© Photographer: Edd Boyer
The idea of walking at night for hours, whether in the city or country, is often romanticized. Charles Dickens, who suffered from chronic insomnia, took to walking the streets of London, where he learned about the plight of the homeless and took it up as a cause in his writings.As a general rule, I love sleep too much to go wandering around my neighborhood at night. But a few years ago, I decided to go walking early in the morning to get some exercise. It was fall, so it was still dark when I went out. But it wasn't really that dark, because of the street lights. And I wasn't completely alone, because some people were out walking their dogs. I guess that's night walking in the suburbs - well-lit and sociable (or as sociable as anyone can be at 5:45 am).
If you've decided to run or walk to get more exercise in the new year and plan to do so before or after work, please be safe about it. Here are some safety tips on how to see and be seen in the dark. Maybe your new exercise program will last longer than mine did (I think it was about 3 weeks...)
