This Sunday, March 9, is the start of Daylight Saving, where clocks will “spring ahead” one hour. Take the broad pros and cons of the concept of Daylight Saving in 2025 New Jersey out of the discussion (doesn’t it feel like we put an end to the practice – which has its origins in wartime energy saving – several times in recent years?); we can all agree that the annual March transition comes with its benefits and detriments.
The main negative, of course, is the loss of an hour of precious weekend sleep. Nobody much enjoys this, especially us parents. This is not just about ourselves, though. While we might go through the day a little groggy, adults (even those who are parents of young kids) likely won’t have their sleep habits ruined for an extended period of time. Not so for the children! My kids typically wake my wife and I up around 6 a.m. (I’m not even going to mention how much earlier than that our cat decides it’s time for her to be fed); while that’s significantly earlier than I would like, it’s manageable. When that wakeup starts happening in the 5 a.m. hour, as it likely will throughout March due to the time change, there is not a coffee strong enough to turn our morning moods around.
And yet, despite this, I am eagerly anticipating the time change. That is because the sun will soon return to setting after 7 p.m., which is great for my after-work running.
Prior to the pandemic, I was a hardcore treadmill runner. I ran 50 miles per week at the gym, before injuries forced me to cut that number down to 40 (and more injuries eventually lowered it closer to 30). I liked the treadmill because I could watch movies or TV shows on my phone while I ran to help pass the time.
That abruptly stopped when COVID hit in March of 2020, forcing me to leave the gym and head outside for my jogs. At first, I hated it, but that feeling didn’t last very long at all. I realized that my lower body responded much better to running outdoors than to the hard repetitive motion of the treadmill, helping to limit my injuries. I also had much more time to catch up on my never-ending queue of podcasts. And, crucially, I discovered just how much nicer it was to run outside. I run for three reasons: for the health benefits, to make sure my clothes continue to fit, and for the stress relief. The runner’s high is real, and, for me, it’s better than any anxiety medication I can take.
So, I have run outside nearly every day for the past five years. Only the most absolute punishing heat waves, blizzards, and downpours keep me off the streets. And since my gym abruptly closed a few months ago, I no longer have a backup treadmill to use on those harshest of days. Swelteringly hot and freezing cold, through rain, sleet, and snow, I try to find a way to run in all weather.
I can prepare for most elements: sunscreen, hat, and a water bottle in the summer; layers and layers of clothing in the winter. But there is one beast I have yet to fully tame: darkness.
These last few months I was really missing my gym treadmill when the skies would be pitch black by the time I had left the Tribune office. Those first few weeks after the end of Daylight Saving in November, I tried to continue my post work runs in Livingston. That stopped when I hit a snag… or, more accurately, a tree.
My typical route includes a trip around the Oval and past Livingston High School. One November night, I thought that if I ran fast enough, I could still catch a little bit of daylight before the skies turned pitch black. That proved to be a big mistake when I plowed directly into the tree in front of the high school near the auditorium door. I had a gash on my head and arm for about a week, but seemingly avoided serious injury.
Still, it was enough to realize that running after work was going to be unsustainable for a couple of months. So, I started running around a lake near my home in Rockaway that had paths lit up after dark. I hate running a small loop over and over, so I didn’t find it satisfying or relaxing, but it got the job done on winter workdays.
But now, that is finally coming to an end. With the time change, I can return to running in Livingston after work without danger of running straight into a building or tripping over a rock. I am very excited to return to my Livingston loops (I have four, six, and eight mile routes depending on how much time I have).
I love running in Livingston. My route takes me through some of the most active parts of the community, and it’s a great way to take the pulse of the town. In the spring and fall, I can catch games played on the Oval and tennis courts, and I love the view at sunset above Hillside School. Livingston is also much flatter than where I live, which I greatly appreciate.
So, overall, I am quite happy to lose an hour of sleep this weekend, and even a few weeks of messed up sleep schedules for my boys, because it means I can return to my favorite running route. Soon, better weather will arrive, as well, and I will take full advantage of the precious month before spring allergies arrive to wreck my sinuses.
