Running in the EARLY Morning

Last Saturday Morning, I went on one of the hardest runs that I’ve ever experienced. with my fellow fighters from my gym.  They are all younger and well…..men.  They ran their asses off and I tried to keep up.

My coach has been expecting me to run 5 miles three times a week.  I’ve been making excuses and just trying to fit in a 5K here and 5 miles there.  After I went on the run with the boys, at which I met them at the gym at 5 AM, I realized how much more I could be pushing myself in my running. I’ve been avoiding the dreaded, the thing I always said I would never do, run in the early early morning.

So this morning I did it.  Dan has been getting up to work over time at the same time I should be getting up to run.  So I got up and put on SO MANY clothes and ran 5 miles, and once again, lived to tell about it.  Here’s my thoughts in an ever so convenient list format.

No One Is Up

On a normal run in the evening, my preferred running time, I’ll see between 5 and 30 people depending on the weather.  This morning I saw two.  Two people walking their dogs.  Turns out, everyone hates being up at 5 am. Also, there’s really no traffic, so the traffic lights are less of an annoyance as they usually are and they are easier to see from far away.

 

No Food

I usually run in the late morning when I have eaten breakfast, or in the evening after many more meals and snacks.  I’ve always thought if I didn’t have enough fuel my body wouldn’t go at all.  Lately, I’ve been ill with a touch of stomach flu and knew that an empty stomach was probably the best choice for the first time.  I did it on Saturday and it was fine.  I did it again this morning and again…..it was fine.  I wouldn’t recommend this for new runners but I found that I could just go just like when I had eaten a meal.  I didn’t cramp up or anything which is what I expected.  I do get hungry but not too hungry. I wouldn’t recommend going much farther without eating.

LOTS of Clothes

When I showed up at the gym on Saturday, the boys were all wearing sweatpants but I was not really. I wore double layer, winter style gear.  They were all sweating bullets later but I was sweating normally.  So this morning I wore more clothes than I have ever worn to help me sweat but also because it was 38 degrees.  When I got back, I was very sweaty. I had to lay out my clothes all down the hallway like when you’re a kid and you’ve been playing in the snow all day.  Other people did that too, right? This said sweat and combination of clothing makes it VERY interesting to get to your keys when you get back, which are in your bra. Awesome. (Again, I would not recommend this for new runners.  Boxers only. Oh, the lots of clothes part, not the sweaty keys part)

Mario in Real Life

I made sure to choose a path that I knew and one that was lit this morning.  My clothes aren’t too bright and I didn’t know how many cars would be out.  BUT even when you run where there are street lights, there are still shadows. In those shadows lie mysteries.  At one point, I was playing a game with myself like I was a Mario character and I would avoid the shadows.  Sometimes though, the shadows were so wide that I had to step in them and it was always a mystery what would happen.  I don’t really want to wear a head light.  Maybe I could carry a really small LED flashlight? I’m not really sure yet but I think I should bring something? Also, the time is going to change soon so I really don’t know what that is going to effect either.

It Didn’t Kill Me

Once again, completing this goal did not kill me.  It’s surprising how often this is true 😉 Anyway, I thought running in the morning would be the worst thing ever.  I thought I would hate every single moment of it.  The truth is, I felt more ready for the day than I have in a really long time!  I had thought through my entire day before I had even started it.  I felt ready to take on the world.  Bring it.