Early Morning Running

Yesterday was mother's day and my plan had been to go for a run. Of course I slept in instead and enjoyed a pancake breakfast in bed, prepared by Wes, and a homemade card made by Noah. I justified it by telling myself that I would go that afternoon. Well, around five o'clock when it was still pouring down rain I was thinking, Oops.

So my mileage for last week totaled...drum roll please...8 miles.

When I realized this, oh my word was I in a funk! After several hours of self loathing and deciding that I had most decidedly lost all fitness because of my crummy 8 miles I decided that I needed a plan. I started thinking about how Wes had been in a bit of a running funk, but for the past month or so had managed to hit around 20ish miles a week. He did this of course, by waking up early and running before the worries of the day got in the way. And better yet before the temperatures hit 85 degrees. With a sigh I realized that it was time. Time to become (gulp) a morning runner. Morning running has never been my thing and up until now I have avoided it like the plague. But with my three year old and the ever increasing summer temperatures there is just no getting around having to embrace it.

So this morning my alarm went off at 6:00 and I made myself get out of the bed. I didn't really have to be out the door until 6:30 but I had taken a gamble and allowed enough time for a bowl of cereal, cup of coffee, and some quiet time with a book. If I was going to drag myself out of the bed I needed some sort of buffer between the comfort of my pillow and the pounding of the asphalt.

Long story short, it worked. I enjoyed my thirty minutes of "waking up" time, made it out the door at 6:30 and got in 5 miles with enough time to visit with Wes before he left for work. And I felt good. Energized and ready to start my day. I am very reluctant to admit it, but I am thinking that all those morning runners may have been on to something. Waking up early should definitely help me break double digits this week!