Skip to main content

What a Feeling!

There are 'Morning people' and there are the 'Night birds'. The former are the early risers who like a head start and are a 'Go' while others are still in bed or just about beginning to brew their morning cuppa. Their freshness and energy levels are at their peak in the morning and so too their efficiency and productivity. The latter group revs up more slowly and pick up their energy and efficiency as the day ticks along, start hitting their straps towards the evening and get their highs at night. 


Similarly, in running matters there are the 'Dawn runners' and there are the 'Dusk runners'. Very obviously the former find mornings the best time to run and kickstart their day while the latter find in easier to run after the day's work is done. I too am one of those who find early mornings to be the best time to run. How early is early? Very early...if you ask me!! A run starting anytime between 0500 to 0630 hours, depending on the time of the year. Summer months, I would want to start running around 5-5:15 in the morning, while in peak winters it would be around 6:15-6:30 am. The start HAS to be before daybreak🤗 


Start the run under the inky black sky and twinkling stars, as the night threatens to leave for another day. There is a reassuring calm with most of the world asleep.  A nip in the air, inhaling unadulterated oxygen, no vehicles on the road whizzing by and only the occasional plaintive whine of a stray dog serenading the moon. As one runs, gradually the sky lightens and turns shades of grey and you are able to make out a few fluffy clouds above. Soon enough chirping of the birds greets you and there is a rustling in the trees as the monkeys start to awaken. The horizon starts showing streaks of yellow that quickly change to brilliant hues of orange and peach as the sun announces a new day. Warm sunshine caresses and you are thankful for being ALIVE. 


Oh, what a feeling!!😇


Soon enough the run is done, before the sun turns merciless, cars start honking and the smoke and dust start their choke. Best time to run? MY vote goes to pre-dawn👍

Comments

  1. My experience, if you take more than 5 seconds to get out of bed, you fail to get out. your mind convinces you to stay inside.

    ReplyDelete
  2. If I’m really looking forward to an early morning run I’m usually up and raring to go much earlier than the required wake up time!

    ReplyDelete
  3. An early morning run also sets up the day nicely and you start with a calm and clear head!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Enough sleep, anyone?

One common myth, which I have almost convinced myself in my case too, is that you can acclimatize your mind and body to do with less sleep without any negative effects. As a doctor you pride yourself about this. However, as the years roll by and you listen to your body more and analyze yourself with detachment, one reaches the conclusion that you DO need MORE/ ENOUGH sleep. That gets us to the question of how much is enough sleep. The answer is pretty straightforward, no ifs and buts: 7-9 hours a day for ages 18-64 and 7-8 hours for age 65 years and above. And why: Because it is linked to your emotional, mental and physical health, quality of life and safety. Inadequate sleep leads to irritability, poor concentration, anger and depression. Sleep is important to process new information and remember it. Sleep deficiency is linked to higher incidence of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and strokes. Not to forget lower immunity, making you more prone to infections, especially virals. Sleep...

Simple Joys

It's a battle between the Joy of Running and Joy of Achievement    Technology has 2 sides to the coin, doesn't it? No doubt it makes life easy and makes things possible that we could never have even dreamt about. On the flip side, it complicates our lives. We hardly realize, but the present world is a prisoner of technology. Take away all the technology for a couple of hours and we are at a total loss and panicking....the proverbial 'fish out of water', thrashing about and almost asphyxiating.    How does this rant have a connection with running? My humble submission: Recreational running was supposed to be all about unconditional fun, to enjoy; not worry about targets or goals, not be controlled by technology.  Let's face it: The vast majority of us are not even close to the elite level or international competition class. And the fancy shoes, sports watches, running apps and motivational talks are not going to get us there.  If you just want to be better t...

‘Beat the Lockdown’ Run/ Walk

My apologies to the civic minded and upright, law abiding citizens 🙏 This post is neither a call to arms nor an instigation to break government-mandated lockdowns in this COVID19 pandemic. Rather it is kind of a survival guide for the running junkies (and indeed the hardcore morning walkers community too) who can't do without their daily fix  🤗 .  How best to get your fix without upsetting too many people or getting hauled up by the patrolling police. Here goes: 1.            Start real early in the morning 🌃 Preferably around 5 am, before dawn. Not many neighbors are up and about (and neither your family members!), so less people to castigate you 😝 . Running or walking incognito (hopefully!) in the receding darkness of the night lessens your guilt also 😜 . After the night's patrolling, the police waalas also tend to be at the nadir of their alertness and enthusiasm. What to say of the stray canines, they too deign that ti...