Monday, June 29, 2020

To Catch a Sunrise...


I've had a thing for sunrises lately.

I guess it's a byproduct of my being an avid #artgeek and an early-riser.

Honestly, the summer season is so short (at least in Iowa), I refuse to let all these sunrises go to waste. I'm not only willing (and able) to sacrifice a little bit of sleep, but that's what my body seems to prefer. Heck, most mornings I'm awake before any alarms go off. 

There are many benefits to getting outside early on a summer morning, though. Catching a beautiful sunrise is just a bonus.

Avoiding the heat
When it comes to summer running, we all know it's best to get outside early in the day, especially if you're trying to avoid the heat (or at least have less of it to deal with). Granted, the heat may still be a factor, and the humidity still heavy, even at that early hour. If the sun is low in the sky, though, you won't have it beating down on your face or body. Thus, you most likely won't feel as warm as you would an hour (or more) later.  

Safety due to less traffic
A perk of early morning moving and grooving is less traffic. Often times, I have the entire road to myself (for running, walking or biking). You know what that means, right? Freedom to take sunrise selfies almost anywhere.  
Just the road, grass, cornstalks and me
The tranquility of the morning
With less traffic to deal with, it's also pretty quiet. Of course, there's an occasional chorus of birds and frogs, but it's a nice change from the hustle and bustle of daytime chaos.

A jump start to your mental alertness
I often say that my early-morning workouts are my "coffee." That's because, for me, it's true. I've never been a coffee drinker. I drank plenty of Diet Coke in college (and want to gag at the thought of that now), but never acquired a taste (or a need) for coffee.  Even now, I seldom have any caffeine before heading out for a run, a walk, or a bike ride (but I do enjoy a hot chai latte' upon my return). By the time I get to work (usually around 8:00), most mornings I've been up for close to three hours and my mind and body are in full-functioning mode, so I don't need any extra time to organize my thoughts or objectives for the work day. I can just get right to work as soon as I arrive at my desk. 

I'm alive, I'm alert, I feel great
Fasted-cardio benefits
Not everyone is a fan of fasted-cardio workouts, and that's alright (I'm not here to brainwash you). For those who subscribe to it, though, the early mornings are a no-brainer. Your body will naturally burn stored fat (for fuel) if there's no "new" fuel to access. These workouts shouldn't be longer than an hour or extremely intense. You probably will not notice immediate results, but over the course of time may notice a gradual reduction in your body's overall fat composition. And, if you get to witness some beautiful sunrises, that's a win-win.


Possible ease falling asleep in the evening
Sleep, like fitness, is a very personal thing. Some people simply need more slumber than others. Myself, I'm both an early bird and a night owl...so getting to bed at a decent time is a struggle I face almost daily. While I can get up early without much issue, it's really difficult to turn my brain off and drift into dreamland. The really early wake-ups, though, help with my nighttime routine (I'm looking at you, #5at5 mornings).

Lastly, the sunrise isn't just for runners. 
I do not run every day (except for the occasional run streak), but I do usually do some form of fitness every morning. If I'm not running, I'll be walking or biking...and during the summer, you can bet I'll be doing these activities outside.

Gustavas, my trusty bike, loves the sunrises as much as I do

So, yeah, I've been enjoying some pretty incredible sunrises lately. And, I look forward to experiencing many more in the next few months.

Your turn...are you an early-riser? If so, by habit or by necessity? Have you ever been guilty of obsessing over sunrise selfies?

I'm linking this with Kim and Zenaida for the Tuesday Topics Link-Up


I'm also linking with Debbie,  RachelDeborahLisaSandra and Jenn for the Runners' Roundup
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19 comments:

  1. I agree with you on everything, Kim! Even the fasted cardio workouts!

    Although I get up fairly early, my husband Kai is a night owl and sleeps longer. We have agreed on doing our workouts over lunch time. Fortunately, our summer so far has been very moderate, so we haven't had to deal with heat yet.

    One of these days you should put together a sunrise collage for us!

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    1. I actually have a draft-in-process featuring some of my sunrise pics ;-) It seems like you and I have a lot in common. My hubby prefers to sleep at least until 6 or 6:30, but is (usually) willing to rise and shine earlier now and then. He's not a night owl, though LOL

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  2. I am an early riser and best in the early morning. You have to be out at 5 to get a sunrise at the minute, which is a bit early for me as I naturally wake at about 5.30. You're right about the fasted cardio, definitely: in lockdown I've been running before breakfast 3-5 times a week (for up to an hour at a time) and I have stayed the same weight and fat composition while hitting the comfort food quite a lot! That will do for me!

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    1. Our sunrise is happening around 5:45, but there are numerous colorful hints of it happening at least 30 minutes before/after. I'm glad I'm an early-riser...I would be bummed to not be witnessing all that beauty.

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  3. I am an early riser but I linger over FB and coffee. I do walk. And when I do run, I feel better for the rest of the day. Of course selfies. Always.

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    1. I have to just get dressed and out the door, or else I'd linger too long also. I save my lingering time for after I return home...then have to hustle like crazy to get to work LOL

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  4. I used to think "oh I could never" workout in the morning until it was forced on me when I went to grad school and my options were to work out in the morning or not at all. Apart from being necessity, there's no way to put price on how great I feel afterwards. I did 6 miles this morning and I'm ready for anything and everything that the day could possibly find to throw at me.

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    1. You said it...I feel so great afterwards, and I ride that adrenaline rush all morning (and most of the day). Kind of a secret poison, wouldn't you say? ;-)

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  5. I'm an early riser, but I'm not early enough to catch the sunrise unfortunately. Maybe I'll wake up early enough for this one day!

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    1. I used to sleep a little later. Once I got in the routine of getting up around 5/5:30 most days, though, it stuck and just feels "right" for me.

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  6. Well, not so much into selfies, obviously. I am an early riser, but by the time I run (right now) it's way past the sunrise (6:30 or a bit later). I'm usually up by 5 or thereabouts, but I like to read, I like to meditate, maybe some Yoga, and yes, if I'm running I want to eat something beforehand.

    I probably see the sunrise better from my bay window anyway. :)

    I do love your sunrise photos, though, Kim!

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    1. Hey, we all gotta do what works for us, individually. My work schedule kind of dictates a lot of my early-morning routine, especially since I also want to scroll through social media to stay caught-up.

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  7. Every time I see your gorgeous sunrise photos, I do think about it. I am just so not a before sunrise person. I have gotten out a lot earlier though lately. Progress!

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    1. You have been doing a lot of early workouts and runs, so that's great! Like I told Judy, we all gotta do what works best for us...trying to mimic someone else's routine usually isn't a great fit for our routine.

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  8. Yep, I am an early riser too! These days I am up a little earlier than I would prefer, but I am the most productive in the morning. These days I'm up between 3:30 and 4:30 and by the time my workday starts I feel like I've already done a full days worth of activities!

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  9. I enjoy sunrise runs too--I catch them more often in the winter, tho because the sun comes up later! LOL

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  10. I love early morning and pre-dawn exercise. Unfortunately, Im a little nervous of tripping and rolling my ankle in the dark, so I had to push my morning workouts back. And now we have Luna so that's a whole different ballpark in the mornings.

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  11. I'm definitely a sunrise fan. Even if I don't always get out to run in time because we walk our dogs first, I'm all about early morning.

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  12. You mention some great points here. I may see one or two people while out running since it is early when I am out there. In order to survive summer running, one must get out early. I am loving all of your sunrise pictures. I have yet to get up THAT early. :-)

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