This Monday, Oct 17, will be a special full moon run, weather
permitting. We will meet at Green Mountain, Rooney Road lot, at 6:15pm.

We will run the reverse of our normal route to get to the top quickly
to see the moon rise, then running across the top towards the rising
moon. Slower runners will go up via the service road; faster runners
via the northern single track. We will regroup at the top. This will
be a social run, not a hard core workout.

You should bring a light, even though it is a full moon. Sunset 6:18
p.m.; End civil twilight 6:45 p.m.; Moonrise 6:24 p.m.

Monday's forecast looks good as of now. However, we know how quickly
that can change in Colorad. I will be out of town until Monday, and
won't be able to post an update on the run if weather changes. Please
use your judgement.

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Several people have asked me about lights. I'm not going to recommend
specific models. Rather, here is a guide of the types of things to
look for and consider.

Choosing a light is about finding the right combination of brightness,
weight, cost and comfort.

The first choice is hand vs. headlight. Both have their advantages and
disadvantages.

Many runners seem to prefer headlights. Headlights leave your hands
free, and the light shines where you look. Disadvantages are that when
it's wet or very cold, the light reflects off the rain/snow, or mist
from your breath, which can make it hard to see. Even the best fitting
light will bounce a little. The brighter lights will have a noticeable
batter pack, which can make a comfortable fit can be a little
challenging. Some batteries are built into the light unit, in front.
This can extend the center of gravity away from the head, adding to
the bounce. A battery pack in the back of the head reduces the bounce,
but the feel takes getting used to. Some have the batteries in a
separate pouch that you can string through your jacket, and keep in a
pocket or pack. This is a little more complicated, but it gives you
more power, gets the battery weight off your head, and keeping the
battery warm (pocket of pack) extends the life. You also have to turn
your head/light down when turning to talk to other runners, or with
oncoming runners/riders.

Hand lights generally give you more bang for the buck. You can get
brighter lights for the money. It's often more comfortable to carry a
light in your hand vs. your head. However, the light moves with your
arm swing. You can adjust to this, but it does take some practice.

Sometimes I will use one of each. The headlight gives me better focus
on what's ahead. I use the handlight can bring out extra detail up
close, especially in technical terrain.

Light technology has changed in recent years. The traditional
trade-offs between brightness and battery weight has changed.
Incandescent bulbs are passe'.

LED bulbs give you a decent mix of brightness and weight. LEDs have
the advantage of very slow battery drain, and the bulbs virtually
never burning out. The newer "Super Bright" or 1watt LED bulbs are
much brighter than the older LEDs (like the Petzl Tikka). LED lights
are softer than xenon or halogen. Some lights come with colored
filters that can make night vision even better.

Xenon, Halogen and similar bulbs are the brighter. They do burn
through batteries much quicker and can be glary.

Several models have multiple bulb systems. They'll have both a xenon
or halogen bulb, for brightness, along with one or several LEDs, for
longer battery life. You can switch back and forth as the conditions
dictate, and always have the LEDs as a backup if the batteries start
to wane. These combination lights offer the best of both worlds.

How much brightness you should get depends on what type of running you
do, and the quality of your night vision. Trail running, as opposed to
road running, requires brighter lighting to bring out the varied
terrain. How well you can see largely dictates how hard (hard is
relative to your own ability) you can run on trails. I have poor depth
perception at night, and like to be able to run hard, so I like to run
with as brightest a light as reasonable. Since I have a very bright
light for mountain biking at night (Niterider HID), I often use that
for trail running. The batter pack is heavy, but that just makes for a
better workout. It's too heavy to use in a race. HID lights are
expensive, $250-$500.

Another option is a bike commuting light. The Cateye EL300, 400 or 500
are great values and great combination of brightness and weight. You
can hold it in your hand, or make a simple hand strap with duct tape.
I can show you what I've done at an upcoming run.

I'm not going to suggest specific models. You have to find what's best
for you. Some of the major brands to look for are Princeton Tec, Black
Diamond, Petzl, and Gerber. You can find lights at any outdoor, as
well as running store, as well as online. In addition to REI or EMS,
consider some of the local stores:
Bent Gate in Golden
Mountain Miser in Englewood
Wilderness Exchange in Denver, across from REI. A discount outlet.
Also online.
Army/Navy Surplus in Englewood, Aurora and Arvada

You can also get some great deals online including:
SierraTradingPost.com – discount outlet based in Cheyenne
Ebay
Amazon.com