Observations from a Night Time Seawall Run August 19, 2008
Last night I was sitting at home and decided to finally go for my run around 8pm. It was a perfect evening for it - it wasn’t too warm and there was a nice cool breeze on the seawall. I intended for it to be a quick run - from my house down to the seawall at the Cambie street bridge then down to the construction next to the tennis courts at David Lam Park and back.
It was so nice though, that I kept going and ended up at English Bay, then ran back to Urban Fare to pick up a quick bite to eat. It was a really nice long run - I’d guess between 5 and 7km. But, I really don’t have any idea how long it actually was, because they don’t have any distance markers on this part of the seawall. They do around Stanley Park, but that’s it. This got me to thinking why they don’t have distance markers or am I just missing them?
Vancouver is an abnormally active city and you can pretty much look anywhere in the city - particularly the seawall - during the day and see someone running, walking, biking, rollerblading or participating in some sort of group workout routine. I think it would be a great idea to have distance markers installed along the seawall to let people know how far they’ve gone or to help facilitate people meeting on the seawall. I can’t imagine that it would cost much to install and I’m pretty positive that I’m not the first person who has wanted to know how long they have run for.
This brings me to my other observation. Not all of the seawall is lit at night - on my way back the sun set and there were several sections of the seawall that have absolutely no lighting. I know that I shouldn’t leave for my run so late and it is ultimately my responsibility to ensure my safety and plan my activities accordingly, but I think as a basic safety precaution for the seawall users, it should be lit. Being a girl that was out alone, I find this to be slightly troubling - especially around the area’s that have construction. It wasn’t too bad as the seawall was still pretty active with people because the sun had just set, I would have felt much more unease had it not been so busy. What do you think - should the seawall be lit at night?
OK, caveat: I am a total running nerd. There are two things you should know.
1) At night, you should run with a headlamp on. I do this, and it’s because I’ve been mowed down by cyclists too many times. (Many of them without lights themselves.) You know that curvy bit east of Granville Island? Um, yeah. Dark.
2) To figure out distances, go to http://runthere.com It’s the best!
Personally, I think it would be great if they had small lights along the path, enough to show obstacles and give you lighting if the moon isn’t out, but I don’t think there should be actual streetlamp-style lighting. I find that kills the atmosphere, and it makes it more dangerous because your eyes get adjusted to the light so you can’t see what’s in the dark (skunks, cyclists, hobos, crazies, etc.).
Personally, I kind of like going out at night with a flashlight and just wandering around. It reminds me of when I lived in Saskatchewan and used to go camping which I always hated, so I don’t know why I like it now.
You should also always make sure you have either a light source or at least something reflective so that you stand out in the dark. Getting creamed by cyclists sucks; same with rollerbladers, carriages, crazies, birds, and even other pedestrians.
I’ve not seen http://runthere.com (will have to check it out), but have used http://mapmyrun.com, which uses Google Maps to map out your run and tell you how far it is. I agree that distance markers along the sea wall would be easier tho!
Nightrunning…
In Vancouver, I see a lot of women running alone at night, and it kind of makes me happy. The fact that women here feel empowered to get out there after dark is a symbol of a safe and successful metropolis. ……
Nightrunning…
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