Day 4,132—I did it!—

 

Up at 4 this morning! It wasn’t easy, but it is a step in the right direction, and it makes me feel better about the school year. Next week at this time, I will only have 20 minutes to spare before I need to leave for work, so I am still not at the pace I would prefer, but significantly better than I have been in recent memory.

         I liked how quiet it was when I started my run. Only a few cars on the road, and the distant sound of a train, or maybe that was just trucks on the highway. I was surprised to see so many other people outside. There were two other runners and three people I saw walking. An older couple and a person whom I saw walking from Blackburn Park. The first person I said hi to while the other people didn’t have any lights on, so I didn’t want to disturb the silence or the way the dark hid them.

         I ran more than I meant to. I meant to do 5, so I overshot this run a little, but today it didn’t matter. This is my second day when I have gone without listening to anything, and it has been a positive change. It is easier to pay attention to my pace and go faster. It is easier to find scenes I want to take a picture of, and the time goes by slower. All positives.

         Over the summer, it can feel like I just want to get through my run because there are so many other things that I would rather be doing, but I don’t feel like that during the school year. Most days, that time in the morning is my happy place, and I go to sleep looking forward to my morning run.