irunoffroad

Towards the end of 2020 and into 2021 I’ve been choosing to run or walk at sunset because it really inspires me. Winter is upon us but equally we’ve passed the shortest day of the year so each sunset will appear slightly later and the daylight will gradually increase. The phrase red sky at night shepherds delight has meant the promise of a better tomorrow for centuries, this has taken on a new dimension recently for me.

Exercise has always played a large part in my life but even more so in this pandemic. I haven’t blogged specifically about keeping running during the last nine months but I feel like it’s the right time to put down some words. Clearly we have a long way to go but at last there appears to be hope on the horizon.

I’m very lucky to live fifteen minutes away from both the coast and the countryside, this fact on its own has meant my exercise has remained achievable through these recent dark times. The main factor that has prompted me to write this blog has been the winter sunsets we’ve been experiencing recently. We had pretty good weather through Spring and Summer and the Autumnal colour’s were as inspirational as ever but there simply wasn’t a sense of the pandemic ending.

In photography the term “Golden Hour” describes the period shortly after sunset. Due to a few circumstances I’ve been out running later in the day and it’s these thoughts and photos that I’d like to share. While the golden, orange and red colours are best displayed at the coast, due to them reflecting off the sea, my first connection of hope and the passing of one day to the next was out in the countryside.

While out running I try to clear my head of all day to day events and simply soak up my surroundings but that hasn’t been as easy to do in these worrying times. However, I really have noticed that over the last few weeks I’ve been drawn to feeding off the energy that the golden hour gives us. I’ve reflected that my exercise is combining its health benefits along with the positive aspect of one day coming to an end and the next starting afresh.

Running alone through the fields in late November I have to say my outlook may have been glorious in terms of the countryside but what lay ahead in 2021 wasn’t looking very favorable and as it turned out it December got a whole lot worse. Generally running keeps me positive, it feeds my endorphins, it puts a smile on my face and to be honest it’s an escape from day to day pressures. However, the thought of a brighter tomorrow wasn’t at the forefront of my mind.

Running is a challenge, life is a challenge but your running is dictated by your own expectations and is largely shaped by what you’d like to achieve. The current pandemic is out of our regularly washed hands, that was until vaccines became available.

Our sunsets have been disappearing below the horizon, turning to twilight, moving on to dusk and then making way for the dark evenings ahead. Now, there’s the possibility of new beginnings and these thoughts really have developed with me since I’ve included more coastal exercise.

Running by the sea has always given me a sense of calm, the endless lapping of the waves and the timeless predictability of the rising and falling tide. The reflections of the golden hour sunset on what’s often been a glass like calm sea, of late, really adds to the experience that we are all going through. The sun disappears and reappears, it resets, it renews. The Summer sun makes us smile with it’s warmth, the Winter sun makes us smile with a warmth inside and helps us reflect that the cold days will once again become warmer.

Running has always given me satisfaction, achievements and personal worth, this recent sunset exercise has added an extra emotional layer to a pastime that has always been my passion. I’d say that if I hadn’t of laced up my trainers and got out for a run then I would have missed the beauty of nature and the self help that having time without distractions brings while you are simply putting one foot in front of the other.

Running is for today and tomorrow. Stay safe and hopefully 2021 will be the dawn of brighter days ahead.

Thanks for reading

Roger