Seven.
It’s the latest I ever get up (unless I forget to set the alarm clock and don’t wake up before then for some strange reason or if I’m really sick). Workdays are two hours before that. Earlier if I want to run before I need to be at my desk.
T Junior and Mr. T like to sleep in. And by sleeping in, I mean 8 and 9, respectively. I can get up and run 3, 4, 5 miles, then shower and sometimes even have a nice cup of coffee before they are up.
I like it this way. I like getting my workout done and out of the way. Not that running is a chore.
I like to run. But I hate to run when I think it’s taking away time from something else I should be doing. Getting up early frees me from this guilt.
Friday morning, though, Mr. T was getting up early. (I also read on the news later that Hell froze over.) He was taking his good friend to the hospital for an appointment. I was tired Thursday night and knew I’d want to sleep in a little (6). I knew I could not do this, run and be back by the time Mr. T was going to need to leave. So I threw out the idea of an outside run and decided I would run on the treadmill after Mr. T left and before T Junior woke.
As luck would have it, I woke up at 5:30. I was so thirsty from dinner out the night before, there was no way I could go back to sleep. But I was also way too parched to run. So I wrote a blog post and read some blogs. At 6:30, I crawled back in bed for a catnap before Mr. T left. I thought, “I’ll run on the treadmill before T Junior gets up.” Except, then I heard T Junior at 7.
Ack! We were all messed up.
I didn’t end up getting on the ‘mill till about 8 and I felt bad letting T Junior watch the Sprout Channel while I ran.
I also felt bad that I had to watch the Sprout Channel while I ran. Not good workout entertainment.
On tap was Thursday’s missed 4-mile progression run…I thought. Turns out, I was only supposed to do 3 miles. My plan, created be Coach Tall Mom, instructs me to begin at a 9:30 pace for the first mile, then increase my speed 10-20 seconds per mile afterward. I wanted to quit about one and a half minutes into the run.
I felt heavy and thirsty and tired. Not Sprout-errific at all, in fact. Chica, the puppet from the Sprout morning show, was annoying the $hit out of me. So that didn’t help.
I willed myself to keep going. It’s only about 30 minutes. You got this. But 30 minutes on the treadmill is like an eternity, especially if you aren’t listening to music or watching something age-appropriate on TV. Every quarter-mile, I told myself: One more quarter-mile, then see if you want to quit. And guess what?
I wanted to quit.
After every quarter-mile.
So I just had to keep saying that and I am not really sure how I finished this run at all. But I did. And I’m glad I did, of course. Afterward, T Junior wanted a turn, so we did a little cool down together before going downstairs for a proper breakfast.
Today, was a great reminder of why I get up early to run. If only I could get myself to get up early to…
-Write things I get paid for.
-Clean the house.
-Catch up on the five TiVo’d episodes of So You Think You Can Dance.
-Ride my bike.
-Read.
Do you like to get up early? Do you get up early just for running or do you get other things accomplished?
Day 12 of Sub-2-Half training:
4 Miles – Progression Run
Avg pace: 9:07
Mile 1: 9:31
Mile 2: 9:13
Mile 3: 8:57
Mile 5: 8:41
12 comments
Good for you for not quitting!yes for me on getting up early.today got up at 5:15went for 9 milesgot back and the boys were still asleepno mommy guilt
I get up around 4am to get my run or gym workout done early. It's such a habit now that I can't even sleep past 5am on the weekends!I had a craptastic 12mi run this morning where I wanted to quit every quarter mile too but feel so good for finishing it all.
Ahh….sigh. I wish I could get up early. It sounds so nice to go for my run, come home, shower, make my coffee and read a few blogs…. I can't even begin to explain all the reasons why it is hard. Just imagine your morning, with your husband leaving early being the every day deal. Jonathan leaves generally anywhere between 5:15 and 7 AM. It is impossible to get into a routine, unless I just get up at 4:30 AM every single day regardless…maybe I can get into that routine but it's not likely. I really do want to…I know you are right. It just makes things simpler when you get up and do it early. Even today I am kicking myself since I haven't run yet and it's now 96 degrees which means no run for me today…I am just so disgusted with my whole situation. I needed to read this for some inspiration and motivation to make the effort.P.S. how did you get that little thing at the bottom of your posts for facebook, gmail, twitter and stuff? I have been trying to figure out how to do it.
My reflective vest and headlamp have become my best friends as I have found that 5:00 am is the perfect time to start the day with a run. It is calm, peaceful, and I don't get that “my family is missing me” feeling. And, I come home happy, feeling accomplished that I got in my miles, and the rest of the family is happy because of it 🙂
I love getting my run done first thing – otherwise it's all I can think about all day and I get frustrated when things get in the way!I TRY to allow one day per week to sleep in, which usually means 7 or 8. I love to sleep too. 🙂
I only started getting up early to run just this week and I LOVE IT! One of the reasons I hadn't done it before is our 13-month-old is still a crappy sleeper. And he hasn't been great this week either, but I really need to get more runs in (I had been only running once or twice a week when hubby was around to watch the boys). But like you, I hated having to go out then when we could have been doing family stuff. Also, it's way too hot to run during the day with them in the stroller. So far it's been great and as long as I don't procrastinate and hit the snooze button I can get up and feel awake within 5 minutes…still hard to get those contacts in though! I have to admit that I don't get anything else accomplished and on my off days I still get up at my old time (7) to get breakfast, make hubby's lunch and get him out the door for work. Maybe eventually!- Carrie @ mainemomontherun.blogspot.com
For years I was an early morning person, but now (and for a few years) I work weird hours, including two nights, and get home abut 1am, so my whole body clock has changed! Now I wake about 7.30am, get the kids off to school and then run about 10am, still works well – doesn't really affect the family at all – but I think if I worked “normal” hours I'd be happier doing the early morning thing 🙂
I wish I could wake up earlier…My husband works nights so I've been hitting the treadmill a lot (even though I swear it feels harder). I also struggle with juggling my running/working out schedule with my families but I just have to remind myself that the last time I gave up my exercise routine I gained 40lbs!! That makes me feel not so guilty when I HAVE to get to the gym!
I have to do my run in the early AM, if not I just don't get them in. I am not disciplined enough.
I wake up early to swim during the week, but on the weekend when I don't have to get up early, I feel guilty. There is something really peaceful about being up before most of the world.
My summer has been so difficult because I have not been keeping to my regular routine of bed at 10:30 and run at 5:30. I wasn't an early riser until this past year, but now I see how much better I am when I force myself to keep a morning-person habit.
My running buddy has to be at work at 6:00 a.m., so we meet at 4:00 a.m. two days per week. Two other days (usually) I go to the gym at 5:00 a.m. Our long runs are on Sunday and we currently go at 5:00 a.m. but may have to bump it up as our first 1/2 gets closer, or move it to Saturday. It's early, but then it's out of the way and there are no excuses!!