Training in cold, mountains and rain: layers, visibility and your route.

• Dress in layers and add or remove one when you stop.
• In low light or rain, make yourself visible.
• Wet or icy ground: short steps and a lower pace.
• In the mountains the weather changes fast: leave a margin and have a plan B.
• Cold drains the battery sooner: keep your phone close to your body.
• If things get worse, turn back.

1. Check the forecast, the wind and the time it gets dark.
2. Pick a route that fits your level and have a shorter alternative.
3. Dress in layers and carry a waterproof layer and spare dry clothes.
4. Carry water, some food and your phone fully charged.
5. Tell someone your route and your return time.
6. Start easy and turn back if the weather or the terrain gets worse.

Also go through the checklist for heading out to train alone.

• Base layer: light and moisture-wicking. Avoid cotton.
• Insulating layer: the one that keeps you warm.
• Outer layer: windproof or waterproof.
• Extremities: hat, gloves and spare dry socks.
• Head out feeling slightly cool: you will warm up as you move.
• You cool down fast when you stop. Put a layer on as soon as you do.

• Wear light-colored or reflective clothing.
• Use a front light and a rear light if you head out in low light.
• Check when it gets dark and come back with a margin.
• Be more careful at crossings and on roads: in the rain, vehicles see you less well.

• On wet, muddy or icy ground, take short steps and slow down.
• Wear shoes with good grip.
• In the mountains, go by feel rather than by pace: climbing raises the effort.
• In strong wind, slow down and look for sheltered stretches.
• With wet equipment, such as bars or rings, your grip fails: scale the WOD or move it indoors.
• In a thunderstorm, do not head out. If one catches you, find shelter.

• The forecast and the official warnings for your area, including wind.
• The state of the trail: mud, ice, snow or swollen streams.
• How long the route takes and how much daylight you have.
• Whether there is signal along the route.
• A shorter alternative route, in case things get worse.

In the mountains, the weather can change fast and the temperature drops with altitude. The route will still be there: if in doubt, postpone it.

Tell a contact where you are going, when you plan to be back and what to do if you do not check in. The checklist for heading out to train alone includes a sample message. More tips in the guide on training alone safely.

• Cold reduces battery life. Head out fully charged.
• Keep your phone in an inside pocket, close to your body.
• Turn on power saving if the outing is long.
• If you can, carry a power bank and a cable.
• If you use SafeTrack, do not close the app from the recent apps list.

• Intense shivering that does not ease when you move.
• Clumsiness, trouble speaking or coordinating your movements.
• Numbness or severe pain in your hands or feet.
• Drowsiness, confusion or dizziness.
• Soaked clothing and no way to warm up.

If any appears, turn back. Find shelter, swap wet clothing for dry clothing and bundle up. If you are conscious, have something warm to drink. Tell someone. If you do not improve, or there is confusion, call your country's official emergency number (112 in the European Union).

Zoku Athletics has SafeTrack: you choose the activity, such as hiking or trail running, and start it. If you stay still, it asks whether you are OK and, if you do not answer, opens your messaging app with your location ready for your emergency contacts.

SafeTrack does not call 112 and does not replace the emergency or rescue services. Vital Flow adjusts the load to how you arrive; it is indicative.

The app is not public on the stores yet. It is in testing and there is no launch date.

The Free plan is free, with no card and no expiry. Pro and Elite are paid; what each includes is shown in the plans section of the home page.

Who is behind the website and the app: About Zoku Athletics.

• Training outdoors in hot weather: How to train outdoors in hot weather: timing, hydration, pace and load, warning signs and when to stop. An indicative guide, with no medical figures.
• Checklist before training alone: A practical list before heading out to train alone: route, emergency contacts, battery, weather, ID and how to start SafeTrack in the app.
• Training alone outdoors: safety checklist: A safety checklist for training or running alone outdoors: what to tell people, how to choose emergency contacts and what alert apps can and cannot do.
• Training outdoors in the Canary Islands: A guide to training outdoors in the Canary Islands: heat, sun, calima, volcanic terrain and how to share your route; what to check before heading out.