TIPS FOR NIGHT RUN

MBABANE – The Swazi Plaza Night Run is on this Saturday and athletes should follow certain precautions when partaking in this type of races.

The seven-kilometres race will start at 7pm at Swazi Plaza Park and the participants will race towards Total Gardens and turn left to run past the Chinese Embassy. Other areas on the route include CTA, Embassy House, St Marks and Sandla.

Tips to note

Be seen. Most of the Wild Night Run Series is off-road. However, several courses have short tarmac sections. Wear light or brightly coloured clothing, preferably with reflective strips on the back. Some shoes also have reflective strips too and reflective bands on moving parts (like wrists or ankles) stand out particularly well.  If you’re running regularly on the road at night, consider carrying a red flashing led as used by cyclists. Invest in a decent head torch. You’ll be able to run faster and more safely, and will have a wider field of vision on the trail. A good head torch will last far longer than a pair of running shoes.  So spend what you’d pay for a pair of decent shoes on a high quality head torch.

When running steep off-road downhills in the dark, try imagining you’re running over hot coals. Aim for fast feet and short controlled steps. Long strides will make you less in control and tire out your quads.  This advice also applies to day running but is even more relevant at night. If you’re worried about running at night, start with a sunset run (where you start just before sunset) or an early morning run where you’ll see the sun come up. The added bonus is, you’ll see some great sun rises/sets.

Start by practising on a trail you already know well in daylight. It will still seem different but not that different. Rely on all your senses. Even with a bright light don’t just use your eyes: listen, smell and feel the trail under foot.
Ensure your batteries are fully charged by leaving your torch on charge until just before you leave. Otherwise carry spare batteries, preferably already fitted inside a spare torch (trying to change batteries in the dark without a torch is not easy!)

Think about your footing and don’t let your guard down. Darkness creates shadows that can hide rocks roots and other hazards. Keep your wits about you.
Leave your GPS at home (at least to start with). You will be going a little more slowly off-road at night, particularly if night running is new to you. Resist the temptation to get bogged down in ‘minutes per mile’ and leave your gadgets behind.

Don’t run with headphones. If you must, run in daylight with music, but when running at night you need to listen out for cars, people and even animals coming your way.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: