Five Best Reasons for Nordic Walking at 5:30am

5    I get to check “daily fitness” off the list before I have coffee
4    Jumpstart my metabolism so I have a chance to win the war against extra pounds
3    The rhythm of the poles sets my rhythm for the day
2    Time with my best friend to share our daily joys, sorrows and challenges
1    Unexpected wonders presented each morning by mother nature

Gail and I have walked together at 5:30am for 28 years. Itʼs not always easy but itʼs the perfect time of day for us. We learned long ago that itʼs a time of day that is free of scheduling conflicts, no one wants a meeting that early!

We love our early morning walks. Mornings that we donʼt walk are tougher to get going and require more coffee. Thereʼs just something special about heading off in the direction of the sunrise, sharing the beginning of the day surrounded by nature.

It’s been raining here in Minnesota.  Yesterday morning there was a stream of storm water running across the trail next to the lake.  There were at least 30 tiny bright baby blue gill fish flipping and stuck in the flow of the water.  We used our poles to move them along the way towards deeper water.  Not a dramatic save but so very special.

Other mornings it’s great blue herons, a newly dug turtle nest, gardens bursting into bloom or just the many many colors of green surrounding us.

Unexpected wonders await us every morning. Itʼs free, waiting just outside your door. Itʼs not always anything extraordinary, find delight in simple wonders around you.