In the summer I had the pleasure of mostly running early in the morning. Even as I wrote that sentence, it sounds weird. The words ‘pleasure’ and ‘early morning’ have never lived cohesively in my vocabulary. But something changed last season.
Two things happened:
1) I reclaimed running as a fun hobby that I wanted to indulge myself in
2) I had a friend that is an early riser.
My friend, Fran and I have been trying to coordinate running schedules for the past 3 years. We often would see each other in town, out on a run and concluded that we should just run together. Seems simple enough, but add in two kids each, husbands (just one each) and full time careers…I’m sure you can guess how that ends.
When the time changed I realized that the early morning runs were the best solution to my hectic life. The only ‘me-time’ I would get was at the crack of dawn. The only problem was actually getting out of bed.
Enter Fran.
If you have someone waiting for you on the corner at 5:50am you.will. get. up!
And I was so grateful for it. If it wasn’t for her I would have missed some of the most spectacular sunrises. I wouldn’t have discovered a groomed trail right behind my house. I wouldn’t have the full appreciation for living in a small town with very friendly pre-dawn walkers. I would’ve missed the heavenly smells from the local bakery as they bake their morning inventory. I also would have missed her company.
We had some really great runs and great talks all summer long. Now that the weather has changed and our schedules have shifted again, we’re having a hard time getting back to it. It’s even harder now that it’s so dark in the morning. I won’t run at that time by myself. Mostly for safety, but also for the fact that I just can’t. get. out. of. bed. unless someone is waiting for me.
Are you an early riser? What gets you out of bed at the crack of dawn? I would love to hear from you! Follow me on Twitter @chasingks or leave a comment below!
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I totally agree! Nothing was more breathtaking than the golden sunrise; and there was no better feeling than finishing your workout before most people even consider emerging from their duvet cocoons. Looking forward to reclaiming the escarpment with you! Watch out for my headlights heading up your driveway…
Yes! But now it will be even more difficult as it’s very cold and very dark at 5:30am!
I’m an early runner too. Being a new dad, it’s my way to run before my son wake. I have to wake up at 5h30, and now I’m addicted, I really like to run in the morning, listening to the news on my iPod.