My alarm blares loudly. It’s 5 am. I am in Cala Millor, a small tourist town in eastern Mallorca. I am on holiday. Outside is still dark with only a hint of dawn. It’s already 22°C and the sun isn’t even up yet – it will be 30°C by midday. Today I have to run 14.5 K to hit my training schedule for the Lisbon Marathon.

By all accounts, I am not a morning person. I don’t get the concept of a ‘morning run’. I am not against mornings in general I would just rather they take place whilst I am asleep. But, it will be too hot to run later so I eat a banana for fuel, dress and slap sunscreen on my face.  All these things I do on autopilot and before long I am outside doing my warm up exercises. My friend Anna is with me, aiming for 6 K, it will be her longest run ever. I set my GPS watch to run mode and we’re off.

Almost immediately the early start reaps its rewards. The ocean air and dreamlike beauty of this island invigorates us both. We run at a leisurely pace, slower than I would normally run but I don’t mind. It’s nice to have company and frankly delightful not being completely out of breath.

The path is flat and wide, following the coastline.  At night you would struggle to run for the sheer volume of people bustling along but now in the pre-dawn light the place is much less populous. We pass the occasional runner with a conspiratorial smile. Nationality doesn’t matter, if you are a runner, you are automatically accepted into the scenery.

As the sun hits the horizon the sea is transformed into a glittering assortment of diamonds, sapphires and turquoise. In the distance, you can make out the outline of surprisingly green hills through the morning mist.

6 K comes and goes and Anna, on the longest run of her life is still going strong. The sun has steadily risen and with it the last of the morning dew is burnt off. The temperature rapidly rises too but it’s okay, at this relaxed pace I feel I can run forever.

Anna retires upon completing her first 10 K! I congratulate her and move on. With only 4.5 K left to run I pick up the pace and glide to the finish. I am left with the feeling of wanting to run more. Looking out across the beautiful ocean, with unspent energy in my legs and feeling revitalised and awake – I wonder if there maybe something in these morning runs after all!

Week 2: Total mileage for the week was 29.5 K (18.5 miles), total running time was 3:28.