I have been hearing the accolades of morning running for a while: doing it in the morning gets it done, you feel more awake, you make better food choices during the day, etc. Frankly, I think the first reason is the one that gets my attention the most.
The idea of doing the run I want to and having it done and out of the way by the time I get home from work is incredibly enticing. I've tried doing it after work, and even before my bus ride became a one-hour exercise in frustration, I was too lethargic to get off the couch (go ahead, call me lazy; you're not wrong).
I tried the morning run today, which I have tried before. However, in contrast to the above post, today the weather was -13C and it was still dark out. I only did 20 minutes of running, as I had gotten up a bit late and was slightly under-dressed.
The real prize, though, was coming in from the cold and having the coffee ready, a hot shower waiting, and breakfast tasting the best it had in a while. Even if it was only Cheerios.
That may just be the best reward for the morning run.
In other news, I want to talk about exit strategies, or as more people call it, maintenance plans.
These are my downfall. I perform best when I have a goal to go for - 10k, a half-marathon, the next half-marathon, etc. But when that race is finished, I give myself a week of rest, which becomes two weeks of rest, which turns into eye surgery, which becomes it's too hot out here...
But I never gave a lot of thought to the 'after-race'. I always thought, yeah, I'd maintain, I'd go do some running. This, to date, has not worked, despite the last three races.
So what's a runner-wannabe to do?
I could keep signing up for Running Room courses. Or I could move in with my running boyfriend, wherever he goes. I'll put more thought into this.
