Lunch time running

[e.e.cummings]

Anyone ever participate in lunchtime running at work? My co-worker and I were discussing it today. She is a new mom and never gets the chance to exercise anymore and sees it as her best opportunity. Anyone else do this kind of thing?

[TsPoet]

I used to ride at lunch. There are showers at work and a nice MUT close by. It worked fine. It does take a long time - the ride itself can only be 30 min, but changing, showering, getting ready to go... all take a surprising amount of time.
Honestly, I didn't shower very often. Baby wipes and a change of clothes worked fine (none of my coworkers complained ;)).

[ny biker]

I see plenty of runners near my office at lunch time. We're right across the street from a MUT. But no one I work with does it -- the people who want exercise usually just walk up and down the stairs (we're on the 9th floor).

[Bike Chick]

I've done it lots of times. When my training plan called for a 2 mile run on Wednesdays, I'd pack my running clothes and get my run in on my lunch hour. It took some planning and I would eat at my desk later but well worth the effort; especially if I was a young mom and that's the only "me" time I could squeeze out of the day. I have a sedentary job and I found it invigorating to go run 2 miles mid-day.

[e.e.cummings]

The shower thing was something that came up - we don't have a shower at work (well, an operating shower, but that's another story). I would cycle to work sometimes and I would just have a cat-bath in one of the private washrooms (meaning, a washroom with one toilet, no stalls). Worked for me. Although if too many of us start to do it, there will be a run on those!

[skibum]

I run at lunch a couple of days a week. We have a group at work that does a loop around the office park -- about 3.5 miles. We are very lucky to have a small gym with showers at our office so it is easy to run, shower and get back to work quickly.

[violette]

I've been running at lunch time for 5 years now. wouldn't have it any other way. Tried morning, Yuk...Tried evening after supper, Yuk...Tried before supper, bonked after 2km.

[Crankin]

Many years ago I would go to the gym at lunch; I don't know how I did it on a high school teacher's time schedule, but it was great when I had very young kids. Actually, I think I made sure my prep period and lunch were back to back, so I had almost 2 hours. I would definitely consider gym or running at lunch again, when I go back to the "real world, in one more year."
I had about 5 years of bath cloths heated in the microwave when I was bike commuting. They worked really well, when backed up by some regular soap and water in the single stall bathroom.
A shower/changing place is going to be high up on my list when I am looking for a job next year at this time!

[TsPoet]

The shower thing was something that came up - we don't have a shower at work (well, an operating shower, but that's another story). I would cycle to work sometimes and I would just have a cat-bath in one of the private washrooms (meaning, a washroom with one toilet, no stalls). Worked for me. Although if too many of us start to do it, there will be a run on those!

I used to buy baby wipes at CostCo in bulk. They worked great for a quick spritz.

[Kimmyt]

That is how I get in most of my runs in. There are a lot of folks at my work that run during lunch, but we do have a gym and aside from that shower facilities near most of the labs. I would find it hard to be sans-shower because we have a lot of hills, especially in the summer because it takes me awhile to cool down and I can get really sweaty.

Just today I did one of my favorites, 6 miles on the roads from my work (some traffic and thin shoulders) to a nice forested development and back. In fact it makes meetings interesting, when you run into someone who also runs and maybe saw you out there. Today I was in the lab with someone who is quite a bit higher level than I am and we were talking about our favorite runs in the area.

Of course, it is easy for me to do mid- to longish runs during work because we have pretty flexible work hours, so I can take 1-1 1/2 hour breaks during lunch and do a long run and just work later to make up for it, I just run instead of lunch break and work while I eat at my desk.

[rocknrollgirl]

KimmyT...where have you been girl?

[JH-NV]

For 10 years I used my lunch hour. We had one shower and sometimes it wasn't possible that I could shower. In my travel kit at work I always kept a can of Evian atomizer (feels great on hot, sweaty face), astringent for odor, deodorant and a mini cosmetic set and a towel. Hair sometimes had to be redone into a ponytail and keeping a professional appearance was important.
I now work 4-10's with 30 min lunch and remember fondly those days of 3-5 mile runs. That was my time. Only had 60 mins, nothing more and would discreetly eat at desk.
This was the perfect time for working mom's. My husband worked nights and it just wasn't the same dragging two kid's along for night runs. I needed my own personal time and that fit the bill.

[dealmstr]

I like reading this thread and getting different people's takes/ideas. I really want to start running at lunch, but we don't have a shower at the office and was worried about smelling the rest of the day. I think I'll give it a go and Friday and bring some wash clothes. Thanks!

[Kimmyt]

KimmyT...where have you been girl?

I have been around! Just lurking more than posting. Been focusing more on climbing of late thought I've been doing a bit of running. Afraid my bike is gathering dust, so I don't post much here right now.

How are you??