5 Tips for Night Running

A little extra preparation can help you run at night, stay safe, and keep up with your training goals.

As adults we don’t always wander out into the dark, but night runs under the moonlight can be both mesmerizing and peaceful. Running in the evenings is also a great way to relax after a stressful day at work. It allows you to view your surroundings from a different perspective, even though you may have run the same route in the daylight.
Here are some night running tips to keep you safe after the sun goes down. Read more here.
Massage away tight muscles

Runners use muscle massage tools like The Stick (www.thestick.com) to reduce post race muscle fatigue caused by lactic acid buildup. This is a must-have for any endurance athlete or anyone taking on new forms of exercise. The Stick is a great travel companion to distant races, but remember to pack it in your checked luggage!  
Beat Shin Splints
"Shin splints" the pain you feel over the front of the lower leg with activity, more appropriately known as Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS), is almost a rite of passage for recreational runners and accounts for 60 percent of all over use injuries.
The pain creeps up on you about three weeks into your period of increased training and feels like an ache that intensifies with pounding. It can progress to sharp pain with each step. When you touch the front of your shin bone (tibia) and the muscle beside it (anterior tibialis) you will feel reproducibly tender. Most of the pain will be localized over the lower one-third of your leg and will increase with resisted plantar flexion (like pushing against the gas pedal).
Why You Get Shin Splints
There are three reasons most of us develop MTSS at some point in our athletic careers. I call them the "Shin Splint Terrible Toos": Read More.
 

 
Replace your shoes often

A good rule of thumb is to replace your running shoes every 300 to 400 miles, depending on your running style, body weight, frequency, and the surface on which you run. Smaller runners can wait a little longer while heavier runners should consider replacement shoes closer to the 300 mile mark. Bring your old shoes in, we will teach you how to check their wear!
 
Know how much to drink

Proper hydration is helpful for achieving the best performance while exercising. Over the years recommendations on the exact amount of water or sports drinks needed has varied significantly. New guidelines were published by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies and suggest that thirst can be a good indicator.

 
Stretching: focus on flexibility

Stretching may take a back seat to your exercise routine. You may think that stretching your hamstrings and calves is just something to be done if you have a few extra minutes before or after pounding out some miles on the treadmill. The main concern is exercising, not stretching, right? learn more