Successful Run Commuting

April 20, 2014

I am a run commuter. One funny trait of the Japanese company that I work for (during the day) is that they ban commuting by bicycle. The reasons are plentiful and are all rather weak: no place to park the bikes, dangerous, our insurance doesn't cover it, etc. While most of my coworkers here in Japan find it strange that I commute home by feet, they have slowly begun to respect this quirky side of the foreigner in the office. Successful run commuting, of course, does not depend on the acceptance of your boss or coworkers. Successful run commuting begins with the essentials: shoes, map, and water in the summer months. I use the following equipment during my run commutes. 1. Runners backpack: The backpack I use is a tiny Camelbak one that has just enough room to carry my shoes, shorts, shirts on my way to work and my keys, wallet, phone on my way home from work. It's light-weight and unfortunately a bit filthy. I need to buy a new one, but hey the old one still works. 2. GPS map: The streets of Tokyo are hella confusing. The city was actually laid out so the streets would run in circles. Legend has it that if the city was under attack, then the invading army would be confused and lost due to the confusing street system. Thanks to this quirk in history, Tokyo streets are still way confusing. If you live in Tokyo, you should know your way home in case of an earthquake (but probably don't). On your first run commute home, I recommend taking a GPS map on your smart phone so that you don't get utterly lost! My phone saved me on my first few run commutes. 3. Runkeeper: Tracking your distance and pace is a great way to understand your training and improvements with time. Runkeeper has the extra social element that makes sharing runs so fun. 4. Shoes: So many blogs seem to focus on shoes. I am a minimalist runner (using Vibrams) and want to make the switch to completely barefoot. Shoes are convient, but an essential...maybe not. 5. A Runbell: Use your Runbell to warn pedestrians and slow bikers that you are coming through. Nobody likes to be suprised by a fast running brushing up aside them. Use your Runbell and run commuting will be as easy as running along a lonesome river path. Runbell is coming to Kickstarter on May 5th. Support us and join our launch. Sign up for our newsletter and be the first to know about our launch.