Running in the dark

Most athletes hate running at night as it usually represents a training run after a hard days work. There’s no denying that dark nights are a pain. There is nothing worse than having to go out on a night run. However, once out and running most people will tell you that it’s not as bad as you imagined. It’s the getting changed and the anticipation of going out the door that’s the worst thing.

As with the any other sort of training it is always easier if you get someone else to come out with you. The run passes faster and you will have someone else to talk/moan to. If it means going down to a club then try and arrange to meet other people you know there on a regular basis. It’s always easier to motivate yourself if you know you have got a meeting with someone else.

To make the most of night running you may have to alter your training a little. One way is to cut back on your mileage but to pick up the pace. Why run ten miles slowly when five miles fast would do you more good? Quality not quantity is what counts. When running at night you feel that you are running a lot faster than you actually are. Be aware of this and try and have check marks around your run to compare the times with daylight runs you have done.

Beginner runners:
Decrease the length of time you run but try and make an effort to run at a faster pace. Instead of running 30 minutes slowly, try 20 minutes fast. It may feel more uncomfortable running fast but at least it’s over quicker. As you get fitter; try keeping the same pace but running for longer. This way you will see an improvement in your fitness over time.

Intermediate club athletes:
On a 30 minute run, every five minutes try and pick up the pace so that by the end you are running quite hard. Gradually get faster throughout the run until the last five minutes feels uncomfortably hard. As your fitness levels go up, make the last uncomfortably hard part of your run longer. Eventually you should be able to run the whole 30 minutes at this uncomfortable hard (threshold) pace. 30 minutes is about the maximum that should be done when threshold running.

More experienced runners:
Threshold running should be an integral part of your training by now. Try dropping to less than 30 minutes but running even faster than before. For example, 20 minutes at the new faster pace. Eventually move up to the 30 minutes again, but when you get there and feel comfortable again, drop down to 20 minutes again and run even faster. As you can see this is a never ending cycle but it works and definitely gets you fitter and faster.