Tips for Night Time Workouts

As we head into the final five weeks of training, the sun heads for the horizon earlier and earlier every night. This makes evening weeknight miles or minutes difficult. It's often impossible to get to our favorite parks or finish a workout before the gates close.

For many of us this means moving our weeknight workouts to neighborhood streets after dark. Here are a few tips for safe nighttime running or walking:

- Wear reflective gear front, back, top and bottom. Light colored clothing is helpful but it is not enough.

- Do not assume that drivers see you or that they will stop even if they do.

- Wear or carry a light. A headlamp keeps your hands free and will light the ground in front of you and spot imperfections or debris before you turn an ankle or worse.

- Slow down. Running/walking in low light or dark is not the time for speed work.

- Stick to routes you know. Nighttime brings disorientation naturally. New routes will only make that worse.

- Run with a buddy. Best alternative bring your phone.

- Leave the headphones at home.

- Plan your route and tell someone wear you are going and how long you expect to be

These are just a few. Chat with your running and walking buddies on Saturday to pick up more tips.