A runner says a confrontation with a stranger on a dark road nearly ended her night runs. The man shouted at her for running after dark and tossed a key-chain alarm at her before driving away. Although he did not physically hurt her, the encounter left her shaken and changed her relationship with running outdoors in winter.
She had been wearing reflective bands on her arms and ankles and using her phone’s light to see the ground. The next day, she avoided running outside after dark, telling herself it was too cold, and used a treadmill instead. She gradually skipped runs when she could not get out during daylight, and later lost her gym key.
The runner describes experiencing persistent low energy and a somber mood during winter. Her therapist said seasonal affective disorder was a likely diagnosis, though winter blues were another possibility, and recommended exercise. By spring, she had lost fitness and developed shin splints, spending the rest of the year trying to recover and return to running.
At first, she told friends about the encounter as if it were a silly story. Their reactions helped her recognize that the man’s attempt to protect her had instead made her more afraid. She came to believe that women running at night are not the problem, and that safety concerns should not be used to make them feel responsible for a stranger’s behavior.
Determined to avoid another winter of withdrawing from exercise, she returned to running after dark. She describes wearing color-changing LED tubes around her torso and using a chest lamp to light the ground ahead. On one run beside the Delaware River, the green lights on a nearby bridge matched her own, giving her a moment of joy.
The quiet of nighttime running helps her focus on the present, she writes. She remains alert when she encounters someone on the route, sometimes changing sides and picking up her pace. But the darkness has become a valued part of her day, and she continues to run.
Sources: Runner's World.