It’s week 9 in training for the Agoura Hills/Chesebro Half Marathon. There are only 4 more weeks until the big day! Woohoo! This is probably going to be my most challenging half yet and I am excited. 

If you too, are training for the Chesebro Half, I hope you have been running some trails or at the very least some hills. Trust me, you will be glad you did when race day comes. No matter what you are training for, I hope you are finding what motivates you to keep going. Winter can be rough for runners. Days are short and it’s cold. For tips on running when it’s cold click here. Stay strong! And stay safe!

This weeks topic: Safety 

• Be visible. Days are short so sometimes you need to resort to running in the dark. Wear reflective clothing. Running at dawn or dusk can be dangerous too, with people driving into the sun, or headlights, blinding them. Be aware and alert.  
• Run against traffic. Unless you run on sidewalks, you should run against traffic so you can see oncoming cars and jump out of the way if need be. If you’re running on windy roads it’s best to be on the outside curve of turns for best visibility.
• Dress appropriately. Depending on where you live and what time of the year it is, it could be freezing cold or scorching hot. Hypo and hyperthermia can be dangerous. On cold days it’s best to dress in warm layers that you can peel off if needed. Always better to not need the hat and gloves than to wish you had them. In the heat wear light, breathable clothes and a reflective hat and sunglasses to protect your eyes. Heat escapes the body through the head, so wear a warm hat when it’s cold and a breathable hat when it’s hot.  
• Wear sunscreen. No matter what time of year or what weather, you should always wear sunscreen. No one wants skin cancer.
• Stay to the right on multi-use paths. When running on multi-use paths stay to the right to avoid bikes, rollerbladers and other runners. If you need to pass someone be sure to glance over your shoulder for oncoming traffic.

For more on staying safe while running check out this post “Stay Safe and Don’t Assume”.

I hope this post was helpful. As always, thanks for reading.

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Keep Running my friends!

Denise