The height of inspiration for me
on any morning is seeing the neighbourhood morning Joggers doing their daily
runs. For me it’s inspirational because it takes a great deal of strength and
courage to leave your bed and get up and start moving, particularly in winter.
For me, the decision to go on a run starts the previous night when I decide it
needs to be done and I take out all the gear.
Waking up the next morning usually proves challenging but where there is
a will there is a way. It’s normally easier getting up in summer vs. winter as it’s
usually lighter than the dark winter mornings.
Once you get over the mental
block and you hit the road, you get one of the most liberating feelings; it’s
almost like a controlled free fall from the sky that gives you an adrenaline
rush. It happens to me all the time and I wonder why I don’t do it on a regular
basis.
The best part of each run is
coming across other runners. They come in all shapes and sizes and are each
going through their motions of finishing what they started. There’s the dedicated
team that you will almost always see at a specific time, I’m certain those guys
train for the professional races and are always ‘running on the clock’ with
never a minute to waste and no time for chit-chat on the streets, they always
have their serious faces on. Then there’s the regular Joe’s and Jane’s that are
just trying to get fit, now these guys do make the effort and run and stop and
walk as and when they deem fit but still all the same always finish their run.
I probably fit in this group. We usually give each other a quick nod and smile
as we cross paths along the road; this is usually a form of encouragement and
gives one the strength to continue soldiering on with your run as you know you
are not alone.
Then there’s that almost kind of
creepy runner who just creeps up on you silently, always in a hoodie(male and
female), they run past silently as fast as they came and do not utter a word or
any gesture to acknowledge that they have seen you, they are like ghosts
(*insert scary sound here*). While maybe their intention is not to creep up on
anyone it always seems like that’s what they are up to. I have experienced it a
couple of times and it spooks me out totally. I always try to alert other unsuspecting
runners that I’m passing by so that they are aware someone is in the road and that
I’m not trying to be mugging anyone. Such is the level of paranoia in a country
where muggings are rife so one always has to stay safe even if you live in
decent and safe neighbourhood like ours.
While it is fun to go out on
runs, one always has to take safety precautions particularly when you run solo
in the early hours of the morning;
1. It’s important that you run
with a reflector jacket so that you are visible to on coming runners and cars particularly
in winter where it’s always dark in the morning.
2. Always let someone know where
you are or let them know the route that you are taking and tell them how long
you’re most likely to take so that they can always ring the alarm if you are
not back in a certain time.
3. Always select a well-lit route
which is visible and is not covered in trees and thick bushes, running in such
areas may make the runner vulnerable to attacks.
4. Never take any valuables that
make you easy prey to robbers
5. If you become a regular solo runner,
change your route on a daily basis so that it is not predictable and you avoid
being the target of any muggers or robbers.
7. Most importantly, always be
alert and aware of your surroundings, you can never be too safe.
Running is a great way to lose
weight and it is a lifestyle change that is enjoyable and can be maintained and
doesn’t require too much hectic input other than physical exertion of oneself
to keep moving. Running works for me so I’d definitely encourage other people
to try it outJ ….that
and a good playlist on your mp3 player or ipod will always keep you movingJ
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