As winter approaches the days are quickly becoming shorter and for many runners it gets increasingly difficult to fit a run in during daylight hours.  Night running is never the safest option for any runner but if you run in the evening you need to be prepared for the unexpected.  Follow these five tips to make your night run safer:

1. Run in a group.

Never run alone at night.

The old adage of safety in numbers still holds true, especially for women.  So if you do choose to run at night at least run in the shelter of a running group. Running groups generally follow regimented training plans, predetermined routes and have qualified run leaders who have been trained in running safety.

Don’t have a running group or even a group of friends to run with? The Running Room has group clinics for everyone from the couch-potato-cum-newbie runner right up to the most experienced athletes (Ironman, anyone?).  Check out Running Room Clinics in Canada and a couple of States here, or Google “running groups [+ your city]” to look for a running group in your area.

On a budget? Check with your local running store regarding free drop-in runs.

2. Be seen.

When running at night you need to be visible to traffic and you should choose a variety of methods to make yourself as visible as possible.

Your first step is to wear light colors, rather than dark clothing, to help drivers see you.  Most running gear now has reflective material built right into it.  Reflective material is a great start but not enough to keep you safe while running in the dark.

Improve your visibility by investing in a light (preferably one that flashes) that you can attach to your clothing or gear.  Night-Gear.com has a large selection of reflective gear and lighting options for night workouts.

On a budget? Go to a discount store and pick up a flashing LED pin for a dollar or two. Better yet, buy a few.  Wear lights on arms or legs, rather than your core.  Swinging lights are more likely to be noticed by drivers.

If you run in areas that are not well-lit, consider investing in a head-mounted lamp such as this one, not only to be seen by others but also to see what’s in front of you – uneven terrain is one of the leading causes of injuries in runners who train at night.

When approaching intersections run behind cars, not in front of them. And don’t assume that a vehicle stopped at a light or stop sign sees you.  Ensure you have eye contact if you must run in front of a stopped vehicle, or wait until the coast is clear.

3. Take your common sense along with you.

Stay off the roads. Stay on the sidewalks.  Even when you run on the sidewalk be sure to run facing traffic (never run in the same direction!) so you can see what’s coming toward you.

When crossing side roads make sure you shoulder-check for cars from behind that may turn in front of you.  Notify your fellow runners of upcoming cars by shouting “Car up” and “Car back”, etc.

Avoid trails, even in a group, unless you have experience, proper gear and a strong headlamp to guide you.  Low hanging branches and tree roots pose hazards that you don’t want to tangle with.  Not many runners want to lose training time to a twisted ankle or worse, a concussion!

Don’t wear headphones.  You probably already know that wearing headphones on any run is dangerous but at night it’s doubly important to be able to hear warnings, car horns, critters or potential attackers.

Wear weather-appropriate clothing.  If you start your run during daylight don’t forget that the temperature can drop significantly once the sun sets.  Dress according to your local night temperature, especially in winter.

4. Carry identification.

Even if you are running in a group it is a good idea to carry identification when you run.  I.D. can be as simple as a laminated card with your contact information on it, or you can purchase I.D. tags like this one (pictured on the left), or a bracelet like this one.

Identification is important for everyone; even long-time running partners may not know each others’ emergency contact information.

Any medical issues should also be listed on your identification and it is a good idea to make your running partners or group leader aware of any medical concerns you may have.

5. Carry a cel phone.

In the worst case scenario if you or someone else in your group has an accident, gets hurt, or experiences a medical emergency, a cel phone will give you the means to call quickly for assistance.

Running on your own is not a good idea. We all know that, right?  But if you do throw common sense to the wind and run alone, make sure you carry a cel phone.

Consider downloading an application for your phone like Instamapper. Instamapper is a free service that allows you (or your family) to track your GPS-enabled cell phone online in real time.  What does this mean?  It means that once you download the Instamapper software and activate it, you can give your family access to your real-time location via GPS.

Is it smart to run at night? In most cases it’s not the best idea.

But if you do it anyway, make sure you at least run smarter.

~Melanie

Halloween is a special time of year. Ushered in by aisles full of candy and celebrated with a touch of imagination, it is a magical event where adults and children alike can be whatever they dream to be for one single night.

A part of the magical spell Halloween has us under is our diet. Although it is tempting to swear off candy or limit our children’s consumption of it when faced with bags of goodies captured after a night of trick-or-treating, allowing ourselves to enjoy it may not be such a bad thing. In fact, allowing kids to eat as much candy as they want may not even result in them eating everything they gather. In a survey conducted by KidsHealth.org, only 20% of the 1200 participating children said that they ate all of their Halloween candy and 60% of the participants said that it took them 2 weeks to finish it all off.

Instead of cutting out candy completely on Halloween, perhaps consider allowing your family to have a Halloween treat pass until the clock strikes midnight. This way your kids can enjoy the splendor of gathering as much candy as they can, but will also prevent them from extending the candy mentality into the rest of the year. 

Once the clock strikes midnight (or whatever time you find appropriate for your child’s age) and the treat pass expires, it’s back to real-life eating. Alth0ugh it may be tempting to continue to eat the candy leftover from the night before, it’s important to show restraint. Instead, get creative! Finding ways to use up the candy without eating it may be a challenge, but you won’t regret turning your treats into a fun activity both you and your children can enjoy.

To help get you started, here are a few ideas:

• Create silly faces on a plate by gluing on various candy pieces. For example, candy corns for eyes or noses and licorice for hair or lips.
• Chop candy into small pieces and save in the freezer to use as dessert toppings at future celebrations.
• Donate any unopened treats to a local food bank or shelter.
• Send a Halloween package overseas to our troops.
• Create treat bags for a local long-term care facility.

When it comes to Halloween, just like any other holiday, the emphasis should be on the experiences you share with your loved ones and less about the food. The food is there to compliment the activity, and not the other way around. So relax, enjoy your time together, and have fun in the magical moment brought on by a night of excitement and celebration.

~ by Mike Romaniuk, sharing his “secret thoughts of men”

2011 is well past its half over mark and I don’t know about you, but I’m finding that life is speeding by faster each year. I’m also discovering that couple-time can be hard to squeeze into a busy schedule.  Running with your spouse can be a fantastic and fun way to spend time together.  You’re setting joint goals, spending quality time together, cheering each other on, and oh boy, those endorphins!

First, a warning:  Some men can be extremely particular about their workout schedules & what their goals are. You can probably blame that on our testosterone, although I’m sure there are women who are just as particular. So first you need to make sure your spouse wants you to be his fitness partner.   To some men their exercise time is their way of releasing stress and is important ‘man time’.

Assuming you are both agreeable to working out together, you may find that the fitness level of one of you is greater than the other.  Here are a few tips to equalize things while still giving both of you a great workout:

• Have your partner cross train: I did an 8km jog today and it almost killed me.  My jogging partner & I do these jogs 2-3 times a week and I barely break a sweat.  The difference today?  I did 2km of hard, fast cycling immediately before going out for our jog.  Boy did that slow me down!

• Make it easier on yourself: My wife isn’t a runner, so when we ‘jog together’ she grabs her bike and rides beside me.  It means that I can go at the speed I want to and she gets in a good ride!  Bonus:  I get to steal her water bottle holder for my water!

• Add some weight: There’s nothing like some added weight to slow your partner down!  Some extra water or a 5 pound weight in the pack can bring them down a notch.

To be successful you both need to get a good workout  so compromise in a way that works towards this goal.

Final tip: if all else fails and you want to kill each other, remember that the faster one always has the option to run away.

Happy running!

I’ll admit it:  I’m seriously considering training for an Iron Man.  Please don’t tell my family – they complain that they don’t see me enough as is (no, I’m not married, nor do I have kids, so I’m safe on that end. I think.  It’s my parents. Let’s not go there.).

Anyway, the Iron Man….

When it comes to the running & the biking, I figure I’m about 50% of the way there…  If I pushed it, I could currently bike 95km and then run 22km without completely dying.

Well, not dying until the end, anyway.

But then there’s that pesky swimming part.  I can swim, float, play…  Not a problem.  But can I swim 3.86km in “open water”?  Not a fricken chance – I’d be fish food after 10 minutes!

So I booked a swimming lesson at my local pool to learn some proper techniques and explore whether this huge goal – just maybe just -  might be attainable.

Some interesting facts that hit me as soon as I got to the pool:

• I was approximately 25 years older than any other person having a lesson.
• I was at least 10 years older than my instructor.
• One of the blonde soccer moms kept staring at me. Either she thought I was hot or thought I was a *little* old to be swimming with water wings.

I made it out of the pool alive.  Barely.

Reflecting back:

• My inability to breath underwater had an upside.  It forced me to focus a huge amount on controlling my breathing.  This will probably be a huge help with my other training.
• Swimming worked my core more than I expected and, now the day after, I realize I’ve obviously worked muscles that haven’t seen use for a while.  Okay, perhaps…ever.
• Swimming had low no impact on my joints and a nice break from the pounding of road running.
• I didn’t have to do it in the rain or in the dark – it was a nice, well lit & warm pool.
• It was cheap!  $18 for a 30 minute private lesson, including pool entry fee.  (Masters Group lessons are around $5 including pool entry!)

Long story short, I was pleasantly surprised by the level of workout I got from a 30 minute lesson and think that it would probably be a great Winter addition to virtually anyone’s workout routine.

And the Iron Man?  Well, we’ll see.  I’m not going to commit yet, but let’s just say I’m not ruling it out.

Now, where did that soccer mom go…?

And thank you, dear readers, for the questions: no, Mike does not write his own bio…his insanely good-looking non-hairy friend does.  Gotta love them friends.

As a runner, there’s nothing more wonderful than a cool morning, a gentle breeze, and some scenery. I love to run outside. Because of where I live, I typically run on pavement in neighborhoods. Sometimes I manage to run through parks and even along rivers during my weekly training. When everything is in sync, there’s noting better, but that’s just one runner’s opinion.

Many runners run outdoors on the pavement. However, there are also a lot of runners who actually prefer the treadmill. As I’ve had my fair share of terrain experience, I can safely say that neither is necessarily better, but they are very different.

Road Running

Road running naturally creates many benefits for the training athlete. Because of the uneven surface the outdoors provides, the body gets a complete workout. Stabilizing muscles have to work harder out on the road as the runner has to shift to adapt to the changes. Road running will also bring its share of climate obstacles. Wind will provide great resistance training and heat and cold can also help the runner prepare for any given race day condition. Another major bonus of road running is that it burns more calories than treadmill running as it is more intense and demands more energy from the leg muscles.

On a financial note, road running doesn’t require a gym membership or an investment in an expensive machine. Other than the price of shoes and pair of shorts, road running is very affordable. Treadmills are expensive in comparison, whether they come in the form of a gym membership or a personal home machine.

Of course road running isn’t always glamorous. The weather has always been my biggest enemy when it comes to road running and even I have my limits that force me inside. Ice is typically a deal breaker. Even with special winter traction on your shoes, ice is dangerous and a lot of runners get hurt trying to navigate on slick roads. The heat is a big factor, too. If it’s going to be really hot, rise earlier to avoid the worst of it, as the raging heat of the road can be conducive to over heating and dehydration.

Other than the weather, the road presents more challenges that you don’t find on a treadmill. While the shifting terrain can be great for training, it can prove to be too much for some. Hills are very tough, turns in the path can really take a toll on pace, and traffic is an ever present factor to deal with while on the road.

Treadmill

Perhaps the treadmill’s biggest benefit to runners is that it can provide a place to run when the road can not. Another benefit the treadmill has over the road is that you can track specific distances for focused training. If you are training for an event and are on a specific plan, the treadmill allows you to stick to your training schedule perfectly- no more, no less.

The treadmill is actually easier on the joints than the road due to the surface of the belt. The treadmill allows for the runner to really customize their run as well. If one needs to incorporate speed into their workout, most machines have an option ready at the push of a button. If the runner needs to train for hills, but lives in a flat terrain, the treadmill is great for that, too.

There’s a risk of slight danger, too, that comes from the fact that one can trip or lose control on the treadmill. There’s an adjustment period for a first timer, but as long as you pay attention, you should be fine.

It’s also arguable that the treadmill will not aid in preparing your for a race. Since races are run on the road, too much time on the treadmill could be a major shock to the body as it tries to adjust to the heavier impact. One of the biggest arguments against treadmill running is that it doesn’t allow for proper bio-mechanics to take place. This means that due to the unnatural surface and space, the runner may change their natural stride, position themselves differently, and even waste energy due to a different posture.

Trail Running

It’s clear that runners have options when it comes to where they run. Perhaps one of the best and toughest options is one that few of us have the chance to explore.

Trail running is more like a cousin to running than an equal. First of all, few runners live anywhere near any real trails, but it’s a whole different game and even the best road runner will be challenged by a trail.

Trail running provides several benefits. Trails provide amazing scenery and they’re easier on the joints, but just because they’re easier on the joints does not mean they’re easy. The trail runner gets an amazing workout due to the demands of the terrain. Every muscle from the shoulders down is used to stabilize a runner on an uneven, rocky, or unpredictable surface. The core muscles get a great workout as they work very hard to keep you vertical on the trails.

Trail running will burn more calories than the treadmill or the road, but there are some tough challenges that may deter runners from hitting the trails. While the treadmill and the road allow the runner to zone out, the trail demands constant attention. Every step is an adjustment and a potential tripping hazard. The trail presents many more chances for a fall or injury and requires a lot of focus.

Obviously there’s no perfect place to run. Every option presents its own obstacles and provides it’s own benefits. Each runner will find their own perfect place. Find your happy place runners, and run on!

Just remember~The reward is not so great without the struggle.

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