Musings on the Morning Running Story

The Story

Before dawn breaks, my heavy footsteps thud against the ground.

Hanoi is in the peak of a heat wave, so the weather after 8 AM is no different from a furnace being stoked from the ashes of the previous night. This is also the reason why evening runs after 6 PM have become increasingly sparse, as I have tried to experience the feeling of running like a cow on the "modern desert" of humanity. The heat rising from the asphalt makes sweat pour down, soaking my shirt after just a few steps. My breathing is erratic, like a heart accidentally touching the face of a crush.

[Suddenly…]

Two weeks ago, the CEO at the company started a running movement. I’m not sure why, but the goal was to run a total of 24km by the end of the month. When I first heard about it, I thought to myself how could anyone run in such weather, yet before I knew it, I stood up and enthusiastically welcomed this idea. Wow, it seems my mouth got a bit ahead of itself. The room buzzed with excitement in support. Everyone chimed in: Deal!

A few days later, before I even remembered the running challenge, the "boss" had already fired the starting gun with a record of 4km. Wow, it seems like the race is heating up. After all, he is a busy person yet still manages to find time to run. After some investigation, it turns out he wakes up early to run.

Waking up early? That concept is quite vague for someone who sleeps late due to having many things to do. During my time developing a note-taking app, midnight to 1 AM was usually when the computer lights would finally turn off, and after an additional 30 minutes reflecting on the “silly mistakes” of the previous day, my brain would finally shut down and drift into sleep. I always tried to go to bed before midnight to achieve alertness for the next day, which is why many times when I was diligently typing away, I would glance at the clock, and once it hit 11:30 PM, I had to fold the laptop. But on some enthusiastic days, the clock ceased to exist in my view. The next morning, right at 6:30 AM, the alarm rang again, and I wished I had gone to bed earlier the night before - I regretted it in disappointment!

But once I joined the challenge, I had to complete it. It looks like the only way is to wake up early to run!

I started organizing everything to sleep earlier. 11 PM might just be enough to wake up at 5:30 AM the next morning. This sudden change seemed to move the heavens, as that morning was truly cool, and there were even tiny raindrops to end a long string of scorching sunny days. Before dawn breaks, my heavy footsteps thud against the ground. It had been a while since I ran, so the first session was just a gentle warm-up. The scenery of that early morning was so different from anything I had ever seen before—no noise, no vehicles, very few people, and spacious.

Usually, I wouldn’t run immediately after touching the ground; walking about 500m helps my legs adapt better to the running path and avoids unnecessary injury. The walking path runs parallel to the main running path, separated by a railway track in the middle, with solid walls on both sides to prevent anyone from entering for safety. Therefore, to cross over, one must go over a bridge. The bright red bridge is sturdy and has about 50 steps. Believe me, sometimes you don't need to climb a mountain; just running on this bridge is enough to feel invigorated. It's called the main running path because it is longer and has fewer obstacles compared to the walking path. It has two well-paved sidewalks, but one side belongs to a residential area, so it isn't very continuous; sometimes the entrances and exits to tunnels or gates take up part of the ribbon.

The first 5 minutes after I take my strides are always the hardest. The drowsiness hasn’t yet worn off, and all my limbs haven’t yet adjusted to the tasks of the new day. I breathe steadily following a 3/1 rhythm that I recently discovered. Inhale for 3 steps and exhale long for about 3 more steps. This breathing rhythm helps me feel more comfortable and relaxed compared to the previous 3/3 rhythm.

The goal for each day is 4-5km, which isn't too difficult when I get used to the rhythm, and the feeling of lethargy gradually fades away. I try running on a new route that I had never taken before to embrace new air. The straight path heads towards the rising sun, as if I am running towards the glow. The scenery that morning was truly magnificent.

After running for another 30 minutes, the sun had cast clear shadows on the pavement, signaling it was time to head back and prepare for a new day. But before finishing the journey, I walk a few more hundred meters to let my muscles stretch. I do a few twists, stretch my legs, wipe off the sweat, and flap my wet shirt to dry before heading straight home.

Since then, every 2-3 days, I would run again, and the drowsy feeling of waking up at 5 AM gradually became familiar. I realized I had changed a lot during this time. A more agile body, a mind unified with the physical self, overflowing with energy. If before, I needed to take a nap for ten or fifteen minutes every noon, now I might not need to rest at all and still have enough energy for the entire afternoon.

24km has been surpassed, the challenge has been completed. What remains within me is a body better than yesterday. And surely, the picturesque scenery of those early mornings will be recounted many times in the future…