Night time running

     Living in Pittsburgh we get to see beautiful changes in the weather. The fall brings leaves turning from green to orange and red. We also get to see our sunset go from around 9:00 pm to around 5:00 pm.   The Pittsburgh marathon is ran in early May. This means most runners, like myself, are forced to train in the dark night or the dark early mornings.  There are many things you can do to help with running at night.  Wear bright colored clothes so you will be visible to cars in the dark. If you are going to wear your head set while running, listen to the music at a low volume so you can hear the traffic around you. Some drivers have trouble seeing at night so you want to make sure you are aware of your surroundings. Technology has also helped night time running.  There are many little gadgets and lights you can purchase from blinking red lights that clip on your clothing to hand held neon lights that give off a fluorescent glow. I recently purchased knuckle lights from TRUE RUNNER. These are LED lights that you strap to your hands. These lights allow your hands to still be free to run, yet they illuminate the path you are running on and allow cars to see you. I was also informed by the employee assisting me at TRUE RUNNER that there is also a head band with a built-in light and an Under Armour hat that has small lights built into the brim. Prices range from $40 to $55 for these products. These prices might seem costly, however after using the knuckle lights I purchased, I believe they are worth every penny. A way to completely avoid night running is to use the treadmill. I suggest running on an incline of 1 or 2 to simulate the various elevations of running on pavement. The question is, can you stand to be on the treadmill in one spot for a long period of time. My preference is to invest in a gadget that will help when I run at night and get out on the pavement.  However, each person is different so run anyway that makes you feel comfortable, just do it safe.

Do you prefer to run on a treadmill or on the pavement? Share your opinion in the comments.