Thursday, December 07, 2006

Morning Runs are the Only Runs for Me

This is exactly why I run in the morning. I should be out running right now, but instead I'm reading emails and blogging. I've puttered around the house and now it's dark. All week long, my plan was to go to the workshop today, come home and go for a run. I knew I couldn't get the run in this morning, because we had to leave the house too early to run first. And yet...here I am. It's just after 5:00, I could still go do it but I don't want to. It's dark, it's cold, there's traffic. I'm too full and too tired. I don't want to take another shower. None of this makes sense because I run in the dark and the cold every morning. Okay, there might be more traffic, but so what? I've run on three hours of sleep, so being too tired shouldn't matter. I just don't like running late in the day. I do it when the group meets for track work, but that's fun because the others are there and it's a regular thing. I just plain don't want to.

That's all fine and good, except I know myself well enough to know I'm going to stress about this all night. Probably right now, you should all say together "Poor Eric". Because, lucky guy that he is, he gets to hear me worry it to pieces for the rest of the night.

Okay, on to yesterday's run. I did run yesterday morning. I was on my own, and went off to do the regular hill run - and it was really, really foggy and dark. I wore my headlamp, but the cone of light with fog wisping through it really bugged me. So halfway through the run I turned it off. I turned it back on when I saw Eric running toward me - he did the loop backwards so he'd run into me. We both had on hats, yellow vests, dark shorts and headlamps. Right after I finished talking to Eric I ran around a corner and there was this older gentleman and his dog standing there. He looked at me and said "Didn't you just run past me?" I laughed and told him that was my husband. He just shook his head and said "Huh." I think he thought we were nuts. My headlamp has a center light with two smaller lights on each side of it. On the last mile, I discovered that if I just used the two smaller lights I could actually see much better. Good info for next time.

Check out the current decor, courtesy of Eric, in our master bath:

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

His and Hers MM shirts?

All these choices we runners have. Don't run & stress. Run & be cold and in the dark. Oh here's one ... Don't run & don't stress (that is an option). Plan your Friday run and don't worry about it. *tc

Unknown said...

What pretty yellow shirts. I am still trying to find more time in the morning for running. I am almost done with classes and will be able to increase the miles over the next couple of weeks. I hope to get out in the morning.

Anonymous said...

I use to run after I put the kids to bed. Now if I don't run first thing in the morning, chances are high I won't run that day!

Anonymous said...

No stress, no stress. You have just completed several marathons and are looking at several marathons in the upcoming months. I know that it is important to you to run, but I know that you are going to make up for it, soon!

Sarah said...

I can really relate to your post. I don't do evening runs either for exactly the same reasons! But don't stress it. One missed run won't matter in the long run... : )

Olga said...

I don't like night runs either, but with Stephen's new classes with boxing team (2 hr) I have a reason to dodge the cars. Once I am in for 10 min - I am glad I went. That's on top of moring runs and twice weekly afternoon trail outings. As long as it's running and I have i-Pod on...I am good.

Anonymous said...

LOL that's a GREAT Picture!!...

Ya Well I work from HOME for 8 years now... So my runs are in the DAYTIME... but morning is sooo out for me... I am a night owl, if I miss the afternoon for some crazy reason like I get busy with that work thing :-) well then I do nights...

Stop By and POST what U want for X-Mas, Santa is stopping by SOOON...

HO HO HO

Anonymous said...

I find that running in the eveing is one way to be sure that the day ends well. And if nothing else good happened during the day I can change that by heading out into the dark. I come home and am completely at peace.

Anonymous said...

I can relate to the morning runs - I think I ran about twice in the evening this year.

Jack said...

I do best running right after work, unfortunately it usually dark now. I'm getting used to running with a headlamp though, good training for my 50 next summer.

Joe said...

I'm soooooo with you on the morning runs, Michelle. Good post. But, please, don't stress about missing a run. It might actually do you good!

Way cool shirts!!! There can't be too many Mr and Mrs Maniacs in the group are there????

Anne said...

Yes, I'm a morning runner too. Always have been. I love running under the moonlight or through a thick fog or just as the sun's coming up. When left for the evening, it rarely gets done. Love the shirts!

Wes said...

Very nice shirts, crazy woman! LOL. It's funny how 5:30 is ONLY thirty minutes earlier than what I normally get up at, but I just can't get motivated to run in the morning. Give me 8:30, 9 PM, for now, I guess ;-)

tryathlete said...

Stop stealing my excuses for not running. I should have patented those catch phrases.

How sweet of Eric to do the loop backwards! Next time if you see that guy on the corner again maybe you should run backwards as you approach him.

Anonymous said...

Are you becomming to serious now as a Maniac. It won't hurt you to skip a run once in a while. There are options to the dark and traffic; run at the Y (track or treadmill) or even run in place in your home for 30 minutes watching TV. This just means you will be rested for your Saturday morning run.

Anonymous said...

so Sweet of him to redecorate for you! I wanted towear mine to school, but thought that they already think I'm crazy after the news story!
#1

Darrell said...

I like the way those look. I just may have to get myself one. I wonder if my wife would allow me to hang it in bathroom. She may actually prefer that to the dining room chairs I currently use now to dry my running stuff.

Sarah Elaine said...

His and hers matching running outfits! Too cute!

My evening workouts are never as good or enjoyable as the ones in the morning. I have a feeling that I won't be a night runner either...

Sarah Elaine said...

His and hers matching running outfits! Too cute!

My evening workouts are never as good or enjoyable as the ones in the morning. I have a feeling that I won't be a night runner either...

Legs and Wings said...

Do you have matching slippers too? That is pretty funny.

I'm all for early morning runs and running in the dark. I remember freaking out about running a 5 K race once because the start time was 9:30 am. I had never run in the daylight and it was really freaky. How foolish is that by'e? (Note the 'accent' in that last line?)

Anonymous said...

You two running maniacs...nice shirts! When I get myself out the door in the AM it's simply wonderful..then you have the whole day to relax and spend with friends and family.

Rose said...

Love those h&h shirts!

I'm with you on the morning runs. I have to really psyche myself up for the evening runs, because the excuses cup just runneth over!

Anonymous said...

Love the shirts.

runliarun said...

So incredibly cute, this maniac business..