Sleeping Through the Extra Hour

I’m tired. It’s simple as that.

It’s that time of year again when darkness seems to creep up on us. We go to work and return in the dark, barely seeing a spot of sun for months. It’s tiring! Everyone seems that little bit grumpier on the morning commute, I help myself to more office biscuits just to fill my mouth and cover the fact I’m constantly yawning.

If it wasn’t for Mr ***Eddison, I’m almost certain humans would hibernate. Dark = Bedtime. The sun-less months should mean we take more time to rest. After all, we’ve been working our bodies hard, they need time to recover, strengthen and repair. We shouldn’t be trying to carry on as if the sun’s still blazing, this is the time we should rest.

That’s not to say I won’t still be running. Hell, I have a December marathon to train for! I feel tired when it’s so dark and that’s before I even glance at my training plan, so I’m building in extra rest and plenty of sleep.

There’s no point in forcing yourself out when your eyes are trying to nap and your jaw aches from giant yawns. So when it comes to this extra hour business – the idea that we should seize the opportunity to live out a 25 hour day, to fill the gifted daylight-saving, Fall back 60 minutes with activity – I’m out.

I’ve spent my Summer months waking up with the sun, silly early to get to races, squeezing in training miles late after work whilst there was still a hint of orange in the sky and generally avoiding bed. This is my opportunity to have one extra guilt-free hour in bed to attempt to soften the aches and eye bags, ready to take on whatever challenges are lined up next.