Well it had to end at some point and, if I’m been honest, it was too good to last. You see for the last eleven years I have been able to walk to work. And not just that, it’s never been more than a twenty minute stroll door-to-door. I must admit that I have, on occasion, taken the simplicity of my commute for granted. There were days, for example, when I just couldn’t be bothered and found any excuse to jump in the car. It didn’t even have to be a great excuse. Rain forecast? Well better take the car just in case. Or I may get a parcel delivery so I’ll need to take the car to bring it back if I do. Feeling a bit off colour. Better save my energy and take the car. Totally shocking and absolutely without honour! Thankfully though, those instances were few and far between. For the most time, I’ve enjoyed over ten years of blisssful pedestrian based commuting.
Even when we made the switch to New Zealand, we made sure that our home was within walking distance of the office. Yes it was mostly uphill, but a twenty minute walk is much preferable to having to get in a car. Even when it is raining. The closeness to work did however shrink to ridiculous levels when I changed jobs at year or so ago with my twenty minute commute getting reduced to just seven. Yes seven! It was so close that I timed it to the nearest minute. Or if you prefer, 600m. It was in fact, so close that I was seriously worried that I’d turn up one day accidentally wearing my slippers and pyjamas!
I knew, however, that it was only temporary as it was a project office and not my main HQ. Even so, when we were finaly told a a few weeks ago that we were moving out it came as a bit of a wrench. If you ever caught me off guard, I might admit that it was a little too close but I was now suddenly faced with a much longer commute. Relatively speaking anyway. You see now, rather than sauntering down the hill to the office ,I’d have to find a way to get my butt 4km across town. Not a huge distance, almost too short to drive, but a much different proposition. But I had options.
The lack of parking at the new office meant that taking the car was out. Not that I would’ve particularly enjoyed that option anyway. Eleven years without relying on a vehicle is a hard habit to break. Walking was a possibility, but even at a reasonable pace it was still going to take an hour to complete each way. How about public transport? Well there was a bus service that would work but it was renowned for being totally unpredictable in the evening rush hour and, given the torturous route that it takes, only marginaly quicker than walking.
I did briefly consider cycling to the office then I remembered that Aucklanders are lunatics when you put them behind the wheel and I was likely to end up in hospital if I dared mix it with the incompetence of car bourne commuters. Six weeks in traction wasn’t enticing me so there was only one thing for it. Running! It had the advantage of being quicker than both walking and public transport whilst being totally free, save for extra wear and tear on my running shoes, was relatively safe.
I won’t bore you with the logistics, but making the change to running to the office has had its challenges and it’s fair to say that I’ve learned some valuable lessons along the way. So in case you ever find yourself in a similar predicament here’s my handy cut-out-and-keep guide to the weird world of run commuting......
Space is Your Enemy
There’s definitely a trade-off between getting a backpack big enough for all your gear and having too much space. Why is too much space a problem I hear you ask? Well it is. Trust me - I’ve learned the hard way. The more space you have, the more crap you’re going to take with you each day. It might avoid the meticulous planning that goes into making sure you have everything you need whilst saving on weight, but it’s not fun trying to run with a pack that weighs 7kg. You might think it makes you look hard but two kilometres into your run you’r going too wish you hadn’t brought both pairs of shoes and all of those reference books.
Equally, think carefully about how you pack and try and minimise any potential gaps in your load. A bag with Tupperware boxes bounding around is not only audibly annoying but makes it difficult to run. Whilst we’re on them subject of Tupperware, if you’re one of those frugal types who likes to take their own lunch to work, select a lunch that isn’t going to get too damaged. Salad may be healthy, but mashed soup-like salad for lunch is disgusting. I know this from experience - four kilometres of running is not good for lettuce leaves, not matter how carefully it was prepared. If salad is your thing, as it is mine, then leave off the dressing - put it in a separate pot - and pack any spare space in the Tupperware with kitchen roll. It’s not perfect but it does minimise the liquidiser effect.
Even when we made the switch to New Zealand, we made sure that our home was within walking distance of the office. Yes it was mostly uphill, but a twenty minute walk is much preferable to having to get in a car. Even when it is raining. The closeness to work did however shrink to ridiculous levels when I changed jobs at year or so ago with my twenty minute commute getting reduced to just seven. Yes seven! It was so close that I timed it to the nearest minute. Or if you prefer, 600m. It was in fact, so close that I was seriously worried that I’d turn up one day accidentally wearing my slippers and pyjamas!
I knew, however, that it was only temporary as it was a project office and not my main HQ. Even so, when we were finaly told a a few weeks ago that we were moving out it came as a bit of a wrench. If you ever caught me off guard, I might admit that it was a little too close but I was now suddenly faced with a much longer commute. Relatively speaking anyway. You see now, rather than sauntering down the hill to the office ,I’d have to find a way to get my butt 4km across town. Not a huge distance, almost too short to drive, but a much different proposition. But I had options.
The lack of parking at the new office meant that taking the car was out. Not that I would’ve particularly enjoyed that option anyway. Eleven years without relying on a vehicle is a hard habit to break. Walking was a possibility, but even at a reasonable pace it was still going to take an hour to complete each way. How about public transport? Well there was a bus service that would work but it was renowned for being totally unpredictable in the evening rush hour and, given the torturous route that it takes, only marginaly quicker than walking.
I did briefly consider cycling to the office then I remembered that Aucklanders are lunatics when you put them behind the wheel and I was likely to end up in hospital if I dared mix it with the incompetence of car bourne commuters. Six weeks in traction wasn’t enticing me so there was only one thing for it. Running! It had the advantage of being quicker than both walking and public transport whilst being totally free, save for extra wear and tear on my running shoes, was relatively safe.
I won’t bore you with the logistics, but making the change to running to the office has had its challenges and it’s fair to say that I’ve learned some valuable lessons along the way. So in case you ever find yourself in a similar predicament here’s my handy cut-out-and-keep guide to the weird world of run commuting......
Flat Out
Route selection is a critical part to regular run commuting. If you are blessed with a multitude of options chose carefully. It might sound like a good idea to take the shortest route, but if this is chock full of hills or is likely to be busy with pedestrians, then it's best to find another way. My direct route is just like that. A full 1km shorter but littered with signalised junctions, pedestrians and two decent sized hills.
The alternative, on the other hand, is longer, reasonably flat but more importantly offers an uninterrupted run.
If you do fancy a challenge on your commute, save it for the journey home when you can have a proper shower and don't have to worry about passing out from exhaustion in front of your colleagues.
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| If you insist on going the hilly way, enjoy the view at the top! |
Space is Your Enemy
There’s definitely a trade-off between getting a backpack big enough for all your gear and having too much space. Why is too much space a problem I hear you ask? Well it is. Trust me - I’ve learned the hard way. The more space you have, the more crap you’re going to take with you each day. It might avoid the meticulous planning that goes into making sure you have everything you need whilst saving on weight, but it’s not fun trying to run with a pack that weighs 7kg. You might think it makes you look hard but two kilometres into your run you’r going too wish you hadn’t brought both pairs of shoes and all of those reference books.
Equally, think carefully about how you pack and try and minimise any potential gaps in your load. A bag with Tupperware boxes bounding around is not only audibly annoying but makes it difficult to run. Whilst we’re on them subject of Tupperware, if you’re one of those frugal types who likes to take their own lunch to work, select a lunch that isn’t going to get too damaged. Salad may be healthy, but mashed soup-like salad for lunch is disgusting. I know this from experience - four kilometres of running is not good for lettuce leaves, not matter how carefully it was prepared. If salad is your thing, as it is mine, then leave off the dressing - put it in a separate pot - and pack any spare space in the Tupperware with kitchen roll. It’s not perfect but it does minimise the liquidiser effect.
Roll With It
One of the big issues is how to get your work clothes to your destination without looking like they've been scrunched up in a bag. Which of course they have. I've tried several ways of packing but by far the most crease resistant is to roll it up. Lie the clothes on your bed, whilst mentally dressing yourself when you get to work to make sure everything is there, and then roll it all up together. Simple but effective. And don't forget to put it all in a dry bag or plastic bag! Your bag might not get wet on the journey but an accident with your accompanying lunch might put a crimp on your day.
Routine is Good
If you are to avoid carrying your entire wardrobe and showering products with you to work every day, a bit of planning is needed. Wait, scratch that. A lot of planning. Get it wrong and you’ll be faced with spending the whole day without any undies. Going commando might seem like a rebellious idea but it''s not worth the chafing.
So on Monday morning I take a look at my diary for the week and work out when I’ll be able to run to the office and when I’ll be finishing up elsewhere. Day one, I carry a fresh towel and some spare running clothes. No need to carry a towel every day and the spare clothes are in case it rains on my sprint to the office. Nothing more unpleasant than putting on wet clothes for the return journey. Well there is but I won’t go into that here. That’s for the pub.
I’ve also stocked up on some toiletries. My bottom drawer looks more like a shelf in Boots than a work receptacle. Gone are the notes, reference books and technical guides and in their place are deodorant, shower gel, moisturiser and other paraphernalia.
But no amount of planning can legislate for unplanned meetings. The pesky things. Just when you think you have your day mapped out, it’s a real pain to get dragged across town to a meeting. Especially if its towards the end of the day and close to home. No point in going back to the office to get changed only to then run back again. At least not to me anyways. If this happens, you will find yourself in the unfortunate position with everything being out of sync; once used running clothes in work, work shoes at home etc. Bloody nightmare. Getting everything back in order takes some doing and, yes despite my advice above, carrying duplicate clothing back to the office to reset the system.
Not-So-Personal Hygiene
So you've finally got to work. Well done, you're now officially a commuting runner and the only thing left to master is a clean down procedure. Take it from me, when it comes to running to the office, there is no such thing as personal hygiene. Everyone knows you whiff! And to make it worse, you know that everyone knows that you whiff! From the moment you step into the lift to the moment you get cleaned you will see people turning their noses up at you.
Which cleaning process you adopt is a matter of personal taste. I did try once to forego the shower and instead opted to use copious amounts of wet-wipes. I thought it would save having to have a second set of toiletries and save on time. I was wrong. Whilst is may have got off the worst of the crud, I felt sticky all day. Added to that was a certain lemony aroma and it made for a rather uncomfortable day. It may be the only option if there are no showering facilities in your building but avoid the use of pre-moistened wipettes if at all possible.
One of the most common (and perhaps pointless) questions I’ve been asked as I arrived at my desk dripping with sweat is “Have you just ran to work?” What did they think I’d been doing? How many co-workers did they know who sweated that profusely just by walking? Besides, didn’t the shorts, t-shirt and running shoes give it away?
But they had a point. The sight of a dripping wet colleague isn’t a great thing to have to look at first thing in a morning so it’s important to stop the leaking as soon as possible. Firstly, it’s critical to have a hand towel on hand to mop up the excess water. A damp patch around your desk is not a good look. Secondly, invest in a small fan. The type that plug into a USB socket on the computer are ideal. Or in my case just commandeer a colleagues. They weren’t using it anyway! Besides, they’re hardly going to complain if it stops you from dripping everywhere.....
Routine is Good
If you are to avoid carrying your entire wardrobe and showering products with you to work every day, a bit of planning is needed. Wait, scratch that. A lot of planning. Get it wrong and you’ll be faced with spending the whole day without any undies. Going commando might seem like a rebellious idea but it''s not worth the chafing.
So on Monday morning I take a look at my diary for the week and work out when I’ll be able to run to the office and when I’ll be finishing up elsewhere. Day one, I carry a fresh towel and some spare running clothes. No need to carry a towel every day and the spare clothes are in case it rains on my sprint to the office. Nothing more unpleasant than putting on wet clothes for the return journey. Well there is but I won’t go into that here. That’s for the pub.
I’ve also stocked up on some toiletries. My bottom drawer looks more like a shelf in Boots than a work receptacle. Gone are the notes, reference books and technical guides and in their place are deodorant, shower gel, moisturiser and other paraphernalia.
But no amount of planning can legislate for unplanned meetings. The pesky things. Just when you think you have your day mapped out, it’s a real pain to get dragged across town to a meeting. Especially if its towards the end of the day and close to home. No point in going back to the office to get changed only to then run back again. At least not to me anyways. If this happens, you will find yourself in the unfortunate position with everything being out of sync; once used running clothes in work, work shoes at home etc. Bloody nightmare. Getting everything back in order takes some doing and, yes despite my advice above, carrying duplicate clothing back to the office to reset the system.
Not-So-Personal Hygiene
So you've finally got to work. Well done, you're now officially a commuting runner and the only thing left to master is a clean down procedure. Take it from me, when it comes to running to the office, there is no such thing as personal hygiene. Everyone knows you whiff! And to make it worse, you know that everyone knows that you whiff! From the moment you step into the lift to the moment you get cleaned you will see people turning their noses up at you.
Which cleaning process you adopt is a matter of personal taste. I did try once to forego the shower and instead opted to use copious amounts of wet-wipes. I thought it would save having to have a second set of toiletries and save on time. I was wrong. Whilst is may have got off the worst of the crud, I felt sticky all day. Added to that was a certain lemony aroma and it made for a rather uncomfortable day. It may be the only option if there are no showering facilities in your building but avoid the use of pre-moistened wipettes if at all possible.
One of the most common (and perhaps pointless) questions I’ve been asked as I arrived at my desk dripping with sweat is “Have you just ran to work?” What did they think I’d been doing? How many co-workers did they know who sweated that profusely just by walking? Besides, didn’t the shorts, t-shirt and running shoes give it away?
But they had a point. The sight of a dripping wet colleague isn’t a great thing to have to look at first thing in a morning so it’s important to stop the leaking as soon as possible. Firstly, it’s critical to have a hand towel on hand to mop up the excess water. A damp patch around your desk is not a good look. Secondly, invest in a small fan. The type that plug into a USB socket on the computer are ideal. Or in my case just commandeer a colleagues. They weren’t using it anyway! Besides, they’re hardly going to complain if it stops you from dripping everywhere.....
Once sufficiently cooled, and whilst doing so it's a good opportunity to go through the inevitable email pile whilst munching on some cereal, it's time to take a shower. You might think this is a bit of a palaver, and is it really worth all of the hassle. Well after a bit of practice I've got a pretty good routine when it comes to taking a shower. Or to put it another way, if it was an Olympic event I be in with a medal chance. From leaving my desk to returning, I got the whole routine down to under six minutes. It does help that the nearest shower is only a few hundred strides away, but I don't hang about. Providing you have cooled sufficiently, you should emerge fresh as a daisy and ready to take on whatever the day throws at you, with the added whizz of endorphins.
Hanging Out
Hanging Out
The only challenge left is what to do with your recently discarded running clothes. Even if you are not planning on running home, don't be tempted to stick it all in your back and forget about it. Believe me, sweaty clothing left wrapped in plastic for a whole day gives off an ungodly smell when you unwrap the parcel at the other end! It truly hums and is almost impossible to eradicate by washing. It's of utmost importance to hang out your running clothes to dry even if it does risk turning the workspace into a temporary laundry. If you have your own office then you have nothing to worry about. If, on the other hand, you share your workspace with others you might have to get more creative. Sure you could hang it all on the backs of chairs but it would be a pretty easy going colleague who didn't mind sweaty clothes on display.
My system is a little more discrete. Well I think so anyway. The space under my desk is turned into a makeshift clothes line. Out of sight, if not quite out of smell.
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| What else is the space under your desk for? |
So there you have it. Not only have I managed to find a way to reduce the cost and time of my commute, but I've also integrated it into a reasonable fitness routing. No need to do extra when you get home because you've already done it. And travelled to work. A win-win situation.
So what are you waiting for? Even if you are not quite close enough, there might be public transport options that do part of the journey for you. Or how about driving part of the way and running the last few kilometres. It beats sitting in traffic in the city.
And if you do take the plunge, don't forget to enjoy it! Look around and you'll be surprised what you've been missing whilst sitting behind the wheel!
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| Admittedly, not all runs are equal. This takes some beating. |
