There is something strangely energizing about getting up at 2:30 in the morning to go run. The first few seconds, your mind screams at you: Roll back over into bed!!! Forget about working out today!!! You can make it up with a bigger work out tomorrow!!! Your wife and dogs are keeping the bed warm, why mess up a good thing? What kind of idiot are you? Do you see anyone else doing this?
Then it will throw in the last gasp, appealing to my sensibilities....Your (insert body part name) hurts! You are sore! You worked out hard enough yesterday!!! Give your body a rest!
99 times out of 100, I can win the mind battle and argue myself into rolling out, getting ready and heading out the door. Today was no exception. 2:35 a.m. hit, I threw on some coffee, read the WSJ and was out the door by 3:15.
Running in downtown San Francisco at 3:15 in the morning is believe it or not...serene. Sure, you get the occasional drunk guy group yelling at each other or the infrequent sketchy looking character giving you the stink eye. However, most times it is empty sidewalks, street lights, fresh air and peace. The only real thing you have to worry about is paying attention to the street lights so as not to get hit by cabs or other vehicles that pay less attention to the traffic signals at that hour.
One of my favorite 3:15 in the morning experiences is running by the Safeway Grocery near the Aquatic Park on the Bay. At this time of the day, they are baking cinnamon bread or muffins or pastries of some sort and the smell never fails to make me ravenously hungry! I imagine running in there during my morning trot and grabbing whatever they are baking while it is still warm out of the oven and running out....dripping icing as I escape into the night.
I did 8 miles this morning…and feel ready to take on the day.
E
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