know where you are going.

Carry a “dog stick” just in case

Bring fuel/food (preferable tailwind for hydration and my go to.. Luna & Clif bars and my most favorite SIMPLE Squares..

Always wear reflective gear and some sort of blinking light, if on the roads

Headlamp

Dress warm if you live in the arctic like me….layers, layers, layers

Bring camera…iPhone

Have fun and Enjoy!!!

A little video of our fun…..Warning! Might be a little trippy with the flashing lights…hehehehe

See ya on the trails……. xoxoxo

Krista 🙂