And just like that, it’s dark. Really dark.
Remember those lovely evening run club get-togethers, basking in the warm glow of the setting sun? Well, kiss those goodbye. Yes, we know we’ve been losing daylight since the summer solstice, but this is just too much drama. Now, by the time we lace up after work, it’s darker than a black hole’s basement. Soon we’ll be running by streetlight, headlamps on, and it’s not even 6pm.

Literally, just derailing the motivation train.
“I’ll just wake up earlier and run in the morning!” Can confirm that we’ve used that line, but have had little luck executing on that plan. It’s ridiculous how an hour’s difference can wreck your body’s rhythm. Now that 6am alarm feels like 3am, and the bed has never been more magnetic. Even though “falling back” allegedly gains us an hour, we have a hard time convincing our body and brain they’re winning here.

But you can always run on the treadmill, right?
It’s that time of year when we’re forced once again to contemplate logging the miles on the dreadmill. Yes, nothing says “joy of running” quite like staring at a blank wall for an hour, feeling like a hamster on a wheel. But you can watch movies or a show, right? Depends on the setup at your home or gym, but that doesn’t do it for us. No home treadmill? Prepare to pay a ransom at some local gym for the right to this unique type of torture.
Shifting Gear
At least summer running’s wardrobe is simple. “Shoulder season” requires a whole new kind of study in local meteorology. Shorts or tights? Long sleeves, arm warmers, jackets or vests? Once you’re layered up like an onion, you’ll soon be shedding clothes trying to find that happy place between too cold and too warm. And does anyone remember where they stored all that reflective gear and headlamps when they got stored away last spring?
Running buddies dropping like flies
Running partners can get a little scarce this time of year. The darker and colder it gets, you’ll find those fair-weather running friends will go into hibernation, leaving you with even more reasons to stay put. Trying to organize a group run requires the persuasive powers of a used car salesman. “No, really, it’ll be fun,” you tell them, knowing damned well they’ll probably hate it. You’ll promise post-run coffee, a conversational pace, and all that jazz. At least it’s always a surprise to find out who’ll actually show up.
Here are some tips to roll with the changes from our friend Juliet Kuehnle at Sun Counseling and Wellness:
- Get as much light as possible in the morning to help regulate your internal clock.
- Consider exploring new indoor exercise routines or joining classes that add some structure and motivation.
- Adjust your goals to focus on the mood benefits of exercise. Rather than chasing personal bests, aim to get moving in ways that feel good.
Daylight savings time’s end feels like a temporal assault on our well-established running routines, forcing us to unnecessarily adapt. Yes, we’ll be irrationally angry about it — for a little while, anyway. We’ll rage against the dying light (literally) until we get to do it all again in the spring. And just when we feel like we’ve gotten into a groove…
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