I’m Scared to Run in the Dark

But we all know that won’t happen 🙂

If you follow me on Twitter or DailyMile, you may have noticed that I have been a champion of getting to the gym at 6am before I head into work. Granted, I’ve only been doing it for two weeks now, but I like to think the pattern is starting to stick. Now, the larger question is: why in the world am I doing that?!

Leaving the gym yesterday morning at 7am after doing 800 repeats!

Yes, my iPhone photos are terrible. Sorry ’bout that.

There are two reasons that I’m pulling myself out of bed in the pitch black and stumbling to my coffee maker at 5am. First of all, I get wicked lazy at the end of the day and just prefer to get my workout in before lunch time. I know it will happen that way and then I’m allowed to wallow on the couch and read a book all evening. Swear, it’s a good plan!

You know what the second reason is though? These days, I’m kind of nervous to run outside before dawn. There. I’ve said it. Know what else? It pisses me off!

I’m not someone that is typically scared of the dark and in the past, I’ve really enjoyed running pre-dawn or post-dusk because I find those hours peaceful. The world is calm and clean and quiet before the sun rises and I love hearing the sound of my feet (and Tally breathing!) echo throughout the silent mornings. However, I’ve noticed that my desire for outdoor morning runs has subsided since the sun rises later and later, and it took me a bit to realize that I am actually scared to be alone out there.

Pre-dawn walk with Tals….and a friend on Saturday morning

Y’all, there are some serious crazies running around the country lately, and in particular, there seems to be a surplus in Colorado. I feel like we’ve experienced far too many tragedies in the past few years and it is starting to take its toll on my mental game. Don’t know what I’m referring to? Remember the Aurora theater shooting in July? That was like 45 minutes from my town. However, even more recently is the abduction and subsequent murder of 10-year-old Jessica Ridgeway. Her body was found 10 minutes from the trail that I frequently run with Tally. Obviously, I haven’t gone running alone there in the past few weeks.

At first I was embarrassed to admit that I was scared to be out there alone in the dark. I mean, I have lived in a tent, faced some insane lunatic in the backwoods of Arkansas, been held up at knife point on a train in France, and bribed my way into Cambodia (to name a few!) I enjoy camping or hiking in the mountains alone or with Tals, and have always considered myself to be very independent.

However, it’s different now. Running in the dark by myself is freaking me out, and I am largely blaming the Ridgeway tragedy. The sick bastard who killed the poor little girl is still out there, and the entire crime scene is less than 15 minutes from my house. In short, I am not comfortable alone. And until I am? I have a standing date at 6am with the treadmill at 24Hour Fitness!