I have loved running in the dark since I was a kid. There was something about the stillness; almost a silkiness in the blackness. It was a risky activity because potholes unseen twist ankles and sometimes cause sudden ground/body contact.. The other risks were creepy people who liked to follow me when they saw that I was running alone, so other memories involve hiding in a convenient yard with lots of lovely bushes while the car with the bad muffler can be heard circling the block. In spite of these elements of danger, running in the dark was always a joyful experience until I became a mom and suddenly the possibility of my disappearing in the night didn't affect only me. Running after dark ended.
I have had an opportunity to gain back some of my youthful joy by running around Tubbs Hill in the dark. Unlike my teenage years, I had a body guard (my hubby), two dogs,pepper spray in my pocket and a headlamp. The light was a necessity- I tried hiking around Tubbs in the dark once and found it doesn't work too well- too easy to step off the path into oblivion. We weren't the only intrepid night trekkers- we ran into two other groups of hikers out there in the dark
Because of darkness of the night (only a sliver of a moon), we could not see much of anything beyond the light of the headlamps. It gave me an weird feeling of never knowing exactly where I was on the path. In the two mile trail that circumvents the hill, there is a swinging bridge which would have given me a clue, but the dogs must have led us around the bridge (not the biggest fans) and I never saw it. Funny thing was that the hills on this undulating trail didn't seem as steep as usual and I was surprised when we crossed the access road and realized the toughest part of the trail was behind us. I understand now why I always loved running in the dark- it feels effortless because I have no idea how fast I am going and as a result I am able to fully enjoy living in the moment. This is important because the next moment may be when I trip.
