Our top tips for winter running and how to stay safe

By Pete Cooper, Co-Founder of Coopah

Winter time running, wait….it does have perks!  Think of the beautiful misty mornings with the sunrises.  Ok now, we’re struggling to find the perks of running in winter but it is something we need to do.  With dark mornings and dark evenings, it means the time we have to run is minimal and if a run at lunch isn’t an option it’s most likely you are replanning your routes to ensure you have street light.  With that, we wanted to share our tips to stay motivated during the winter.

Enjoy the sunrise

Whenever people go on holiday, they usually always want to wake up to see the sunrise.  We always wonder why people don’t do that in the UK?  So get up early, go for your run and enjoy running whilst the sun comes up and no one else is around…pure bliss!

Enjoy that feeling of achieving something whilst everyone is sleeping

There is something about going for a run knowing everyone else is asleep. There’s an even better feeling of getting home and being able to say you’ve achieved something before anyone else has even woken up.  It will also make you more productive throughout the day and build that positive mindset.

Be visible

To ensure you enjoy running, you want to be visible so you have an enjoyable run.

The first rule of winter running is high-visibility reflective gear. Even if you think there are street lights, it is important that you as a runner are glowing!  We see so many runners, running late at night in full black clothing, but this just isn’t wise.  High vis gear helps you be spotted by drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.

Ditch the headphones

Remember we spoke about how to enjoy running?  Well, winter is the time to take in the surrounding areas, enjoy the birds singing or the cars whizzing by.  Try not to wear headphones to ensure you can hear everything that is going on around you.

Run with friends

Running in numbers is always much safer and it is also more enjoyable.  If you feel a running club is too intimidating, then look into other options such as running communities. Another option is to find a running pal, by doing this, you can agree on a time and place to meet and this leaves you accountable and more likely to stick to your runs.