This morning, when the alarm rang at 5:55 I admit I snuggled down under the duvet and pretended it wasn't time to get up for my first weekday training run. 10 minutes later I admitted defeat and crawled out of bed to start my day.
This week I'm increasing both the total mileage (to seven miles) and number of runs (to three in a week) and so this morning's run was only two miles. Consequently I thought I could get away with running on the pavements, as opposed to driving to the park and running on softer trails. So, at 6:45 I was out in the street, ready for my run.
It was dark - it would be another hour before the sun rose. It was quiet - no people or cars in the street at that time of the morning. There was one bird singing. I set off on my run - and it was wonderful! I've always enjoyed being out in the early morning, literally seeing the world in a different light, slowly coming alive. And so it was this morning. After a short warm up walk, jog & stretch I set off with surprising enthusiasm and verve. It was great to be out - I found it really invigorating.
So tomorrow morning, whilst you're getting ready for your day and it's still dark outside, peek between the curtains and take a look at the world out there. Really it's not dark and horrible. It's the dawn of a new day - and that can be exciting.
Yesterday I had a routine contact lens check-up. The optician asked what time I'd put my contacts in that morning (6:15) and was surprised it was so early, so I explained I'd been out for a run as part of my training. It turns out that she too used to be a runner, meeting up with friends at 5:30 in the morning (5:30 - eek!!). Her face lit up as she told me about the delights of early morning runs. See! I'm not the only person out there who thinks such runs are great!
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