Eight Miles In The Dark

Yesterday I ran in the dark. I didn't mean to. I didn't really want to. But I started my 8 mile run after 4 PM so I knew that I was going to. It's not really my fault because night comes so ridiculously early this time of year. The day ends before 5 o'clock? Crazy! I'd file an official protest if I knew which official was in charge of this sort of thing.

Anyway, it wasn't my fault that yesterday I ran in the dark, but, then again, I knew it was going to happen when I started so (relatively) late. I ran west to Henry Hudson Park and then south past children's play grounds, picnic benches, soccor fields, tennis courts, a batting cage and basketball courts as the sun set into New Jersey. It was a chilly evening...I mean late afternoon...and the number of people and other runners, not that many to begin with, progressively thinned as the sun light faded. Streetlamps came on but some didn't and there were stretches of course that had none so there were long patches of near darkness.

Five and a half miles into the run I was near Stuyvesant High School by Chambers Street, heading back uptown. By now it was completely dark except for the sporadic lamps and I was often completely alone. I told myself to stay relaxed but I could feel myself tense. Wasn't this a little dangerous? I'd see figures up ahead and they seemed ominous in the gloom. Why were they looking around as though checking to see that no one else was around as I approached? Well, I don't know why but it didn't really matter since they just went about their business as I ran past.

So again I told myself to relax. Relaxing was easier to do when I reached the soccor field area which was pretty well lit and had a number of non-ominous looking people standing, chatting, nearby. On past, however, there was a dimly lit, gloomy stretch. No one was there. That made it safe. Unless someone was lurking, half hidden. I turned my head from side to side, searching. My pace quickened. Actually, I'd been running faster ever since the sun disappeared. If there were bad guys around they'd have to be quick to catch me. But there wasn't. No on was lurking. None that I could see, at least.

In fact, there were no bad guys anywhere along my course. Or at least none that acted bad. There were a few women pushing strollers, 1 skater, several runners and at least 2 walkers wearing ipods. A couple of times I was frightened by strange shadows that seemed to be following me, but they turned out to be mine. No bad guys at all. Perhaps I'd been too speedy for them? s When I turned east off Henry Hudson Park at 13th Street to run the last mile home there were many motor vehicles to contend with that could cause serious harm, especially if they couldn't see me very well. But I knew just how to handle that threat. I ran up on the sidewalks.

I finished the run surrounded by the complete late night darkness of 5:25 PM. I was fine, of course, but it wasn't your typical 8 mile afternoon run. In the dark, it was sure more exciting!