The BEST things about outdoor early morning cardio

[SteelWeaver]

1) You can tip your head back, open your mouth and SQUEEZE that water bottle, letting water splash down into your mouth, over your chin, and down your front, where the breeze will cool your neck.
2) There aren't so many people up, so for a few precious moments, you have the city to yourself (and that's saying something, with a pop. of 30 mil. in greater Tokyo).
3) It's still relatively cool, and quiet.
4) Few truck fumes.
5) Sunrise!
6) Free suntan.

 

[tripleV]

u make it sound so pleasant...did u forget u were running? lol

 

[SteelWeaver]

lol. The funny this is ... it actually IS pleasant - I enjoy this time to myself in the morning, when the world is still sort of quiet, and I can get my thoughts in order for the day. I found a long tree-lined access road that doesn't have too much traffic to do my cardio on. It's so GREEN now in the summer.

The VERY best part about my cardio, though, is ... it's NOT running, lol! I hate running, so I ride my steel steed, which I keep very well groomed, for smooth, slick riding.

 

[SteelWeaver]

It's so SENSUAL! Ever just feel ... SO alive!

And you don't have to worry about spilling water all over the gym floor or anything. It just soaks back into the earth.

Our Mother Earth.

 

[SteelWeaver]

I forgot:

7) You can wear ALMOST nothing, since it's so warm and sunny out.



I will never, ever forget my very first cardio session this year - sprints in the park. Jogged outside, swaddled in woolies, breathed in icicles, practically threw up. Didn't take long to switch to mod-cardio by bike

 

[vixenbabe]

8) The way the dew sparkles on the grass blades....
9) The mist burning off when the sun comes up......

Ahhhhhh....Beautiful!

I run the stairs at a local college here in town once in awhile for a change in routine . Very little activity there until the track team or football team starts practice.

LOVE MORNINGS! My favorite time of day......

 

[BrickGirl]

okay, who handed out the ecstacy?

 

[Ceebs]

I always dreaded doing cardio at the gym, until I realized that was the very reason I dreaded doing it - something about the metaphor of running in place on a treadmill and never getting anywhere.

There's a gorgeous tree-lined jogging path near my house, which also happens to be near a very scenic canyon, and I actually look forward to running it, especially early in the morning. It feels like I'm the only person in this fresh, dewy, quiet, pre-sunrise world, and sometimes I see rabbits and coyotes lurking around the canyon areas. Almost brings a tear to my eye (although that could be the residual EC buzz talking). Man, I'm going to miss doing it every morning when I'm not cutting anymore...

 

[Gladiola]

Few years ago when I was in college, the athletic fields & stadium were up, literally, on the other side of the mountain from the main campus. Gorgeous area. I used to love to run up there. One time I was running around dusk & saw something about 75 yards on the path in front of me - took a second to make out that it was several deer crossing the path in front of me.

Saw deer less than 10 yards in front of us in the middle of the day while rollerblading the Western Maryland Rail Trail. Cool place.

I haven't enjoyed running in a few years. After my knees used to ache, I'd just get paranoid - so any even minor discomfort in the knee totally KILLS my runners high & I don't enjoy myself at all. Yet another thing I miss....

 

[MS]

Ahhhhh pre dawn cardio is my favorite. NO ONE else on the roads except for the occasional taxi, police or bakery truck. Lots of cats out on the streets. Lightning storms over the snow capped mountains. Never over heat. Don't have to worry about how you look. Stars and the moon setting huge on the horizon. Lots of energy. Eye witness burglaries. Aurora Australis. No sunglasses. The whole day ahead. Perfect. I cannot and will not do cardio in a gym. It is soooo miserable that I would rather be fat and unfit than put myself through that. I have been out in torrential downpours, icy streets, snow, gale force winds.....you name it. Anything to avoid the gym scene (besides the gym doesn't even open until 6am).