Can you run to work?

The run commute has a particular smugness to it. You arrive at your desk having already been somewhere, seen the city waking up and avoided the train entirely. Getting to that smugness, however, involves a surprising amount of thinking about trousers. Here is the thinking, done for you.

Solve the clothes problem first

Most run commuters do not carry a full outfit every day. The usual trick is a drop day: one day a week you travel to work normally and bring in shirts, trousers, shoes, a towel and toiletries for the days ahead. On run days you carry almost nothing.

If your office has no locker, a drawer, a bag under the desk or a sympathetic colleague's cupboard will do. Shoes are the bulkiest item, so leave a pair at work permanently.

Roll rather than fold anything you do carry, and pack it in a thin waterproof bag inside your backpack. Sweat and rain both find their way in.

The bag

A small running backpack with a chest strap, or a running vest with pockets, is far more comfortable than a loose rucksack bouncing on your back. Pull everything snug so nothing shifts. Carry only what you must: phone, keys, card, a light layer. Laptops are best left at work or brought on the drop day. Our guide to carrying a backpack comfortably has more on fit.

Showers, or not

If your workplace has showers, wonderful. If not, there are options:

• A nearby gym or pool where a basic membership gets you a shower.
• A wash at the sink, with a flannel, a quick-dry towel and a stick of deodorant. Less glamorous, perfectly workable.
• Run home instead. The simplest solution of all: commute in by transport, run home in the evening, shower in your own bathroom.
• Run gently. A relaxed pace in the cool of the morning produces a lot less sweat than a hard effort.

Choosing the route

The fastest way to work by car or bus is rarely the best way to run there. Look for parks, rivers, canal paths and quiet residential streets, even if they add a little distance. Try the route on a weekend first, so the first commute is not also a navigation exercise.

Think about light and traffic too. Winter mornings and evenings are dark, so a light, something reflective and well-lit paths matter; our page on running in the dark covers this. Wherever you run, cross roads where drivers expect pedestrians, and treat headphones as optional on busy stretches.

Part-way commutes

Nobody says you have to run the whole thing. Some very good versions:

• Get off the bus or train a few stops early and run the last part.
• Run to a station further down the line.
• Drive or ride part of the way, park, and run in.
• Run one way only, and travel the other.

These make the run commute possible from much further away and let you build up gradually. If the distance is long and you fancy wheels instead, see starting to cycle to work.

Making it a habit

Pick one or two days a week rather than every day. Choose days without early meetings, client visits or a dinner after work. Check the forecast the night before and pack your bag then, because nobody makes good decisions about socks at six in the morning.