Running in the Morning

I ran in the early morning here and it was a good enough experience to share with all who read this.

I woke at 6:45 AM this morning to get a run in. I had been running in the afternoons off and on here but days are getting short (remember winter is almost here) and getting done in the morning is the best way. 6 minutes after rolling out of bed I was off. I was surprised at how loose my legs felt, usually running right after waking up, they feel tight and tired.

It was a bit chilly but the sun had risen and was quite brillant in the east. It was quiet and I like quiet. Being a runner I generally like to be alone in my thoughts when I run. Even the simple distraction of a car going by can be annoying. Being on a game reserve in the early morning hours is probably one of the most serene places I have ever run. I have had similiarly peaceful runs in a few other places but here you have a view for miles and miles. If you have the means, I highly reccomend coming here to visit. It is stunningly beautiful.

The only thing out to bug me were animals and they were hardly a nuisance. There were tons by the main road into the reserve and I caused a few small stampedes as the herds of Blesbok and Lechwe sought to keep their distance from me. It's always cool to see the animals. Its a good reminder I am not in America but Africa.

I hope to do early morning runs twice a week. I love the feeling of being in shape and running here is quite nice. I am considering running a marathon in January 2009 in order to qualify for Boston in April 2009. I have plenty of time to get in shape here so we'll see what happens.