Friday, February 12, 2010

Early Mornings

This past week I began a new job, working Tuesday and Thursday evenings. This new job necessitated that I begin running before work, early in the morning.

In theory, I enjoy early morning running. It's quiet, there's not as many cars, and I can go on with the rest of my day without thinking about getting a workout in.

In practice, however, there are several things about early morning runs that suck. My wife will be the first to tell you that I am not a morning person. Once I actually drag myself out of bed and get on with the day things aren't so bad. After a mile or so of cursing and getting the sleep out of my legs, the morning run is fine. Before I've finished that first mile though--that is a different story. Woe to the person who attempts to engage in civil conversation with me before I've eaten something, opened my eyes all the way, and begun behaving like a human being.

Besides getting up early, there's the my ridiculous running getup. It consists of my regular winter running clothes, which are already ridiculous, plus a headlamp and a reflective running vest. My wife took one look at me and told me I looked like a Power Ranger. Great, so now I'm tired and cranky and I look like a second-rate children's TV show character. Not only can I run, but I can also do birthday parties!

Then there's the cold. On Tuesday it was cold and windy plus an inch of fresh snow on the ground. On Thursday it was 1 degree. Cold. Frozen beard, frozen snot, sweat frozen on my hat. I don't mind running in the cold, but when I'm already cranky it doesn't exactly lift my spirits to walk out the door and into an Arctic blast of air.

It's been one week of running at a time of day when no human should be awake. More whining to come.

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