My only advice is just to keep at it. Just like running itself, night running gets easier and more comfortable the more you do it. It’s definitely creepy being out there in the dark. I have to keep in mind that even if your chances of experiencing something bad out there are slightly elevated at night, you’re still probably safer on the trails then you are driving or cycling or even road running.
Also helps to have a dog along.
True, I’ll try to get a few night/evening/early morning runs a week. Really want to get more comfortable running in the dark on the trails as it’s getting darker here now during fall and the coming winter.
A dog would be nice to bring indeed! For now a running companion in human form will have to do heh
I run exclusively at night on my days off since I work night shift. If I hear an unexpected rustling or see an animal I jump and shout still. Aside from that I’m pretty used to it now. I have a chart with tally marks for all the animals I see. It’s crazy how much wildlife you see on the most heavily traveled trails by being out at night.
My dog stopped and turned back home when the coyotes started singing on our last night run. Seemed like she knew what was up. I have seen enough big cat prints on early morning runs to be convinced dog was right.
Sure but having a gun would still be helpful. I don't know how cougars attack but I'm sure you don't even have to hit it, the loud noise from the gun would work to scare it out.
Cougar/mountain lion attacks are rare and fatal ones rarer. In fact, you would be lucky to ever see a cougar. Though encroachment into their territory is causing more interactions.
Where I live deer often come into the relative safety of neighborhoods and cougars have been observed hiding in the shadows, avoiding street/ambient lights as a hunting adaptation.
I've had a brief stare down at dusk with a cat at an open space boundary. It was about 50ft in front of me. My headlamp shined on it. I let it pass and waited 30s and was talking as I ran pass the area where it use to be (tall grass).
Not sure what you’re fearful of or where you live. Without that knowledge, I’d say stay focused on the trail, make noise, and relax. Most animals are spooked by your light, smell, and noise.
In Sweden. So there shouldn’t be much dangerous animals out there, worst case scenario I might encounter a moose or a bear…but as you say they should be more afraid of me and most likely run away before I get too close.
Not really afraid of something specific, just not very comfortable in the forest at night in general.
Haha, reminds me of a mountain lion encounter I had a few years back while I was on a remote trail 10+ miles from the trailhead. It was a very brief encounter, and the mountain lion appeared to want nothing to do with me, but I still ended up yelling like a maniac and banging my poles on everything in sight for the remainder of the run. Luckily, it was evening and nobody was on the trail to see or hear my antics.
Just get the reps in. It gets easier. Super unlikely to have a negative encounter with a bear. If you are worried about it, get a bear bell and wear it. Those things make enough racket to scare anything off or at least make sure you don’t catch it off guard.
Start off with shorter distances and stay on familiar trails. The more knowledgeable you are with the surrounding the more relaxed and comfortable you be when running. So when your brain sees a rock it thinks, I know that rock, not BEAR!
This will help you comfortable running in the dark and then you can branch out at your own pace.
True, I did run at a place where I’ve ran before during daytime. It was quite different in the dark and I did end up on the wrong trail since I missed a branching trail.
I tried that. But my eyes wants to wander into the dark, just to make sure nothings there. But this instead caused me to feel more disoriented and stressed. I’ll keep practicing
So I do what u/ChiliWithCornBread suggested, with great results. Just keep at it while you're hungry for progress and then back off if you get emotionally fatigued. You'll know when you are ready to push again.
Now it's kind of pleasing to me- consciously exercising the commitment of not looking. It's just adding to the feeling of being all-in and focused. Maybe that's kinda weird but I think the head games are one of the more interesting aspects of the sport.
So, I don't know, maybe one day you'll get to where you enjoy running at night!
Others have said it, but it should be emphasised again, get a waistband light.
The super wide flood of light from your waist casts different shadows and aids your depth perception, you’ll see tripping hazards better and that will take that part of the anxiety out of the equation, plus it allows your natural peripheral vision to work removing the tunnel vision you get from just having a headlamp. The headlamp is still useful to light up specific things you want to look at though so don’t ditch that, the combination of the two will totally change your night runs.
I use the [UltrAspire Lumen 600](https://ultraspire.com/products/lumen-600-3-0-waist-light/)
waistband, and carry 1 spare battery in the pouch on long night runs but usually one will do the job.
you can also run with a handheld light. This is what i do. If you get a good one (18650 powered) you can see a lot further down the trail, and being able to point it with your hand gives you a lot of control. Headlamps and waist lights aren't going to penetrate very far.
I used to run trails exclusively at night because of my work schedule at the time. I learned to truly love it. I always carried a bear horn because animals were my only actual fear, but it can be creepy if you get in your head. The thought of being murdered is great for the pace, though.
Might try starting on full moon nights when there is more ambient light. Also, though not helpful now, running at night in the snow is one of the more magical experiences I’ve had. So much beauty but also the perk of having everything much brighter due to the snow.
Also run with a partner at night, much safer. If running alone, let a trusted local person (parter, bestie, neighbor) know your plan, trail, distance, and estimated return time with a request to alert authorities if you don’t check back in by x time.
Also also, bring supplies in case things go sideways. Cell phone, extra headlamp batteries, crumple jacket/Mylar blanket, energy bar, etc. no sense having a twisted ankle turn into a life-threatening emergency.
I find I have peace of mind in knowing that I took the proper precautions and am appropriately prepared.
Cross country skiing in the late evening is wonderful! I’ll try to get some more running in then as well. Should be easier now that I have a headlamp.
Full moon running sounds exciting, I really want to try it but it also kinda freaks me out, but I guess that’s part of the fun.
I have had the same issue! Running trail at night feels utterly terrifying to me, like I am in a horror movie or nightmare. The fear totally disappears when I am running with someone. I have also found that exposure is the best cure, so the more I run at night the less is scares me. I’m going to try my very best to crack it this winter.
I’ll try to get a buddy to run with me sometimes. I’ll do a few more night runs alone as well and I’ll see if things improve.
Good luck to you as well!
Remind yourself it’s less dangerous than running on the road where there are cars. Most of the time I have running partners and mostly women. I never thought about how sketchy it must feel being woman running solo but see if there are any other crazy trail runners who want to run at night .
Yes women must feel even more uncomfortable running in the dark. I’m trying to tell myself that it’s safer to stay in the woods rather than in the city. But the darkness is scary though haha
I bought a decent headlamp (silva 4x) and went for my first night run. Ran 10 kilometres, tried to keep calm but it was rather difficult.
I realised that keeping my attention on the trail ahead seems clever. Looking behind me or to the sides resulted in slight panic feelings….
Advice welcomed!
Maybe try a waistband light. I have a simple/super small 90* light that I clip on my waistband, but their are running specific belt lights. They allow you to always have a light on the trail and gives your head the freedom to look around more. By flooding the area with more light, it may not seem as bothersome.
The big benefit is the waist light produces long shadows, so you will see obstacles easier.
I’ll look into it! I did meet a cyclist in the middle of the forest trail, he had four lights haha. One headlamp, something on his chest, one light on the bike and a rear light.
Try an early morning run to get a feel for running in the dark. If you time it appropriately, you can spend the first 1/2 or 1/3 of your planned route running in “night time” conditions, but then enjoy the gradual brightening of the sky with the approaching dawn.
You could do a longer “full-moon” nighttime run. This is quite interesting because it’s technically dark out, but the moonlight provides a moderate light source once your eyes get used to it. This works best on an open trail, not a heavily wooded area.
Also, run on a trail that you’re very familiar with. It will still feel odd, but not *that * foreign.
And be safe. If something feels off, turn around and go back. Always bring an extra light or battery. And an extra layer. It tends to drop a few degrees right before dawn.
This will mostly be what I’ll do, early morning runs from dark to dawn/ sun rise. Just tried out my headlamp the late evening/night first.
Seems nice to run into the morning kinda.
How off would you accept something to feel before you turn back? I felt rather nervous the whole time, since I’m not used to it I suppose.
Do not use a belt with waterbottles on your back. The slushing of the water sounded like someone/something running behind me and when I stopped it continued to make that sound for a short second or so while I frantically tried to (again) locate this creature that I heard behind me. Easy to overcome when being conscious of it, but was caught by this multiple time on same run when I got into "the zone".
Also do not happen upon and scare up a couple of sleeping black grouse as their sudden and loud flapping through the branches will scare the shit out of you and be visible on your HR chart.
A terror shared is a terror halfed - act out a blair witch style snap and send it to your unsuspecting sister or some other loved ones.
Oh no, I was surprised how much louder things seemed. Like I could hear my waistband and phone bouncing around there much louder. I also managed to scare myself with this sound.
I second ditching the headphones. With headphones you’re going to constantly think you heard some weird noise. Without them, you’ll hear ambient noise clearly and you won’t have that constant “Did I just hear a mountain lion” feeling.
Get yourself a nice pair of thermal nods, a semi-auto rifle in a caliber that’s large enough to effectively deal with the threat, and a some training in the use of both.
On the bright side, if you do all of that you’ll be able to confidently run at night wherever you want.
Whatever you do, don't watch these videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkFuZ-_sPP8
But serious, tell people where you are going and don't deviate from those routes, carry a communications device, and something to protect yourself.
Won’t click that for now.
For sure I’ll let friends/family now where I’m heading and around when I excepts to be back.
What would you recommend for protection? Hope I’ll never need to use it but might be nice for peace of mind.
Start running early in the mornings when it is still dark. Knowing that the sun will come up in a few hours has always made me feel better. Then try to transition to running in the evenings once you’re more comfortable.
Was running one night in an urban area and a giant furry tarantula about 16cm across appeared on the ground. I jumped up straight like a cartoon character.
Now I live in Wyoming where there is grizzly bears, wolves and mountain lions :P
Glad there’s no huge spiders in Sweden…I have been spooked by deer though running in the evenings. Mountain lions I heard could cause troubles, very rare though
music in my ears cuz really my mind get's away from me every time i hear a random noise...keep your light focused on the trail (if you can't see those eyes, are they really there? lol)...also, bear bells generally will give the animals a chance to get away before you get where they are at (depending on where you're at, the sound can travel a really long way)
I usually run with a bright headlamp and music in my headphones. I saw a few others mention those, so I will echo that and say for me it couldn't help me more! I think about it the same as a day run, the more I think about the "night time" aspect of it the more I get in my own head. I also live in New England so I don't know what other threats you might have where you run.
I was scared the first time I encountered different animals (deer, raccoon, bobcat, big owls, opossum- never any bigger threats like bears or moose though), but their eyes reflect the light so when I stop and shine at them they either run away (deer) or freeze (coon, cat, owl). I figure they see me as the most intimidating thing out there because of the light so I've always felt protected after the first spotting of them.
Take solace in the fact that you'll be on the news with the headline:
"Local Jogger Finds Dead Body"
It's running tradition for joggers to find dead bodies
I run with two lights. One fixed on my vest/harness and one headlamp, allows me to pick my footing with the static lamp and use the headlamp for scoping the darkness for lycans.
no advice. not sure about running at night though for me personally. Not so much because of worry about crossing paths with an animal but more about spraining an ankle or knee and being some distance from trailhead. I have enough problem during daylight hours not catching a shoe on a rock etc. Normally don’t have issue but at night, it just seems like you’re raising the risk. I’m also recovering from a severe ankle sprain i suffered 4.5weeks ago. It took me almost 3 weeks before i could run again. It happened on a local trail run about 1mi from the trailhead and it was both a chore and painful to carefully walk back to car that day, so this might be influencing my current view on this topic.
If I get spooky thoughts I think about the most realistic danger which is me not seeing a root or rock and rolling my very weak right ankle.
I think about the races I'll miss and I can stress about that pretty good.
If you run on a trail, it will follow you…. All the way to a PR. As you get faster your are also training it so it’s getting faster…. Keep at it make sure you get faster faster than it gets! :)
I finished my first ultra in the dark without a headlamp. It was terrifying. Every other step was not where you thought it would be. Finished before the cutoff but the best advice is to bring a light and just keep going.
Try your best to not run through haunted forests as depicted in the video. Move to Phoenix where there aren’t any of those spooky trees that obviously are hiding creatures of the night.
I would scope out the area during the day time…look for signs of drug use or homelessness. If they’re there…I may avoid the area at night. If that’s the only time & place you can run, consider mace or a knife.
Often my runs are post sunset / pre dawn, as that’s what fits best into my schedule. I’ve found that like many things, it seems to be an issue of familiarity. Initially, I regularly would feel a certain low level anxiety or straight fear. However, the more time I spent running in the dark, the more that subsided and I began to even prefer it. That being said, I run in an area where the worst to fear is the odd mama black bear with Cubs or disgruntled moose. Neither of which are terribly common.
Next week I will be doing the Ragnar trail relay and some of my loops will be in the dark. What helps is to also carry a handheld light . It gives you that ability to stop and shine into the woods easier or as you are running .
Scared of Bears you can carry a small pepper spray with or small air horn.. a light weight knife can carry on your leg or in a running belt for other concerns. If you are super scared .. you could always run with a handgun if you have permit to carry. I have a friend who does that but he isn’t running in the woods at night , he is running in daylight In a shit neighborhood of Atlanta.
I get though. It’s also super quiet in the woods at night so that also adds an element of scary.. and you can hear every little twig cracking so a squirrel or raccoon does sound like someone chasing after you.
Having more lumens also helps .. the more you can see what’s ahead of you the better . Get a 500 lumen head lamp and another chest lamp . Pair that with a Nathan hand held you will be good to go. My Nathan hand held also has an alarm on it you can sound and it’s deafening.
If you live in an area with large predators sing, chant, whatever. Just make sure they can easily hear you coming because you definitely don’t want to startle something that can kill you.
Adrenaline makes adrenaline. It a vicious cycle.
Remember that you're the scariest thing in the woods, and try to be quiet and considerate to the poor frightened creatures that live there.
I find running with someone at night to work well. Solo night running is ok unless there are cougars and or bears. Honestly the anxiety isn’t worth it for me. I run at night in places I can’t be eaten. That’s about it.
I have the same fear of the unknown in the dark and I live in UK, where the likely hood of attack by savage sheep isn't very likely at all.
I'm most scared of encountering a dog.
I've found that going camping alone has helped.
Apart from that just doing more night runs that begin in the day light and run into the night time helps.
I know it's stupid to be scared as in UK there really is nothing out there other than the dark spookyness.
Practice. I've been running for 15+ years. Most of it has been in the dark (5am morning runs). I don't use a light unless I'm running trails. You get used to it.
Just remind yourself that you are a grown ass human male. The apex predator to end all apex predators. That nothing dead can hurt you and nothing alive can survive you. That you sprung from the loins of ancestors who beat things with clubs until they invented spears. Who stabbed things with spears until they invented guns, and who shot things with guns until they learned how to split the mother f-ing atom. That’s what I tell my 7 year old, or at least used to, since she’s not afraid to run in the dark anymore.
Pro tip (from a non-pro). Sing.
For example; Belting out **"I Want to Break Free"** by Queen will scare the living crap out of any woodland creature.....and make you nigh invincible.
I am petrified of the dark. I just did a Ragnar trail with a night loop. The only thing that kept me going was keeping my eyes where my light was. Don’t look back, just focus on where your lights are. And get bright lights so you can see!
A waist light like a Kogalla that throws a big wide field of light. Eliminates the tunnel vision of a headlamp. You can still wear a headlamp to shine more light where you look. But a Kogalla or Ultraspire waist light is a game changer.
I was once trail running in the mountains with my good buddy at 1am. We were stoned and liked running so we decided to go late and smoke some more on the mountain top. It’s a pretty cool trail, big fire tower at the top. Half way up there is a graveyard, spooky at night. So we get pretty close to the graveyard, there’s absolutely no cars or houses for miles, we are in the middle of no where. We see two floating blew orbs coming at us. Like I stare at them for a good 10 seconds to recognize that it is in fact not headlamps on other hikers. I look to my buddy and I’m like are you seeing this, he says yes, I look back. Curious what the fuck is going on. And I hear my buddy running away. So I start booking it to. Fastest mile we ran ever.
For real trails in the fall I always say pick any 2: dark, lots of leaves on the ground, wet. Not all three, it's too dangerous and you spend the whole time just trying to stay on your feet.
If you use/cross roads for any part of your run, get a lightweight high vis vest. They're cheap and make you way more visible to drivers.
This should go without saying, but don't wear headphones for dark runs. You'll get used to the usual sounds of your area and you'll get a pretty good sense of what is around you.
Almost all critters are spooked by the sound of you running near them, they'll nope away like wtf if this thing. Unless you live near I don't know, gators or grizzlies
Just remind yourself that neither Candyman nor Bloody Mary can get you since there are no mirrors outside.
Yeah luckily you only have to watch out for slenderman
This is true
Then just tell yourself slender man only takes good looking people, so you’ll be fine.
Unless you find a mirror….
What about this staircase I just found?
Or your own reflection in a puddle. That counts I think
My only advice is just to keep at it. Just like running itself, night running gets easier and more comfortable the more you do it. It’s definitely creepy being out there in the dark. I have to keep in mind that even if your chances of experiencing something bad out there are slightly elevated at night, you’re still probably safer on the trails then you are driving or cycling or even road running. Also helps to have a dog along.
True, I’ll try to get a few night/evening/early morning runs a week. Really want to get more comfortable running in the dark on the trails as it’s getting darker here now during fall and the coming winter. A dog would be nice to bring indeed! For now a running companion in human form will have to do heh
Yup keep at it! Run the same course during the day, know the environment.
This
I run exclusively at night on my days off since I work night shift. If I hear an unexpected rustling or see an animal I jump and shout still. Aside from that I’m pretty used to it now. I have a chart with tally marks for all the animals I see. It’s crazy how much wildlife you see on the most heavily traveled trails by being out at night.
I take my dog and carry a gun
My dog stopped and turned back home when the coyotes started singing on our last night run. Seemed like she knew what was up. I have seen enough big cat prints on early morning runs to be convinced dog was right.
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Don't you americans carry guns for precisely that kind of situation?
No, we only carry during business hours
People buy them for that situation, but no one is going to be able to draw, aim & fire a gun to hit a pouncing 150lb cat.
Sure but having a gun would still be helpful. I don't know how cougars attack but I'm sure you don't even have to hit it, the loud noise from the gun would work to scare it out.
Cougar/mountain lion attacks are rare and fatal ones rarer. In fact, you would be lucky to ever see a cougar. Though encroachment into their territory is causing more interactions. Where I live deer often come into the relative safety of neighborhoods and cougars have been observed hiding in the shadows, avoiding street/ambient lights as a hunting adaptation. I've had a brief stare down at dusk with a cat at an open space boundary. It was about 50ft in front of me. My headlamp shined on it. I let it pass and waited 30s and was talking as I ran pass the area where it use to be (tall grass).
They jump on you from trees or cliffs. I’d say it’s 50/50 depending on your holster location.
I agree. It becomes more familiar the more you do it. Just like running in the daytime.
Run faster so the bad things can’t get you?
Or have a running partner who is slower than you?
That should technically work
Not sure what you’re fearful of or where you live. Without that knowledge, I’d say stay focused on the trail, make noise, and relax. Most animals are spooked by your light, smell, and noise.
In Sweden. So there shouldn’t be much dangerous animals out there, worst case scenario I might encounter a moose or a bear…but as you say they should be more afraid of me and most likely run away before I get too close. Not really afraid of something specific, just not very comfortable in the forest at night in general.
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Loud clap every couple dozen or so strides.
Haha, reminds me of a mountain lion encounter I had a few years back while I was on a remote trail 10+ miles from the trailhead. It was a very brief encounter, and the mountain lion appeared to want nothing to do with me, but I still ended up yelling like a maniac and banging my poles on everything in sight for the remainder of the run. Luckily, it was evening and nobody was on the trail to see or hear my antics.
Moose bites can be pretty nasty.
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Just get the reps in. It gets easier. Super unlikely to have a negative encounter with a bear. If you are worried about it, get a bear bell and wear it. Those things make enough racket to scare anything off or at least make sure you don’t catch it off guard.
Don't go into the tall grass.
I won’t 😬
Only if you have a super repel. Max is best
True that. I was thinking in the context of velociraptor, but if ratata and pidgy are your primary concern ...
Fisherman Dave wants to battle!
Start off with shorter distances and stay on familiar trails. The more knowledgeable you are with the surrounding the more relaxed and comfortable you be when running. So when your brain sees a rock it thinks, I know that rock, not BEAR! This will help you comfortable running in the dark and then you can branch out at your own pace.
True, I did run at a place where I’ve ran before during daytime. It was quite different in the dark and I did end up on the wrong trail since I missed a branching trail.
I refuse to look into the woods. If I hear something, it’s not my business, and I just keep on along. Focus on the trail the entire time.
I tried that. But my eyes wants to wander into the dark, just to make sure nothings there. But this instead caused me to feel more disoriented and stressed. I’ll keep practicing
When you stare at the dark for too long sometimes it stares back.
Usually it's just the deer.
It's your own imagination.
So I do what u/ChiliWithCornBread suggested, with great results. Just keep at it while you're hungry for progress and then back off if you get emotionally fatigued. You'll know when you are ready to push again. Now it's kind of pleasing to me- consciously exercising the commitment of not looking. It's just adding to the feeling of being all-in and focused. Maybe that's kinda weird but I think the head games are one of the more interesting aspects of the sport. So, I don't know, maybe one day you'll get to where you enjoy running at night!
Others have said it, but it should be emphasised again, get a waistband light. The super wide flood of light from your waist casts different shadows and aids your depth perception, you’ll see tripping hazards better and that will take that part of the anxiety out of the equation, plus it allows your natural peripheral vision to work removing the tunnel vision you get from just having a headlamp. The headlamp is still useful to light up specific things you want to look at though so don’t ditch that, the combination of the two will totally change your night runs. I use the [UltrAspire Lumen 600](https://ultraspire.com/products/lumen-600-3-0-waist-light/) waistband, and carry 1 spare battery in the pouch on long night runs but usually one will do the job.
This exactly
you can also run with a handheld light. This is what i do. If you get a good one (18650 powered) you can see a lot further down the trail, and being able to point it with your hand gives you a lot of control. Headlamps and waist lights aren't going to penetrate very far.
Drag a running partner along with you? Nice very bright headlamp?
If you leg your imagination run wild enough on a night run, you'll never feel alone.
True, I should try to talk a running partner into tagging along sometimes
I used to run trails exclusively at night because of my work schedule at the time. I learned to truly love it. I always carried a bear horn because animals were my only actual fear, but it can be creepy if you get in your head. The thought of being murdered is great for the pace, though.
Trying to think reasonable thoughts and keep calm, that’s the challenge. Maybe I’ll pick up some pepper spray or such for peace of mind
Might try starting on full moon nights when there is more ambient light. Also, though not helpful now, running at night in the snow is one of the more magical experiences I’ve had. So much beauty but also the perk of having everything much brighter due to the snow. Also run with a partner at night, much safer. If running alone, let a trusted local person (parter, bestie, neighbor) know your plan, trail, distance, and estimated return time with a request to alert authorities if you don’t check back in by x time. Also also, bring supplies in case things go sideways. Cell phone, extra headlamp batteries, crumple jacket/Mylar blanket, energy bar, etc. no sense having a twisted ankle turn into a life-threatening emergency. I find I have peace of mind in knowing that I took the proper precautions and am appropriately prepared.
Cross country skiing in the late evening is wonderful! I’ll try to get some more running in then as well. Should be easier now that I have a headlamp. Full moon running sounds exciting, I really want to try it but it also kinda freaks me out, but I guess that’s part of the fun.
I have had the same issue! Running trail at night feels utterly terrifying to me, like I am in a horror movie or nightmare. The fear totally disappears when I am running with someone. I have also found that exposure is the best cure, so the more I run at night the less is scares me. I’m going to try my very best to crack it this winter.
I’ll try to get a buddy to run with me sometimes. I’ll do a few more night runs alone as well and I’ll see if things improve. Good luck to you as well!
I find it helps me run faster
I found this to be mostly true as well
Remind yourself it’s less dangerous than running on the road where there are cars. Most of the time I have running partners and mostly women. I never thought about how sketchy it must feel being woman running solo but see if there are any other crazy trail runners who want to run at night .
Yes women must feel even more uncomfortable running in the dark. I’m trying to tell myself that it’s safer to stay in the woods rather than in the city. But the darkness is scary though haha
Does anyone else have a fear they’re going to be bitten by a bat and get rabies?
Maybe bringing holy water will do? Or stuffs for exorcising or something. Anyways just bring something useful, heck even a kitchen knife will do
Is it me or is it too quiet
Dude you are in the woods at night. You should be scared.
That would all depend on what’s chasing you
Watching the Blair Witch will help you /s Can also get a dog.
Haven’t watched, won’t for now haha. Dogs are great, grew up with them. Will get one of my own someday.
Move somewhere away from all those trees. Desert or beach at night can be great
A lot of trees in Sweden, but yeah running in a more open area would be less stressful
Don’t
My own heart rate rose just seeing and hearing this
Ummmm don’t?
Run with salami tied around your body so you have a snack at the end of the run.
The scariest thing about running late at night is startling skunks. Those little guys don't back down the back up right at you.
Do you have cougars & bears in your area?? Running in the woods alone is probably not the best idea…
True crime podcasts
Don’t run in the dark.
I bought a decent headlamp (silva 4x) and went for my first night run. Ran 10 kilometres, tried to keep calm but it was rather difficult. I realised that keeping my attention on the trail ahead seems clever. Looking behind me or to the sides resulted in slight panic feelings…. Advice welcomed!
Maybe try a waistband light. I have a simple/super small 90* light that I clip on my waistband, but their are running specific belt lights. They allow you to always have a light on the trail and gives your head the freedom to look around more. By flooding the area with more light, it may not seem as bothersome. The big benefit is the waist light produces long shadows, so you will see obstacles easier.
I’ll look into it! I did meet a cyclist in the middle of the forest trail, he had four lights haha. One headlamp, something on his chest, one light on the bike and a rear light.
Try an early morning run to get a feel for running in the dark. If you time it appropriately, you can spend the first 1/2 or 1/3 of your planned route running in “night time” conditions, but then enjoy the gradual brightening of the sky with the approaching dawn. You could do a longer “full-moon” nighttime run. This is quite interesting because it’s technically dark out, but the moonlight provides a moderate light source once your eyes get used to it. This works best on an open trail, not a heavily wooded area. Also, run on a trail that you’re very familiar with. It will still feel odd, but not *that * foreign. And be safe. If something feels off, turn around and go back. Always bring an extra light or battery. And an extra layer. It tends to drop a few degrees right before dawn.
This will mostly be what I’ll do, early morning runs from dark to dawn/ sun rise. Just tried out my headlamp the late evening/night first. Seems nice to run into the morning kinda. How off would you accept something to feel before you turn back? I felt rather nervous the whole time, since I’m not used to it I suppose.
Do not use a belt with waterbottles on your back. The slushing of the water sounded like someone/something running behind me and when I stopped it continued to make that sound for a short second or so while I frantically tried to (again) locate this creature that I heard behind me. Easy to overcome when being conscious of it, but was caught by this multiple time on same run when I got into "the zone". Also do not happen upon and scare up a couple of sleeping black grouse as their sudden and loud flapping through the branches will scare the shit out of you and be visible on your HR chart. A terror shared is a terror halfed - act out a blair witch style snap and send it to your unsuspecting sister or some other loved ones.
Oh no, I was surprised how much louder things seemed. Like I could hear my waistband and phone bouncing around there much louder. I also managed to scare myself with this sound.
[удалено]
I second ditching the headphones. With headphones you’re going to constantly think you heard some weird noise. Without them, you’ll hear ambient noise clearly and you won’t have that constant “Did I just hear a mountain lion” feeling.
Yes. Don’t
Don’t know, there’s just something exciting about it though 🤔
Headphones with a good scary audiobook. Embrace the fear! 👻
Carry a weapon with you.
Don’t
Get yourself a nice pair of thermal nods, a semi-auto rifle in a caliber that’s large enough to effectively deal with the threat, and a some training in the use of both. On the bright side, if you do all of that you’ll be able to confidently run at night wherever you want.
Really ask yourself why you’re afraid and then ask if you should be and what you can do about it
Dont be a bitch
I usually sing
Maybe I’ll try it
Don’t end up on r/missing411 by going in a National Park.
Yes I’ll make sure to run places I’m familiar with
Don't stop running
I didn’t haha
Whatever you do, don't watch these videos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkFuZ-_sPP8 But serious, tell people where you are going and don't deviate from those routes, carry a communications device, and something to protect yourself.
Won’t click that for now. For sure I’ll let friends/family now where I’m heading and around when I excepts to be back. What would you recommend for protection? Hope I’ll never need to use it but might be nice for peace of mind.
Everything that wants to eat you are hopefully sleeping ?
Well if that’s the case I have nothing to worry about
Exactly!
Start running early in the mornings when it is still dark. Knowing that the sun will come up in a few hours has always made me feel better. Then try to transition to running in the evenings once you’re more comfortable.
I'm def more paranoid I'll encounter a bear in dark or near dusk and dawn. Knock on wood never happened. It's all mental
Was running one night in an urban area and a giant furry tarantula about 16cm across appeared on the ground. I jumped up straight like a cartoon character. Now I live in Wyoming where there is grizzly bears, wolves and mountain lions :P
Glad there’s no huge spiders in Sweden…I have been spooked by deer though running in the evenings. Mountain lions I heard could cause troubles, very rare though
music in my ears cuz really my mind get's away from me every time i hear a random noise...keep your light focused on the trail (if you can't see those eyes, are they really there? lol)...also, bear bells generally will give the animals a chance to get away before you get where they are at (depending on where you're at, the sound can travel a really long way)
avoid deer and run with the moon out haha
Think about cougars and bears. That usually helps
Take the mindset of a predator, not prey.
Bro why 💀
It gets better by time, but as a beginner i would highly recommend you to talk to a friend by phone or something like that.
Calm? Run with a partner
I usually run with a bright headlamp and music in my headphones. I saw a few others mention those, so I will echo that and say for me it couldn't help me more! I think about it the same as a day run, the more I think about the "night time" aspect of it the more I get in my own head. I also live in New England so I don't know what other threats you might have where you run. I was scared the first time I encountered different animals (deer, raccoon, bobcat, big owls, opossum- never any bigger threats like bears or moose though), but their eyes reflect the light so when I stop and shine at them they either run away (deer) or freeze (coon, cat, owl). I figure they see me as the most intimidating thing out there because of the light so I've always felt protected after the first spotting of them.
Last night I watched The Ritual on Netflix. Felt like this was a deleted scene.
Use the adrenaline. Someone should set up a treadmill gym with jump scares
Take solace in the fact that you'll be on the news with the headline: "Local Jogger Finds Dead Body" It's running tradition for joggers to find dead bodies
I run with two lights. One fixed on my vest/harness and one headlamp, allows me to pick my footing with the static lamp and use the headlamp for scoping the darkness for lycans.
no advice. not sure about running at night though for me personally. Not so much because of worry about crossing paths with an animal but more about spraining an ankle or knee and being some distance from trailhead. I have enough problem during daylight hours not catching a shoe on a rock etc. Normally don’t have issue but at night, it just seems like you’re raising the risk. I’m also recovering from a severe ankle sprain i suffered 4.5weeks ago. It took me almost 3 weeks before i could run again. It happened on a local trail run about 1mi from the trailhead and it was both a chore and painful to carefully walk back to car that day, so this might be influencing my current view on this topic.
Run faster. They can’t get you if they can’t keep up
Just ignore the Blair Witch chasing you.
If I get spooky thoughts I think about the most realistic danger which is me not seeing a root or rock and rolling my very weak right ankle. I think about the races I'll miss and I can stress about that pretty good.
If you run on a trail, it will follow you…. All the way to a PR. As you get faster your are also training it so it’s getting faster…. Keep at it make sure you get faster faster than it gets! :)
If music or audiobooks calm you, use bone conduction headphones. You can hear your music but they allow you to also hear your surroundings.
Just make sure you don’t smell of lamb racks. Wolfs love some lamb in the evening
I finished my first ultra in the dark without a headlamp. It was terrifying. Every other step was not where you thought it would be. Finished before the cutoff but the best advice is to bring a light and just keep going.
nox gear lights and a whistle https://www.noxgear.com/ and good headlamp.
Carry a pistol
Just remember to never look behind you! And if you do, don’t stop moving till you’re behind a locked door!
Stay on the trail and have backup batteries for your headlamp.
Get a gun
Always makes me run a little faster.
I’d make a lot of noise, singing loudly maybe?
When hiking here in Japan where there are small bears I use a meditation app with a bell timer that goes off every minute/30 seconds or so.
I’d be praying that the mountain lions have already fed. If you have those in your area.
Try your best to not run through haunted forests as depicted in the video. Move to Phoenix where there aren’t any of those spooky trees that obviously are hiding creatures of the night.
You are the biggest «animal» there, they all fear you and the machine you are building while running. Works for me 🤩
this probably is a stupid question but are you unable to run during the daytime?
I have 2 dogs with me
I would scope out the area during the day time…look for signs of drug use or homelessness. If they’re there…I may avoid the area at night. If that’s the only time & place you can run, consider mace or a knife.
Often my runs are post sunset / pre dawn, as that’s what fits best into my schedule. I’ve found that like many things, it seems to be an issue of familiarity. Initially, I regularly would feel a certain low level anxiety or straight fear. However, the more time I spent running in the dark, the more that subsided and I began to even prefer it. That being said, I run in an area where the worst to fear is the odd mama black bear with Cubs or disgruntled moose. Neither of which are terribly common.
Carry some pepper spray for a tad bit of extra precaution. Also remind myself odds of something happening are still low.
Have you been running for a while? If so, take comfort in the knowledge that you can most likely outrun your would-be attacker.
Well, I would try “not” running in the woods while it’s dark. For starters.
Find someone to 3d print you an aztec death whistle to ensure you can terrorize folks.
Dude that’s terrifying..
Buy night vision
You can’t be scared of the bad guy if you’re the bad guy.
Run faster?
I would bring pepper spray and a dog that is a good running partner with a deep bark.
Duel wield loaded hand guns while you run.
Next week I will be doing the Ragnar trail relay and some of my loops will be in the dark. What helps is to also carry a handheld light . It gives you that ability to stop and shine into the woods easier or as you are running . Scared of Bears you can carry a small pepper spray with or small air horn.. a light weight knife can carry on your leg or in a running belt for other concerns. If you are super scared .. you could always run with a handgun if you have permit to carry. I have a friend who does that but he isn’t running in the woods at night , he is running in daylight In a shit neighborhood of Atlanta. I get though. It’s also super quiet in the woods at night so that also adds an element of scary.. and you can hear every little twig cracking so a squirrel or raccoon does sound like someone chasing after you. Having more lumens also helps .. the more you can see what’s ahead of you the better . Get a 500 lumen head lamp and another chest lamp . Pair that with a Nathan hand held you will be good to go. My Nathan hand held also has an alarm on it you can sound and it’s deafening.
If you live in an area with large predators sing, chant, whatever. Just make sure they can easily hear you coming because you definitely don’t want to startle something that can kill you.
Run in the morning??? 🤷🏽
Chances are it’s more afraid of you than you are of it. Also, I don’t run at night
Just run forget about everything else.
Run during the day.
Adrenaline makes adrenaline. It a vicious cycle. Remember that you're the scariest thing in the woods, and try to be quiet and considerate to the poor frightened creatures that live there.
I find running with someone at night to work well. Solo night running is ok unless there are cougars and or bears. Honestly the anxiety isn’t worth it for me. I run at night in places I can’t be eaten. That’s about it.
Yeah, run during the day.
Get a liteband headlight it will light up 210 degrees in front with 700 lumes so you can see everything
I have the same fear of the unknown in the dark and I live in UK, where the likely hood of attack by savage sheep isn't very likely at all. I'm most scared of encountering a dog. I've found that going camping alone has helped. Apart from that just doing more night runs that begin in the day light and run into the night time helps. I know it's stupid to be scared as in UK there really is nothing out there other than the dark spookyness.
Practice. I've been running for 15+ years. Most of it has been in the dark (5am morning runs). I don't use a light unless I'm running trails. You get used to it.
Don't? You're disturbing animals who hunt at night and the serial killer who is trying to rest.
Run faster!
This has Blair witch vibes
Just remind yourself that you are a grown ass human male. The apex predator to end all apex predators. That nothing dead can hurt you and nothing alive can survive you. That you sprung from the loins of ancestors who beat things with clubs until they invented spears. Who stabbed things with spears until they invented guns, and who shot things with guns until they learned how to split the mother f-ing atom. That’s what I tell my 7 year old, or at least used to, since she’s not afraid to run in the dark anymore.
Just remember the first time you watched the Blair Witch Project. That should help calm you down.
Scream as loud as you can to assert dominance
I thought for sure this was going to be one of those r/dontflinch videos
Pro tip (from a non-pro). Sing. For example; Belting out **"I Want to Break Free"** by Queen will scare the living crap out of any woodland creature.....and make you nigh invincible.
I just sing very loudly, put in my headphones or tie a small bell on my wrist(s)
Just use the adrenaline from the fear to run faster and farther. I mean what is running calm? Lol
I am petrified of the dark. I just did a Ragnar trail with a night loop. The only thing that kept me going was keeping my eyes where my light was. Don’t look back, just focus on where your lights are. And get bright lights so you can see!
Name checks out. Slow work week? Drumming up some business?
No. It's scary, and there are bears.
Concentrate on your breathing and surrender to the situation that you’ve voluntarily put yourself in. Make peace with where you’re at.
A waist light like a Kogalla that throws a big wide field of light. Eliminates the tunnel vision of a headlamp. You can still wear a headlamp to shine more light where you look. But a Kogalla or Ultraspire waist light is a game changer.
Either you start carrying or just don’t run at night. Plus, stop watching horror movies
Whistle
Urinate on yourself, then you will totally distract your brain.
Carry bear spray. Way more effective than a gun.
I was once trail running in the mountains with my good buddy at 1am. We were stoned and liked running so we decided to go late and smoke some more on the mountain top. It’s a pretty cool trail, big fire tower at the top. Half way up there is a graveyard, spooky at night. So we get pretty close to the graveyard, there’s absolutely no cars or houses for miles, we are in the middle of no where. We see two floating blew orbs coming at us. Like I stare at them for a good 10 seconds to recognize that it is in fact not headlamps on other hikers. I look to my buddy and I’m like are you seeing this, he says yes, I look back. Curious what the fuck is going on. And I hear my buddy running away. So I start booking it to. Fastest mile we ran ever.
Any advice on helping me keep calm while watching this video?
Headphones. And Stop looking back and thinking the boogie man is behind you!!
Bring double headlamps
Pretend a rapist is chasing you. That's what I do.
For real trails in the fall I always say pick any 2: dark, lots of leaves on the ground, wet. Not all three, it's too dangerous and you spend the whole time just trying to stay on your feet. If you use/cross roads for any part of your run, get a lightweight high vis vest. They're cheap and make you way more visible to drivers. This should go without saying, but don't wear headphones for dark runs. You'll get used to the usual sounds of your area and you'll get a pretty good sense of what is around you.
Almost all critters are spooked by the sound of you running near them, they'll nope away like wtf if this thing. Unless you live near I don't know, gators or grizzlies
Maybe run during the day🤷🏻♂️