In my life, I never thought I’d eagerly anticipate Daylight Savings. Now, as someone who prefers early mornings and early bedtimes, the extra morning sunlight is quite a joy. Last week, while we gained an extra hour of sleep, I welcomed the additional daylight in the mornings. Rising early to run becomes easier once you’re accustomed to the routine. The only downside is when the whole run remains in the dark.
During our weekday trail runs, our group sets off between 4:45-5:15 am. Lately, even on longer runs, darkness has enveloped the entire route. Running for two hours without catching a glimpse of the sunrise can be a bit disheartening. Yet, there’s a spot on our usual loop where we emerge from a steep climb into a vast open field offering a breathtaking view of Westminster. With the earlier sunrise, those scenic views are back, making the early alarm totally worthwhile.
This week’s runs were quite diverse, including trails, track, and roads. Remarkably, I ran in five different pairs of shoes. The sunrise on Tuesday during our trail run, clad in my Hoka Mafate Speed 4’s, was spectacular. These shoes complemented the quicker pace on our usual 10-mile loop.
Wednesday morning brought a relaxed and soft session on the track with friends. I opted for my AltraFWD Experience, a perfect ‘true’ trainer. It doesn’t boast an explosive midsole or a overly aggressive rocker feel, but it’s ideal for straightforward runs like these. A simple shoe for a simple man on a simple run.
Two of my runs were little 10k’s around my neighborhood. For these, I alternated between the New Balance SuperComp Trainer V2’s and Hoka Mach X. Both fall into the ‘performance trainer’ category, featuring a plate (carbon for NB and PeBax for Hoka). However, each shoe serves a distinct purpose; the NB feels more like a recovery shoe while the Hoka leans towards speed.
The week’s highlight was a track workout on Friday preparing for an upcoming 5k. The session involved 10×400 at 5k pace to fine-tune my pace awareness and turnover. I employed the Brooks Hyperion Max, a speedy shoe perfect for such workouts. I prefer training in a shoe slightly heavier than my racing shoe to enhance the thrill on race day.
In my upcoming post, I’ll share updates about my sister’s remarkable performance at the Richmond Marathon this past weekend. Thank you for reading!
