Tomorrow will be the third time I leave the car at home and use my feet to get to work. I’d like to explain my methods for successfully and safely getting there. It’s about 11.5 miles from my home to my office. This guide will be most useful for office workers.

Requirements:

• shower at destination
• gym bag and space to store it at work

Preparation the Day Before:

While getting dressed, grab an extra outfit. Include a pair of everything. Throw it in your bag along with towel, toothbrush, razor, deodorant, hair product, or whatever else you need to get ready in the morning. Double check to make sure you have a towel. Trying to shower without a towel is awful, I have learned that lesson once and the hard way.

Bring your bag to work and store it. It will stay overnight. I leave it under my desk.

Before going home at the end of the day, store everything essential and don’t bring home anything you need tomorrow. If you bring home a laptop today, it will be challenging to bring it back with you tomorrow.

When you have a free moment, start planning your route. Use Google Maps directions in walk mode. Select a route that avoids neighborhoods that make you feel unsafe. And make sure the distance is achievable for you. Also consider the total travel time. It will be less than the estimated walking time (you are running).

Coordinate a ride home for the next day. Depending on the distance, it may not be reasonable to run home. I’m not a fan of running through the city in the dark. I ask a friend to pick me up. Alternatively, you could hail a ride from Uber/Lyft.

Preparation Day of:

Wake up early, you need a lot more time to commute today. The first time, it took me 2.5 hours to travel 11.5 miles.

Put on your running outfit.

Pack light. Bring essentials like your ID, credit card, medical card, emergency cash, phone, ear buds. I like to shove all this stuff into an arm band. Running belts also work, or a zipper pocket in your outfit.

Eat a light snack and drink some water. If you skip this step and run a long distance you will regret it. I learned the hard way. Carry extra just in case.

Turn on your fitness tracker app such as Strava or RunKeeper.

Run! Have fun!

When you arrive, grab the bag you stored and hit the showers. Without the shower, none of this works. It’s socially unacceptable to be sweaty and smelly all day. Don’t do that to your coworkers.