I love my sleep. Some people can get by on 5-6 hours of sleep at night, but not me. I need 8-9 to feel fully functional. Sure, I can go 7 hours for a few nights, but eventually, I am so tired from sleep deficiency, I end up falling asleep before dinner. It's even worse during the winter. Having to wake up before the sun rises is not a pretty picture. But working full-time and being the parent who picks up my daughter at the end of the day only really leaves the morning as an option. If I could run at 9/9:30, I'd be out the door in a flash, but since that's about the time my work day kicks into high gear, I have to run before work. And that means I have to wake up earlier in the morning.
Running at 7 am on weekends is rarely an issue with me. I practically bound out of bed, but that's because I'm typically running with the group on weekends. But during the week, unless it's a pub run, I generally go solo. Not having to meet someone for an early-morning run makes it far too easy for me to make excuses not to get out of my warm, cozy bed before the sun gets out of his own bed.
Last night, I was determined that I would go for a run this morning, but having tried and failed for weeks on end, I started brainstorming ways to make it a more likely possibility. I ended up going to bed with my running clothes on. This way, all I had to do was get up, put on my shoes, and head out the door. Easy peasy.
Not quite. I still hemmed and hawed and was out the door 20 minutes later than I wanted. But I did it. It was a very short run (thanks to my 20-min self-induced delay), and it took a bit longer than usual to warm up. But by the end, I was thinking Man, I could do this everyday! Yeah, tell that to my sleepy half.
As for sleeping in my running clothes, it wasn't quite as uncomfortable as it might sound. Of course I'd rather wear my pajamas, but if then again, I'd rather not have to wake up early in the first place.
Miles: 2
Time: 18:30 (yeah, I actually timed it)
A thirty-something running mama in Portland, OR, who finds sanity in lacing up her Nikes, enjoys the challenge that running and racing brings, but doesn't run very fast. I try to improve my speed with each race, and I share my efforts here.