So I squeezed in a 10km run this morning and timed it so I would be somewhere on the trail when the dawn broke and realized that I have four great reasons to return to the morning running schedule.
1) Morning energy, mine anyway, seems to be longer lasting and easier to "activate".
Evening running puts me a bit behind in energy levels as I have had to deal with the daily load. By the time it comes around to running I often can be mostly tapped out. Running late in the evening I need to bring a flashlight with me, just in case, and that looming darkness gives a shot of energy that does tend to overcome the late day doldrums.
2) Nature sounds are at their peak with animals stirring for the day.
Although I like sunset sounds as well, the morning seems to be livelier. It is much more entertaining to hear all the birds chattering away.
3) The day is coolest at this point, of course in the winter that is not necessarily a plus when evening runs are a better bet.
The only downside is some days the temperature rises very quickly and this tends to leave me overdressed later in the run so thinner shed-able and carry-able layers are important... either that or just start out colder knowing what is coming.
4) The shift from pre-dawn dark into full sun morning breaks the monotony of a longer run.
With the changing light levels the run seems to be a little different every few minutes. Just one more aspect that makes the longer runs that much more interesting... or less monotonous.
I could put in a fifth reason here, one that I found while getting into cycling and going for sunrise rides. This time is my own as nobody else is stirring in the house. There are no expectations of my time and I am not missed. That alone is a great reason to run as early as I prefer.
I stopped as the sun was breaking through the trees for a few quick shots. I always like the darker foreground shots as it brings out the colours in the sky and shifts the sun to a warmer shade.
Taking the second shot with the foreground more the focus reveals the low fog across the swamp but is less than impressive in this small format here, although it is full of detail when in full screen size
Today was a slow run day as I am working on my stride, less heel. It is taking longer than I thought it would to ingrain the stride that I want as it is too easy to fall into old habits. Last year I was icing my knees regularly as I adjusted and refined my stride but this year I have not used it except once and my per run mileage is going up. Today I would say was the easiest on my knees and, perhaps due to the slower speed, I barely felt like I ran at all.
Jeff.
