Running in the morning

In case you missed it (because maybe you don't live in the United States), it's been freaking hot this summer!  And no rain, to boot.  I hate running in the summer as a general rule, because, well, it's sunny and hot.  But in summers past, I've sucked it up and done a run/walk combo at lunch.  But it's just been obscenely hot this month and so I've started running in the morning.  I also do not enjoy morning runs, but this year, they are the lesser of two evils.

Two mornings a week (that's usually all I can muster - but I'm working up to more), I set my alarm for 5:15am so that I can get out by 5:30 and get in a half hour run.  Its funny because I usually bitch and moan about waking up at 5:15 when it's not my choice, and yet somehow I'm doing it to go run.  The runs are crazy slow.  I'm tired, hungry, THIRSTY, and stiff, so it's definitely not an ideal time for me.  But it's quiet and cool(er), and then I'm done exercising for the day.  And remarkably, I'm not having intestinal distress, so that's another check in the morning run "pro" column.

I miss my running buddy, though.  While at times I'm faster running solo (because I'm not chit chatting), there's just something about the company of a good friend to get you motivated.  At this point, I kind of just want company in general, but I'm afraid that's not something I'm going to get without making the commitment to a running group (which I'm afraid of given my running related health issues).

I'm discovering that this is my new normal - cramming in stuff around Graham's sleep schedule, but that's what it means to be a working mom, I suppose.  By exercising in the morning, it means my evenings are "free" to blog, pay bills, watch TV(which actually happened last week), and attempt to help my dad in a new business venture (more on that in another post).