5 safety tips for running in the dark

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5 rubber tips for running in the dark

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I'll start this article past maxim this isn't about not wearing shorts, or running solitary on fall evenings. As a female person runner, I don't need reminding that running alone in the dark tin can feel scary, or that women face a disproportionately high risk of gender-based violence. While no head lamp or reflective leggings can change the stats, little tweaks to your winter routine can help you lot feel safer when running in the dark now that the clocks are changing.

It's also important to note that staying safety in the dark isn't solely an result for female runners. When running in depression low-cal, it's imperative that cars and traffic can see you on the sidewalk, so investing in reflective running gear, or a caput lamp, is a adept thought. We've paw-picked some of our favorite items below to assist you stay safe and be seen this wintertime.

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1. Apply the prophylactic features on your running sentry or app

In recent years, technology has improved to help runners feel safer on the motion. Far more technical than just telling someone when to expect you home, nowadays, the running watch on your wrist can be a way of helping you stay safe.

If you take ane of the best Garmin watches, and run with your smartphone, you tin can turn on Alive Track via the Garmin Connect app on your smartphone. This allows you to share your live location with friends and family members via email, Facebook, or Twitter. The downside with this is that you need to run with your telephone (although this isn't a bad affair when running in the nighttime as information technology allows you to call for help, should yous need it). The Garmin Precursor 245 LTE has a alive tracking mode that can relay your position without needing a phone, and lets yous ship text letters to emergency services.

If you lot're running with an Apple Spotter seven, Apple Spotter SE or an Apple Picket Series iii or later, you tin can share your live location with someone earlier you head out the door. To practice this, add your friend or family member to the Find People app on the Apple Sentry and tap share my location. You'll exist able to share your location for one hour, until the stop of the day, or indefinitely. Once again, with this choice, yous'll need to behave your smartphone with you, unless y'all have a cellular version of Apple tree'south Sentinel.

Another app that works with near mod Garmin running watches and Apple tree Watches newer than the Apple Watch Series 3 is Strava Beacon. Strava Buoy allows runners to ship a live tracking link to three different contacts. It'due south completely free if y'all're using the Strava app on your phone, all the same yous'll take to be a Strava subscriber to use it on your sentinel. Find out why, as a female runner, it'due south the ane Strava feature I've happily paid for in the past, and read my full Strava review here.

2. If you can, run with a friend or a dog

Since I've moved from London to the countryside, I've started running with my 35-pound cocker spaniel, Toby. He's not much of a threat to anyone, but on evenings where I'm heading out on my ain, he helps me feel safer on routes that are far quieter than my city runs ever were.

iii.  Invest in reflective running gear

One way to be sure cars and traffic can encounter you every bit yous run in the dark is to swap your all-black running wardrobe for something more cogitating. Information technology'due south as well well worth ownership a caput lamp, or breast lamp, to assistance you encounter the path if you're non running in a well-lit area. We've hand-picked some of our favorite reflective running items here:

4. Ditch ane, or both, of your headphones

You lot've probably heard this one before, but it's important to exist able to hear what's happening around you, especially when y'all're running in the night. If you need that podcast or peppy running playlist to go you through a cold, winter run, try running with one earbud in. Some earbuds also have a laissez passer-through mode that lets you hear what'due south going on effectually y'all, too. Need to upgrade your tech? We've hand-picked the best running headphones here.

5. Never ignore your instincts

Trust your gut. If something doesn't experience right as you run through the park, it might non be, so turn around and stick to the sidewalk, or terminate another runner and ask if they mind you running aslope them. Ideally, we'd live in a world where it was safe for everyone to run alone in the night and feel safe, but until that day, no thing how confident you might experience, be sure y'all're enlightened of your environment.

Jane McGuire is Tom'south Guide's Fitness editor, which ways she looks later on everything fitness related - from running gear to yoga mats. An gorging runner, Jane has tested and reviewed fitness products for the past four years, and so knows what to await for when finding a skilful running spotter or a pair of shorts with pockets big enough for your smartphone. When she's not pounding the pavements, you'll discover Jane striding round the Surrey Hills, taking far likewise many photos of her puppy.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/5-safety-tips-for-running-in-the-dark

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