Last night running in the light!

So early Sunday morning we fall back.  We loose an hour of light at night :(.  Not my favorite thing.  So tonight I took the camera with me on my evening run to say good night to the light and capture a little of fall in southern New England.  Once the light was gone I turned on my flashing glow stick and kept on running.  After an hour the stick shuts off and must be restarted.  It is a little reminder of just how much effort you have already put in.  Anyway...here come the photos.  I hope you enjoy at little bit of fall running.

Check out her running skirt!

I love this red door!

I love that there was still a little Halloween out there.

I picked up this reflective hat at the Amica Half Marathon race expo in Newport for $10.

My jacket was on, the off, then on again as the temperatures fell and the wind increased.

This sign is about 8 feet high.  I think it grew UP with the tree.

Old trolley shelter 

On the inside looking out.

Rock wall along the cemetery edge. 

More Halloween decorations sticking around just for me!  I love holiday lights. 

Bumblebee runners rule!

Saturday night brought snow, but Sunday was still a great day for a 5K.  I have been wanting to do a race in my bumblebee costume and Sunday I got my chance.  The Monster Mini 5K was scheduled to be run on Sunday morning and the report came through that despite the early snowstorm the course was clear and the race was on.  We showed up early enough to find parking and see the kids 1K.  Everyone was in costumes.  It was very exciting.  I could not believe how many bumblebees, ladybugs, and fairies were at the race.  The race officials had declared the 70s the default theme.  I found the 70s costumes vaguely disturbing.  The main thing I guess is that everyone was there to run, so who cares what they were wearing.

My goal was to have mile splits under 8 minutes.  To say that we sprinted off the line is an understatement.  I had lined up with the 8 minute folks.  It seemed like we were doing closer to a 7 minute miles for the first few block.

Check out that speed!  We are only about 50 feet beyond the start and look at all of that running room.  We really were sprinting off the line!

I checked my speed after about 4-5 uphill blocks and settled in.  The downtown roads were under repair and no one was calling out the 4 inch asphalt shelf across the road.  I did not see anyone go down, but it was a wakeup call reminding me that pre-running a course, especially a 5k course, is a good idea.  I settled in and had a great first mile around 7:30.  My second mile seemed to be around 15:45 or so.  My final ended up being 24:20 with 7:52 mile averages.  I had done it!  I wanted to see how my summer race season was winding up and where I was going into the winter race season.

My daughter had made this charm for my husband for his bike races.  He passed it off to me on Sunday morning.  It really did help me "Go Faster!"  Try pinning a charm onto your race bib.  It may be just what you need.

After the race we headed to Wholefoods to do a little shopping.  I went in my bee costume.  They were a race sponsor after all and it was Halloween weekend.  When you are a Bumblebee in a food store where would you stop?  A photo in among the honey seemed too good to pass up!

Halloween Racing!

Today has been a great day!  I signed up to do the Halloween Monster 5K on Sunday and I got out for a great 6.6 mile run tonight before the rain started.  I can't wait for a great Halloween race with costumes galore.  My plan is to race in my bumblebee costume.  I need to buy a base layer for my top.  I think the tank that I might wear under it at the Princess half would be a little cold.  We are looking at highs around the upper 40s to the low 50s at race time.  I am going to try and be the fastest bumblebee I can bee!

They are calling for our first winter storm in the next two days.  We might even get some wet snow.  It will be much worse further north in Vermont and New Hampshire.  It felt great running tonight in the lower 50s.  I was thinking that finally I don't feel like I need an ice bath when I get home.  I was 30 seconds slower per mile tonight in comparison to last week and I felt so much more relaxed.  It felt great!  I wasn't checking it every mile, it just took me an extra 3 minutes.  I love it when it just feels good running!

Dry-Mist-Drizzle-Rain

6.6 miles - It was dry when I started and then it began to mist, then drizzle, and then it rained!  I made it back to the house as a wet rat.  All  I was thinking as I came back into my neighborhood was "Trick or Treat, I'm a wet runner on your street!"  I saw a few pumpkins along the way and I was carrying my flasher stick that I bought for $2.50 in the after Halloween sale last year.  It was a great buy with a flasher, a whistle, and a flash light.  When I am wearing my vest and carrying my flasher cars seem to see me from quite a distance away.

I have seen them for sale at Staples.  I got mine at Rite Aid.  I highly recommend it to all runners.  It weighs next to nothing and the leash wraps around your wrist and hand so that you aren't going to loose it.

What safety equipment do you run with when running at night?