Wednesday, May 15, 2013

The run commute

A few months ago I was sitting in traffic trying to get home and I googled "run commute" on my phone. And yes, it turns out there are people who run to work.

gear
{gear}

It took me a full month to think about the logistics before I decided to just try it and see how it went. Now I've been doing it for just over two months and I'm hooked. Get ready for an incredibly wordy post about running an incredibly short distance. I can't help myself.

(Minimal) gear:
Backpack
Running shoes
Clothes, ideally with a pocket of some sort


Basic routine:
Wake up, shower if I didn't shower right before bed.
Make breakfast (smoothie or eggs) and package it up.
Run to work.
Get to work, sit down outside and eat breakfast while cooling off.
Get dressed, put on makeup, tell myself that my hair looks perfectly fine even though it's about a 50/50 chance.
Hang up my running clothes to dry out, start my day.


I'm using a Camelbak with the water insert taken out. It's more than enough space. I can put my entire purse in there if I want to and that's what I'll do if I'm planning on going out to dinner after work. It does add weight (at most, 15 pounds - I checked) and the first week will feel hard but then you get used to it. I don't think this Camelbak is meant for running. It has supportive straps (which you need, for sure) but they're meant to go around your hips. Great for hiking, doesn't work for running - those suckers ride right up. I end up cinching the straps around my waist instead and the end result is that the backpack sits a little oddly on my body and sometimes rubs my back. I'm considering upgrading to a better solution but running packs are expensive. If I find something that works, I'll update you.

Workout pants with a couple of good pockets are the best because I can tuck my phone into the front pocket and zip my keys in the back. Sadly, I only have one pair like this so I make do the rest of the time. I want to figure out a way to have a phone pocket on the straps of my running backpack. Some of the backpacks meant for running have them built in.

I do listen to music while I run outside but I'm careful about it. I only keep one earbud in and the volume is low enough that I'm still able to hear the street sounds easily. My route is very public so I'm not too worried about safety but I keep an eye out and an elbow ready.

I have the option of showering at work but it isn't completely necessary during coolish weather. I know, that sounds horrible. The key is showering right before you run and then giving yourself a cool off period before changing into your work clothes. 30 minutes is the best but 15 will suffice, at least for me. I don't sweat while I run, because the wind wicks it off but as soon as I stop moving I start sweating. During the summer, I will be showering.

Am I saving time? The time is almost a wash. Sometimes I beat the bus, more often it beats me by a few minutes. I avoid a lot of frustration though. There's no waiting for the bus to arrive and there's no sitting in traffic. I do leave the house a little earlier than normal because I have to build in the cooling off period. But I have to eat breakfast anyways, so the timing ends up being similar. I also consider this multitasking, because I'm getting in some exercise while commuting.

Some people that run to work are comfortable doing their cooling off in their office while catching up on their morning email. This might be okay in my workplace but I still feel weird about it and I prefer to cool off outside. It's nicer to change if you have a private office and/or a single restroom, but you can do it in the regular restroom. I now have favorite bathrooms around campus.

I usually run to work at least three days a week, and I average about 5 - 6 runs each week. Some days I only run one way or the other. Some weeks I'll run every single day.

The most direct route to my work is just a hair under two miles. It is not a pretty route. The 405 splits my commute right in half (and is also responsible for the horrendous traffic snarl that is motivating me to run in the first place). When I was planning this I tried to find a better one but there really isn't one. Oh well.

This mostly works for me because:
1. The distance is just right - a minimum of two miles, which I can increase easily with different routes. It's just long enough to make daily walking annoying for someone as impatient as me but it's short enough that I could start running it even without being in top shape. Other people who live further from work sometimes blend their commutes, busing it part way and then running the rest.
2. I have access to a shower at work if I need one because my gym is close by and I have a permanent locker there.
3. My normal commute is on the bus, so I always have the option of only running one way if I need to (although the traffic is even worse in the evening, so there is a high level of motivation to run both ways).

The run commute happened today. Turns out running with a backpack is 2x harder than without, even when the distance is very short.
{ready}

33 comments:

  1. This is great... I used to walk 1 1/2 miles to work but unfortunately don't have any option but to drive the 16 miles in awful traffic at my new job. Walking/running to/from work is fantastic...especially since you have the option of public trans if the weather acts up!

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    1. Oh, bummer! I used to have the long driving commute. Super grateful to have this short one for now, so I'm taking advantage.

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  2. So fun. Not that you post photos of yourself often, but you look thinner. Bonus to the run commute? :)

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    1. Sweet of you! I think that's just a particularly slimming photo. It was actually the day I started the run commute (just before my first run!). I do think even that small amount of running should help with weight loss, but I'd have to cut down on my cookie intake (which has been crazy lately) to really see a difference. : (

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  3. I would absolutely do this if I didn't look like a sweatypants mess after I run. I would definitely need a shower and a blow dry.

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  4. that is awesome! what a wonderful way to start the day.

    it's funny how much planning this stuff takes. i bought a kid's bike trailer with the hopes of biking to Mother's Market to get Sisi's milk instead of driving. But it took months of planning which route was safest, what I would do if I got too tired to finish the route or the wheels broke or sisi started having a tantrum, that we never even tried it, and now she doesn't even drink milk anymore. It's just a few miles away, but I always feel vulnerable without my car. Now I'm inspired to maybe try again.

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    1. It is such a good way to start the day! My mood is 10x better on the days when I run. And I'm not a cranky morning person anyways, so I'm very upbeat post run!

      I found that the planning/thinking about it ending up doing less good than just getting out there and trying it and then troubleshooting. I figured the worst case scenario was that I'd have to walk two miles and I'd be uncomfortable. Of course, I don't have a kid to worry about! I can see how that would be more intimidating. But maybe try it one day when Joe is home and you could conceivably get bailed out if you had any problems?

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  5. Very cool! Wish I could try this, but I would be a hot mess once I got to work and my job is like 10-12miles away. Good job!

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    1. That is far! A lot of people who run commute will split the distance up by driving or busing partway and then hopping off and running the rest. Or running to a coworkers house and then ride sharing the rest of the way. But that seems so complicated that it would be a big hurdle to get over!

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  6. My husband did this last summer! He ran the 5 miles to work and most days also ran back (10 miles total). He also complained about his backpack rubbing against his back, but never looked into getting a different backpack. It worked out well because he was training for a marathon and it was difficult to schedule in those long runs into our busy schedule with three children under the age of 6.

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    1. That's so great! One of the main motivations for people seems to be marathon training.

      Er, my commute isn't really far enough to be anything close to marathon training, but I also don't see myself ever running a marathon, so I guess that's okay!

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  7. Great post, and even better timing, coz I want to learn to be a runner, and do it in the morning. similar to the couch to 5 k program. what time do you wake up to fit all this in?i cant run to work, but want to be able to complete the similar morning routine you mentioned above, before work.

    Well done on the run commute!

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    1. Well, I don't get up very early but I also don't go to work very early. I need to be at work by 9:30, so I need to be cooled down by 9:15 (I get ready very, very quickly!) and I take just under 20 minutes to run to work, so I head out by 8:30 at the latest, usually a little earlier.

      I pack my stuff the night before, which makes it possible to just roll out of bed at 8:15, pop in contacts, throw on running clothes, scramble a couple eggs and head out the door.

      When I used to run pre-work and then go home and shower, I had to be up by 7:30, run for half an hour, get home and shower and be ready to be out the door by 9.

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  8. wow! I am so freaking impressed. p.s. you look super stylish, love your shoes :)
    xx jessica

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  9. Super inspiring! Always amazed at how un-LA-like you live your life (in the best way possible - I'm from the Bay Area originally)! Was wondering if you know the style of your Nike's - I'm looking for a new running shoe, and love the color of yours! Any details you remember about the purchase would be helpful. Thanks in advance!

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    1. Aw, thanks! Our apartment was chosen after I was pretty sure where I would be working, which makes it possible to drive a lot less than the norm here.

      The shoes are the Nike Free+3 in hot punch. They switch out the colors every season, so if you buy the previous season's colors on the Nike website you get them much cheaper. I had a few mild blisters the first week but I that's standard for me with any new running shoe and now I love them. Pretty lightweight but still sturdy!

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  10. i have a gregory dipsea pack which is awesome for running but tiny. goruck packs are great too but pricey.

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    1. Oh, thanks! I'll look into that. I'm trying to decide how tiny I can handle, given what I have to carry in. I'd need to be way more strategic if I downsized but I could probably carry in a bigger load one day a week and then cut down the rest of the time.

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  11. i have a gregory dipsea pack which is awesome for running but tiny. goruck packs are great too but pricey.

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  12. i'm so glad this is working out for you! if i'm reading you right, your work outfits are going in the backpack, yes? what sort of clothes do you bring? have you had wrinkle issues?

    my fondness for the shoes in your pic might be the thing that finally gets me to throw out my old running sneakers (about 500 miles past their prime and actively shredding at this point) and shell out for a new pair (which i really have no excuse not to buy, since my company reimburses me for $300 in fitness expenses per year). my question to you: how did you shop for your running shoes? i'm tempted to just buy a good-looking pair online and hope they work - not really excited about going up to the local marathoner store and getting gait-diagnosed by some dude - but maybe that's silly, and i should put in the work to get a pair that's perfect. you're my research totem animal; how far did you go?

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    1. Yes, my bag strata is as follows - lunch (packed in sturdy sealed containers), shoes (I also keep shoes at work but usually bring a pair of sandals), small make up bag, work clothes. My work uniform is usually skinny jeans + a button up top and as long as I stay away from silks on running days I'm fine. That said, my office is MUCH less fashion forward than yours, so I could get away with massive wrinkling and no one would notice. I'm covered by a lab coat most of the day anyways.

      I love those shoes! They're the Nike Free+3 in hot punch. I got them from the Nike website as the season was changing. They switch out the colors every season, so if you buy the previous season's colors you get them much cheaper, which is what I did. They're lightweight compared to traditional running shoes but still sturdy.

      I did go to the very fancy running store once to get fitted. They did the gait diagnosis, had me stand on some fancy machine. The end result was them telling me I have "neutral" feet, so I just ended up with the same pair of running shoes I would have bought on my own. Basically anything works for me. D got the same result. I wonder how many people actually need specialized shoes?

      So maybe it's worth going once and seeing if you have unusual feet? But after that you basically know what you need. I just buy whatever looks good, with a preference for lighter weight, breathable options, and then hope they work. So far, so good.

      Sweet that your work reimburses you for some fitness expenses! I would love that.

      You know I think of you whenever I am running, partner.

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  13. Glad to see another female run commuter!

    The first question people ask me is "so you shower when you get there?" People are Deeply concerned about my personal hygiene. I have been RC for almost a year now and when my route was 2 miles, the answer was no. I would freshen up in the bathroom, bought a couple of fans for my cubicle and would hang my clothes to dry in a large filing cabinet.

    Now that my route is over 4 miles, I got a membership to the gym at work and shower there. I'm so spoiled they even wash my clothes for me during the day! I also have a locker so I keep shoes and extras of everything. I forgot to pack a bra one time - that mistake will never be repeated.

    I am only 5' tall so, setting pride aside, I use the Osprey Jet Daypack for Kids for around $50. Almost a year and not a thing has broken or frayed! My only complaint is the ugly color choices. How am I supposed to look cute in "lime squeeze" green and grey?

    Thanks for the article and keep it up!

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    1. BTW my pack has side pockets! Phone in one (I also quietly listen to music on it) and sunglasses in the other. I don't even need to stop to pull them out!

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    2. Yes, people are so worried about the showering! I swear I don't go around smelling bad all day long. I agree that anything over two miles (or maybe anything at all in real heat?) and I'll have to start showering after. Your gym sounds amazing! I'm lucky that mine at least has towel service, so I don't have to haul around towels.

      I'm 5'6, so I prob couldn't get away with the kids pack but I'm tempted to try it on...I really want those side pockets!

      Thanks for chiming in! So nice to hear from other people who are doing this.

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  14. Great job, and good advice! I hope our site was one from which you drew inspiration, or might use in the future.

    REI is a great place to try and buy packs, particularly for the fact that they have one of the most liberal return/exchange policies around. If you don't like it, go swap it. And one of the best parts of running to work are all the stories you collect along the way, and doing things like eating berries, finding shortcuts, telling kids learning to ride their bikes how great a job they are doing: who in a car or bus can do that?

    We are in Atlanta, so understand full well your vehicular traffic frustrations. We'd love to have you write a guest post for The Run Commuter, if you are interested.

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    1. Oooh, thanks! I'm hopping over to visit your site.

      And thank you for the REI suggestion - I think I'm going to bite the bullet and buy myself a pack before the weather gets really hot. The Camelbak is great when it's cool out but I'd love a lighter option when I'm running in 90 degree weather. Ugh.

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  15. This is awesome. I have an eight minute walk for a commute, so not so good for running, but I'm lucky I have an exercise room in my apartment building. So much easier than having to go somewhere...

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  16. What about biking? For just a 2 mile trek you will hardly be sweaty and will always beet the bus! Although, running is better exercise. Good for you! It's great multitasking!

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    1. This would make so much sense for anyone but me! I'm a very reluctant biker under the best of circumstances, and my route to work is terrifying even for very experienced bikers. Sadly, Angelenos still have a long way to go on learning to share the road. : (

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  17. I run from home to work and vice versa since a couple of years.
    I love it and I am lucky that I can take a shower at work.
    See www.hardloopforens.nl It is in dutch but you can use google translate to get an impression

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  18. I run from home to work and vice versa since a couple of years.
    I love it and I am lucky that I can take a shower at work.
    See www.hardloopforens.nl It is in dutch but you can use google translate to get an impression

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  19. Looks like you buckle the chest strap under your boobs - does that help?

    I'm new to run commuting, but love it so far. I've only done it a week and have taken my first backpack back to REI to try another. I'm wondering if the under-the-boob strapping method might help. My first backpack - the Maya 16 by Gregory - made my arms feel numb.

    Thanks!

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