This week, and especially this weekend, I've had some learnings.
Saturday mornings I usually go to yoga but with a jam-packed day, I decided to skip yoga to make space for my run. I'd decided to head out doing odds and ends and to get back home by 11am (or earlier) to run. I'm not big on running in the morning - the later the better. I needed to be back by 11h30 to shower and get somewhere for 12. I had to be at my next thing by 13h30, to leave by 14h30 to get to my mom's work to assist with the big Africa Day concert in Newtown (live broadcast in SA, throughout Africa and goodness knows where else). I knew it would be a late night (ended up as a 2am late night!).
So, I get up in the morning and get dressed to go out. I'm about to head out of the door when I change my mind... I pull on my running gear and do my errands (only a few) on the run, so to speak. I took a creative route to my stops to log about 5.5km. Nice quick run and it was a good time-saving option. My day then continued.
Today, Sunday, I spent the morning on the couch, wrapped up in a blankie, crocheting more square motifs for my scarf-to-be, while watching Comrades Marathon. I remembered why I didn't watch the run last year - I was racing in one of the Kinetic Adventure events. Last year I did get to see the winner coming in (I think) on a tv at the event venue - but it really is not as much fun as watching the action unfold from at least halfway. I thoroughly enjoyed my morning watching the race on telly.
Then I shot off for lunch at my cousins; only left there just before five and made a stop at my uncle's place on the way home. It's his birthday today so it was just a quick hi and happy birthday. On getting home I was out of the door by 6pm. It's now dark by six so it was a run in the dark on roads that were pretty quiet - few pedestrians and few cars. I love running at night but I rarely go out running after sunset on my own, preferring to get home by dark - except for my monthly Full Moon runs, which only start at 19h00 and are run with at least one other person.
I guess this avoidance of solo night running has become habit - a safety conscious thing. Sure, on foot I'm less likely to get attacked / hijacked than if I was on a bike... but still. I think I'm going to do more after-sunset running, especially in winter as the short day really impacts time available for running. Ordinarily I would have been disappointed to miss a run but with this '35 days of running' I had to complete my run today - so I went out and did it, regardless of the daylight (or lack of it) and conditions.
Ja, I can hear family members sucking in their breath when they read about me running on my own after dark... No worry - I pick good routes that are well lit (most of the way) and do not extend too far from home. All within reason, family.
As for my routes... this week all my runs have been from home - my Google Earth image of my tracks is looking really colourful ;) The fun thing is that everyday I try to include one new road so that a new, coloured line appears on the image when I display them all (new tracks overlay older ones). Silly, but fun.
What I'm really appreciating from this '35 days of running' exercise is that I'm prioritising me and my running - two elements that often get shifted for other people, things or activities. Sure, to make way for the daily runs, something has to give when time is tight - like yoga yesterday - but also that habits can be altered to make way - like running solo at night.
1 June is two days away. Remember to consider doing a 'One week of running/walking' from 1 June. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I'm enjoying this.
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