Day 4,167—7 Miles on a Tuesday!—

 

        I set my alarm for 3:45 a.m. last night. I went to bed at 9:30 p.m., which means I got six hours of sleep. I don’t know how healthy 6 hours of sleep is a night, but if it is restful sleep and I am dozing the entire time, I felt refreshed when I got up.

I woke up right before my alarm went off. I had enough time to look at my phone, turn to 3:45 a.m., and when the alarm didn’t sound immediately, I waited with expectation, and then it started to sound 20 seconds later, but I had turned it off before it was at full volume. I was determined to start my run by 4:15 so I could run for a full hour. I did everything strategically: made coffee, took my pills, and got food out to make for breakfast. My mind was clearer than it had been yesterday, and I could start seeing the time I was waiting, which made it easier to identify what I needed to do to save time. 

        I was running exactly at 4:15 a.m., and it seemed so easy compared to starting at 4:30. I don’t know if I was just awake or if something changes when you get up early enough; instead of the time slipping away like sand in your fingers, time lingers like the effects of a sunburn that you notice long after your skin heals.

I wasn’t convinced I would be able to run a full 7 miles in an hour. After all, I tend to be sluggish first thing in the morning and can sometimes struggle to move faster than a 9-minute pace depending on the terrain. Today, I started out that way and had to stop and wait for cars almost immediately. I yelled at them in my mind, wondering where they were going so early and how it was possible I had to wait on this day when I had gotten up earlier. I couldn’t decide exactly the path I wanted to take at first and began to start changing my mind, but I did a variation of my five-mile route from last week, focusing on doing some in Blackburn Park, wondering if I would see anyone else there.

        By the time I got there, it was empty, as were most streets and parking lots. I only saw a handful of police cars, except when I was on a major street. I didn’t think I would get to seven, but I was so close at the end of the run that I went the long way to my house and added a little. Now, I feel refreshed and good that I did it! I ran 7 miles on a Tuesday morning! I cannot remember the last time I did this much before having to go to work during the school year.

And finally, enough time to write! I usually have only 15-20 minutes!