My rationale for running at the crack of dawn whilst overseas is quite simple. First, I avoid the worst of the sun whilst still benefiting from first light.
The second reason is slightly more complex. In many developing countries, the sight of a white woman running half naked through the streets is often a serious source of amusement for man, woman, child, dog and goat alike. Being the butt of such curiosity for such a shy one like me can be a tad too much to take. However, after extensive trials I now know that, at that time of day, though most are actually up, they are still not awake to their surroundings. They are too busy fetching water, lighting fires, shaking children, scratching armpits. Such a sleepy stupor, combined with these several distractions, allows me to silently slip by. Only a few double-takes from the locals here and there check out if I’m real or just a mere passing dream.