Good Morning Sweet Sunshine!

This morning the alarm clock went off and I was thoroughly convinced that something was wrong. In my mind, it just couldn't have been any later than 3 or 4am. It was dark and way too quiet outside for it to be my normal wake up time. Also, I have this strange internal clock thing which (most days) wakes me right before my alarm clock actually goes off, but that didn't even happen this morning. What the heck is going on? Oh right! Daylight flippin' savings! But even in my foggy state, I still managed to get myself out of bed, strap on my Nikes and head out the door.

On a positive note, even though it's dark at 6:30am, it does mean that we're one step closer to spring and that I also get to enjoy beautiful sunrises while out on my morning runs!

The topic of morning runs has been recently (and so endearingly, I must add) touched upon by my friend PLe1der, as he refers to the AM run as being "on the same level as taking a big swig of milk and halfway through the swallowing process realizing it expired eight days ago, or the movie Baby Geniuses." If anything, I have to say it's an "interesting" analogy. I also found this blog, Half Fast, which has a pretty good list going of "I'd rather be's" instead of morning running.

Well, I don't drink milk, I've never seen Baby Geniuses, I'd rather not "eat yellow snow"and I definitely wouldn't rather "round up stray dogs wearing only Milk-Bone underwear" (funny, but wtf!?!) And I also happen to think that running in the morning is AMAZING. It doesn't always start out that way, but after the morning run is under your belt, you're unstoppable for the rest of the morning and afternoon.

Actually, I've never really been a morning person and as my brother's will attest (and would most likely reenact if asked) my AM rants about either the cereal box being empty or me not being able to find my school shoes or my hair not turning out right, were a memorable part of our childhood. I was also usually the one running late to the school bus with all the riders of bus #4165 glaring out the window at me as if they'd rather see the bus take off right before I actually reached it. So, how did this slow moving, disorganized, miserable morning monster of a person come to love AM runs? It's easy. I usually go alone and I always ease into it. And if no one talks to me until I'm at least two miles into it, no one gets hurt! :)

Morning running is this amazingly meditative and awakening experience that just fuels me for the rest of the day. To me, there's nothing like getting in a solid run in the morning and welcoming in a new day. To watch the sunrise over Manhattan from the Brooklyn heights promenade or the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge, to see parents walking their kids to school, shop owners opening up, and to smell the coffee brewing from the coffee carts or to smell the bread baking from the neighborhood bagel shop ...to feel alive and anxious to take on a new day. It's just magnificent!


So, forget all you haters! You can keep your runs in the evenings... which will help keep my mornings peaceful, which is just how I like it.

Week#4 Training Schedule -(March 10 - March 16):

Monday: AM: 4miles, core strengthening routine, PM: 60min YOGA
Tuesday: AM: 6miles (w/intervals), 4 X 20 sec striders
Wednesday: AM: 5miles, core strengthening routine
Thursday: AM: 7miles, 4 X 20 sec striders
Friday: Traveling... hmm? off?
Saturday: Away... 5 miles, 4 X 20 sec striders
Sunday: Far far away... 8miles
Goal Totals: 35 miles + 60min YOGA