Running in the evening or at night. Clothing, safety and how to prepare for running after dark.
Dusk falls, most people are settling down comfortably for dinner and an evening show on TV or Netflix. But instead of warm slippers and a comfy armchair, you’re just starting to lace up your running shoes. If this description sounds suspiciously like a part of your life, welcome to the club :)!
Before you close the door behind you and decide to cover a few, a dozen or even several dozen kilometres, sit down for a moment and read this article.
You’ll find a few useful tips here that will help you not only prepare for running after dark, but also make sure this form of activity is as safe as possible for you.
Running in the evening before bed. Does it really make sense?
Running workouts after dark are a great option, especially for people who don’t have time for this kind of activity during the day. Of course, apart from the time itself, other interesting aspects also matter, such as the unique atmosphere, peace and quiet, and the weather conditions.
Night running is also a great solution for those who prefer exercising in slightly lower temperatures. This is especially important in summer, when daytime temperatures can not only make a full workout harder, but sometimes even impossible.
Activity after dark can also be part of professional preparation. After all, there is no shortage of running events in Poland that take place just after sunset.
Night runs (most often over distances of 5 and 10 kilometres) are organised in the biggest cities across Poland. Events held at this time are also popular in another discipline: obstacle course racing (OCR). In this area, the key point of reference is Runmageddon, which regularly offers participants the so-called Night Recruit.
How do you prepare for running in the evening or at night?
The decision is made and you want to run at night? Before you head out, remember to take care of a few important things. The main elements worth considering are:
First: safety
While in spring or summer this is not much of a challenge (after all, at that time of year dusk falls very late), running in the evening in autumn or winter is a completely different story. Apart from the right clothing (which you’ll read about in a moment), you should first and foremost focus on your own safety.
Here are a few tips:
- Try to choose running routes that are lit and also relatively busy with other people (this is especially important for women who want to run alone). Night is not the best time to explore new places. That’s why for after-dark activity you should choose areas and routes you already know well (for example, ones you’ve run many times during the day).
- Make sure other road users can see you too. Reflective elements are the absolute minimum if you run on lit roads. And if you plan to move through unlit areas, take a strong, fully charged torch with you. Our tip: for this kind of activity, head torches work best, meaning lights mounted on a band you can wear on your head.
- Take your phone with you (charged and with internet access). In case of injury, getting lost or any other unexpected situation.
- Run with other people – if possible, let other runners join you during your session.
Second: the right clothing
Match your running clothing above all to the season and the weather conditions. On warm summer or spring evenings, you can stick to shorts and a short-sleeved top (for example, a rashguard). For night activity in winter or autumn, longer garments will be a better choice (leggings and longsleeve tops). In the event of rain or wet snow, a set consisting of a sports jacket and a hat will work well.
Also remember to choose suitable footwear, matched not only to the temperature, but also to the surface you’ll be running on.
Third: proper preparation
Just like before any other activity, an evening or night running session should also be preceded by a warm-up that prepares you for the effort. Before you head out on your route, make sure your muscles are properly activated. This step will help prepare your body for greater exertion and, above all, minimise the risk of injuries or discomfort.
What else?
Before you decide to go to sleep after training, a shower and dinner, remember to finish your night workout with a short stretching and foam rolling session. Spending a few minutes on these activities will reward you not only with better well-being, but also with faster and more effective recovery.
Running in the evening: effects. Is it worth it?
Such an unusual training time is a great solution primarily for people who can’t make time for activity during the day. But apart from time management, does running when it’s dark outside bring any specific effects?
In our opinion, it’s quite difficult to find new, unusual or completely different benefits that come specifically from night running. Like activity at any other time, it has a positive effect on your well-being, helps you get rid of excess kilos and benefits the whole body.
Running after dark and clothing. Which items of clothing work well for this occasion?
Long- or short-sleeved tops, shorts or leggings, plus jackets, hats, sweatshirts and much, much more. No matter what you ultimately choose, you need to remember one thing. In the SMMASH store offer, you’ll find dozens of different options for women and men, giving you a huge choice of patterns, cuts and colours. And if that still isn’t enough, you can use the intuitive configurator at any time, which lets you design and create your own fully personalised running clothing, both for night running and daytime runs. If you want to check it out, just click here: X-CREATOR from SMMASH is already waiting for you.
