We've put together a few tips and ideas for keeping well over Christmas and New Year....
General health and well being tips:
Running in Winter:
Is it healthy to run in winter?
In fact, researchers say,running in cold weather helps improve one's performance.When you run in cold weather, your heart rate and the body's dehydration levels are lower than in warmer conditions. The body needs less water on a cold day than in warm weather.
Tips:
Warm up thoroughly and stretch afterwards to avoid injury
Dress appropriately - wear layers so you can make sure you don't overheat. Carry gloves and a hat and a running pack to carry layers you remove as you warm up.
Be seen - make sure you are wearing suitable hi-viz and have a torch for evening running
If running alone - make sure to tell someone you're route and expected duration
Maybe consider your route and run shorter loops - so if you need to finish earlier than planned you're not to far from home
Wear appropriate trainers - do you need trail shoes or extra grip?
if you're running in the daytime you may still need sunglasses to protect your eyes (if we have any rare winter sunshine)
If your shoes got wet make sure you dry them properly - To do this, try stuffing your shoes with newspaper and leaving them in a warm room away from direct heat sources.
plan a post run warm up - put on dry layers and have a warm drink
Help is available if you're finding things tough:
https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/if-youre-having-difficult-time/if-youre-finding-things-hard-this-christmas/
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
From Emma Smith, Dave Yarnell (Club Welfare officers) and Fay Kelham and Sarah Ball (Club Mental Health officers)