How To Start Running In The Dark
Author: Matt Cooke
Category: Health
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Have you ever tried to start running in the dark? If not, you're missing out on a wonderful experience. It's far cooler, quieter and you feel less conspicuous when running in the dark. Sometimes it can be very awkward to fit in your sessions during the day time when you need to juggle work, family and social life, you often have no other option but to run at night.
Unfortunately when you start running at night, there carries a certain amount of risk with it. On the one hand you need to try to run where there are are people around, a brightly lit area, with other people around to ensure your safety from others, but also, the extra traffic in these areas means that you may be at a greater risk from cars and other sorts of traffic.
Here are some safety tips to follow to ensure that you make it through your night time runs without incident or accident.
Run Facing Oncoming Vehicles
When you first start running in the dark, always run on the side of the street that faces oncoming motorists. Doing this ensures you to see vehicles coming towards you, making it a lot easier and safer to keep away from them.
Running in the dark is usually a lot more challenging due to reduced visibility because of car headlights and street lighting. Because of this you should only choose routes that have sidewalks or purpose built walkways. Don't use very busy roads to run on at night.
It's also important to be aware of other potential road users such as cyclists and fellow runners, so don't simply use the engine of a car as your only warning of advancing vehicles.
To Be Safe, Be Seen
Ideally the types of running clothing you wear when you start running at night should be of a lighter fabric. White, yellow or orange fabrics tend to be seen much easier in the dark and better still, luminous or reflective materials attached or worn over clothes such as arm bands, reflective hat badges and sashes all help to get you noticed. Ideally you should ensure that you make yourself as noticeable as possible. Purely wearing running shoes with reflective areas on them,might not be enough to get you fully noticed by other road users.
Means of Contact
All runners should carry a mobile phone with them regardless of the time of day they run at. You could pick up an injury and be unable to keep going, you may get lost or too exhausted to carry on or see an accident or crime etc. These are all very good reasons for carrying a phone with you when running at night. Another suggestion is to carry identification at all times. A driver's license is perfect. You can keep this easily in your pocket or in a hip bag.
For your safety, to to mix up the days and times you go out running, otherwise this can make you a target to would be assailants. Whilst this is extremly uncommon, however, it is best to be aware of these precautions.
Run With Company
You can run on your own at anytime, but often it can be very interesting and safer to run with others, either a running club or a friend. Or why not start running with a dog, your own or one borrowed from a friend or neighbor. The dog will love it and you may be saving your friend or neighbour having to go out themselves to walk it.
If you do need to start running at night, you'll find it can be a fantastic experience, a great chance to calm down at the end of a hard days work, or escape from the family for a while. Whatever reason you do it for, take reasonable precautions for your own safety.
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Keywords: start running, how to start running, running at night
View Count: 61
Date Submitted: 2/8/2010
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