In the middle of the night

In the middle of the night...I go running down the street and then some.
There are many times due to time constraints, family obligations and other things that my time available to run is very limited. I either have to wake up extremely early or run really late at night.

I enjoy running late at night as it allows me to clear my mind and get away from reality for a while. Running at night has its own experiences and challenges. If you ever decide to run after the sun goes down you need to be on top of your game and aware of your surroundings. What is normally visible during the day tends to blend into its surroundings after dark. That includes pot holes, uneven road surfaces, debris on the road, stray animals and more.

If you are going to run in the dark you need to make sure you have examined the surroundings prior to taking  to the streets. This will allow you to prepare an adequate running plan rather than being unsafe and unprepared.  You need to know the rules of the road and what is and is not acceptable. You will also need to dress in the appropriate running attire to ensure you are visible to drivers on the road. This consists of one or more of the following: light colored clothing, reflective stripes, glow stripes and a headlamp. Many who run enjoy listening to music on their mp3 player, iPhone or other device while they run and while this is a great way to pass the time and keep your pace it should not be played too loud to ensure you can hear approaching traffic.

When I run at night and even during the day I run against the flow of traffic to ensure I am aware of all motor vehicles. I prefer to know what is coming at me and avoid dangerous situations. It is also a wise to carry identification upon your body in case of an emergency. Another bit of running wisdom is to either run with a running partner or let someone know the approximate area that you are going to be running in. I do this to ensure my approximate location is known in the event of something happening to me during my run.

If you follow some of these general rules of night time running it can make for an enjoyable and different running experience and open up an entirely different opportunity for you.