The holy month of Ramadan gives Muslims a chance to rid their body of all impurities accumulated throughout the year. Apart from the abstinence from food and liquids, the month of Ramadan makes it difficult to have a normal sleep cycle. A typical day starts as early as 3.30 in the morning in India with a short meal called sahari , which is all the nutrients we receive till we break our fast at 6.30 or 7 in the evening. Between the start and finish of the fast, there are regular prayers, with the first one at 5 a.m. Hence, it is convenient to stay awake after sahar before taking a nap. The day concludes with a longer-than-normal final prayer ending at 10.30 p.m. The schedule of early to bed and early to rise makes it nearly impossible to find a perfect time to run. That is why most runners, who observe the holy month, abstain from running and go on a sabbatical during this time. But, there are some who refuse to give it up, and want to persevere running even when fasting. Is it possible without overexerting oneself? Well, that is the purpose of this article.
There are two windows within which a person can pull off a run without putting too much of a strain on the body. These windows lie before the sahar , i.e. just before starting the fast, and right before ending it. The past couple of years I have tested both these windows, preferably in a quiet neighbourhood, and for the purpose of running in the night, well-lit. I have found that my body prefers the evening run, because after almost 13 hours of going without food and water, my body is lighter, and at the same time it still has a lot of energy to pull off a run, normally between three to five miles. It takes a while for the body to adjust to the run within the fasting routine, and so it is a bit rough. But, as always, it becomes easier. Also, make sure to supplement your daily run with a dose of strength training every other day.
Even though a little over 13 hours would have passed since your previous meal, it is important not to go overboard while breaking the fast, as you have just burned more than 300 calories. You might also have planned a full or half marathon in the immediate aftermath of Ramadan, and so may be thinking of accommodating longer runs. But, I do not recommend long runs. I have run a full marathon a week after Ramadan, and have had surprisingly good results, just by following the above routine. However, if you are insistent on running a longer distance, then do so after the night prayer, that is after 10.30 p.m. There is also another strategy of starting the run half an hour before the end of the fast, and then stopping for a short while to break the fast, and then continue running. This could be extreme, because you are not able to properly regroup yourself after the fast, if you run immediately after breaking the fast. Furthermore, it is against the entire principal of the holy month. Ramadan is the month of forgiveness, and do not let running interfere with the observance of the month. Make time for the run, but don’t give up on the entire principal of the month.
