Good Morning

Yesterday when I got in the car after work, the temperature registered at 34° C. By the time I drove home it had only dropped to 28°C. It was pretty easy to come to the conclusion that I was not going to be running last night. I don’t do well in the heat, and after a full day’s work and my on-going sleeping issues, it was not a good idea to lace up and head out.

And yet, I can’t just stop running because it’s too hot. I already did that this past winter because it was too cold. Okay, it wasn’t actually the cold, but the ice and the snow being 10 feet deep ... But still.

So today I became a morning runner.

In the 3 years that I’ve been running, I’ve only ever gone out once in the early hours of the day. That was in November of 2013 and all I remember is that it was still dark out. Running in the morning in July is so much better! The sun was coming up, but it was still cool – an acceptable 16° C. I set my alarm 20 minutes earlier than normal and I was out the door by 6:20. I ran a short run of 3k. I need to ease into getting up even earlier so that I can run longer distances. I still had time to sit with a cup of coffee before my shower and I was only 5 minutes later getting to work then when I normally arrive.

I do need to work out what I should eat before running first thing after waking up – this morning I had a small glass of orange juice and a banana. For a 3K run, this was perfect, but I am going to need something more substantial, but easily digestible, if I’m running longer.

I already go to bed ridiculously early, so I don’t think that will change. Getting up earlier will certainly be a challenge at first, but I think I will quickly settle into a new routine

Overall, I’m just seeing the upsides to running in the morning – cooler weather, more time in the evening with family, energized to start the day. I’m looking forward to doing the rest of my training this summer in the early hours of the day.