I’ve commuted to work in so many ways.  At Penn State I would walk – which usually took forever, bike – which the cars scared me, and of course bus – although I guess I would run when I was late for the bus… And in the past year, all I’ve managed to do on my commutes is listen to audiobooks, podcasts, and dream of ways I was going to end traffic forever. 

So, naturally the progression was from car to metro to run?  Right?

Don’t get me wrong, I love being able to take the metro.  I’m not someone who misses the 1 hour commute via DC traffic in my car.  But, when I was brainstorming new ways to get to work and get my workout in, running to work seemed like the best idea!

It’s about 2.5 miles from door to door.  NOT BAD!  That’s a good 5 miles for the day and it took me the same amount of time as I would have walking to the metro, waiting for the metro, and walking to work – 20 to 25 minutes. 

But on the way there and back, I learned some pretty important lessons that hopefully will make my next run commute smoother and a little less smelly.

1.  Eat something small before leaving.  Seems simple right?  But, I’ve gotten into the habit of having my bowl of oats at work.  So, my typical ingestion of nothing but coffee leant itself well to creating a hell of a stomach ache that lasted most of the day.  I’ll probably try half a banana or half a slice of toast next time.  I guess sloshing coffee isn’t the best pre-run fuel for commuting.

2.  Take a spare sports bra.  I was smart enough to have the forethought of bringing deodorant, facial clothes, and a fresh shirt.  But, unfortunately, and I do know better, I completely overlooked the part that sitting in a wet sports bra all day just plain sucks.  Men, you may not need this tip, but any sort of spare underwear is probably clutch. 

Also, I will probably bring a spare change of clothes in general and leave them at work.

3.  You’ll probably end up getting some speed work in.  I wasn’t late, but I was imagining that if I were, I would probably be clocking a lot faster of miles.  Although I did get home a bit faster, probably because I was a little hungry and had a few errands to do. 

I think I will try to do this once a week while the weather is nice.  I’m not sure how to pack enough clothes when it’s cold.  Any suggestions?

How do you commute?  Have you ever run to work?