Really Running with a Headlamp

I like plans and schedules. I like to know what’s happening in my day. I’ve found I don’t really accomplish as much as I want to or enjoy free time as much as I need to when I don’t have some sort of plan. Working out is an excellent example of this. Plan or no plan, I work out more often than I don’t. It’s just that without a plan, I am okay with a few days off here and there, or I’ll wind up spending a half hour thinking about if I should run today or not. It’s just not the most efficient way of doing things (that is not always a bad thing, it’s just not always my favorite either.)
A marathon plan changes all of that. I find myself thinking about when I will get my runs in a lot (read: obsessively) then working out at crazy times to do that. Like this morning, I needed to be on the road by 7 a.m. so I could still fit in some of my long miles with a friend. Not at all a usual time for me on a three day weekend. And not at all something I would do if there were no training plan.
So I wasn’t used to seeing how dark it was at this hour. There was no trace of the sun at 6:40 a.m. when I needed to leave. In those moments, I gave no thought to how dorky the headlamp might look. I needed it. I headed out the door and allowed that bright, LED light to guide me.
It was a solid hour before the sun made any type of appearance. In fact, even mere hours after it happened I have to convince myself it was morning, not night, when I was running. I have never been so grateful for the headlamp’s invention. I felt both smart and safe with it. It was dark; I needed to get my run in; this is the only time today it could happen, and the headlamp made it possible for it to happen in a safe way.
I suppose that’s why we have running gear. So when we actually can commit to something like 5 months worth of training, we can’t use weather, or sunlight as an excuse not to get off our butts and go. Sure there will still be extreme snowy or icy days, and I won’t risk a broken leg for a day of training. But there are far fewer excuses with things like headlamps and jackets, gloves, reflective hats, shirts and shoes. While I maintain that “all you need is a pair of good shoes to run,” training is different. It’s a commitment over a long period of time that demands some sacrifices and creativity. My mom always said we need the right tools for doing what we are passionate about—in this instance the right tool was a headlamp.