to consider this commute feasible (it’s a run to work one)?

[Mysteriousgirl2]

Wondering if anyone else is a run commuter out there.

My (new job) commute is 5-6 miles, rural and no street lighting. I need to be at work for 7:30 and will be leaving at roughly 4.

The roads are a mixture of A and B roads. The A roads are fast but there is mostly a pavement. The B roads are twisty and slow but I’m confident I can pop into the hedge if a car comes (I’m used to this kind of running and not too concerned).

Cycling in would not work for various reasons. There’s no option of part run commute as there are no buses/ trains anywhere near and I’ll need my car once I get home for the nursery/ school run (in opposite direction to my work).

Im keen to increase my daily exercise. Exercising in the morning and evening is tricky as I have 3 very small children.

Has anyone done this or should I stick to home workouts in the dry and then safely drive in to work?

Haven’t really sussed out the showering situation etc yet but there’s bound to be staff showers (secondary comprehensive school).

Not many schools have staff showers.

I think it's a great idea but I wouldn't do it on those roads for safety reasons if it's not safe to cycle.

Plus you'll need to be able to bring stuff home I would think?

So I'd still plan the exercise but rearrange how I do it.

So either drive in and run before work.

Or drive to and from work and cycle nursery run if the route is safe.

Or run the nursery run.

Providing your children are young enough you can use a cycle trailer or 3 wheeler buggy to transport them and run.
The nursery may allow you to leave buggy there during day so you could run a 10k route to collect children and then walk the direct route home?

I do 10k/ 6 miles in an hour. But I'm not fast. If I had to do that + backpack every morning, then do full day teaching, then run home, I'd be fucked! And how do you know you'll be leaving at 4? Meetings/ interventions/ phone calls usually haven't finished by then.

I'm also quite jealous you work so close to home!

I run a similar distance to work but work somewhere accessible by bus and only in the office 3 days per week.

I run in one day and bus back and then bus in the next day and run home so I do 3 10k runs per week plus a weekend run.

A good rucksack is vital.

Ha ha. She means that she finishes work for the day at 4pm! Not that she would set off on her run to work at 4 in the morning!

Every day sounds a bit much and may make you more prone to injury. Would you run 2 days and say drive 3 or vice versa?

Are you mad? No.

I used to do a regular 3 mile run to and from work, 5 days per week, year round. It was fantastic, and I really miss it.

When I moved house, I thought I could up it to 5 miles, but I absolutely couldn't. Even though I was marathon training at the time and regularly doing 18 mile plus long runs, 5 miles was too much twice per day on a regular basis.

Also, I was running in a well lit city - personally, I wouldn't do the route you describe.

I ended up cycling in, running home, running in, cycling home, but that doesn't sound like an option for you.

PP had the best idea - drive in, and run when you get there. Unless you are trying to avoid the drive (that's why I started running)?

I love the idea of this. My only consideration would be needing to get home urgently in case of emergency, if child was sick and needed bringing home from school or similar.

Can you do a test run? Maybe run the route on a weekend at the same time of day to see how it really is?

I used to do a 15k run commute home once a week, plus two shorter ones. It was great but tiring after a long day at work. Doing twice a day every day is a really big commitment... also I was only happy running in the dark because I lived in a well lit city. I would be nervous running alone down windy roads in the early morning or when it’s dark. That said, there are some great, reflective run backpacks if you do go for it.

Sorry for my lack of clarity; I mean that I will need to be at work for 7:30am and I will be able to leave work at 4:00pm.

Road running on twisty B roads in the dark is suicidal

I'm assuming you can't be a teacher - otherwise, what about books/marking, etc? Meetings after school?

But the issues which make this most unfeasible are: running that distance twice a day, 4 days a week, in the dark for half the year, on dangerous roads. It's madness.

Yes, if the road isn't safe to cycle then it won't be safe to run.

I have experimented with run commutes in the past, but not as a regular thing because:

• risk of injury,
• you can't carry much if you're running, which makes taking everything you need problematic
• having to store sweaty running clothes at work, then change back into them at the end of the day (for this reason I only ever ran in one direction)

Instead I cycle - much easier and safer.

How can the road be suitable for running and not cycling?

I used to run commute (WFH now) but would only ever do it to home as there weren't any showers at work.

I would try for once or twice a week and see how you get on. Perhaps drive on Monday with 3 days worth of shower gear/clean clothes/food if you have a fridge, run two or three days and drive on Friday taking it all home. I used to look like a pack horse on a Friday with 4 days worth of clothes, lunch boxes etc

I would never run on rural roads without a pavement in the dark. No way no how. I get very nervous on pavement less rural roads anyway even doing all the right things. You will definitely need a head torch, and you should have a spare at work as well in case you forget it in the morning and have to get home in the dark (been there, not fun). I would really look at alternative routes, even if longer or across fields for when it is dark.

This would be my worry, more than the distances.

Wow - you must be very fit and kudos to you. However the thought of having such a long run ahead of me at the end of an exhausting or bad day when I just want to get to my sofa, would be difficult. I am super lazy though and admire your commitment to exercise.

I think sadly all your concerns are right, really.

I just loved the thought of running into work. It’s the headspace, and the knowledge that I’ve fitted exercise into my day. I might find it hard to do it otherwise.

I was out walking yesterday (in a different area actually) and a van driver slowed down, followed me and then wound his window down to speak to me. I felt incredibly vulnerable and it was in broad daylight. Possibly not great to be doing it in the dark, on dangerous roads.

Because where the A roads get busy and dangerous, there is a pavement. It’s incredibly narrow and rural (think hedges and long grass on the track but close to the busy road) Running along the pavement would be fine, but you wouldn’t be able to cycle along them as it isn’t wide enough to safely and it isn’t suitable for a road bike at all.

It doesn’t sound safe to me. But more than that what would happen if you need to get to your own children quickly? For that alone I couldn’t be at work without a car.

It doesn't have to be all or nothing, does it?

Could you drive to work one day, run home that day, run in the next day and then drive home?

Even if you did just that over a week that's 20km more than you would have fitted in otherwise. Also avoids the problem of not being able to transport things!

I probably wouldn't want to do it in dreadful weather either.

I often feel safer in the dark due to being able to see the car lights.

I run a lot at night. I wear stuff to be seen (high viz, flashing blue led lights) and to see (bright head torch).

I know cars can see me because they dip their lights well before they get near me.

On the narrow roads I can pull aside, but if I know they've seen me they'll usuall slow enough so I can pass.

That said I avoid during busier times of day.

I think I'd enjoy either running to or from work, but not there and back in the same day. It's quite a commitment to run twice a day around your working day.

Is there somewhere near where the A roads start that you could park your car for the day? So drive half, run half.

My dad used to run 7 miles two and from work 5 days a week. So by Friday he’d run 70 miles. He was a very seasoned runner and ran a 2:26 marathon. For a non seasoned runner to consider this is not a good plan you could end up injured. You’d need to build up gradually.

do you run 10k regularly already? If not you need to get to that first. Then start doing this once a week and build from there.