Reasons Not to Hit The Snooze

A few times a week I get out of bed while it is still dark, strap on my running shoes, and hit the road. The temperature and upheaval of this summer have done a number on my pace and training and I am basically back to square one, but I am celebrating where I am.

If you can fog a mirror, it's not too late to start over. So I start over. This week I ran further than last (without walking -- the end number is the same) and next week I plan to run farther still. God has blessed me with healthy legs. We got this.

When the alarm goes off and all is quiet in the house, of course I want to stay in bed. Especially Saturday mornings. But eventually I crawl out and go. And I have found that the rewards are great. Below I wanted to document some of the reasons I am glad that I get out of bed:

1) Avoiding heat stroke:This one is a little too obvious. Forget those crazy highs (though I have seen some whack-a-doos out running in it) even the lows are too hot for me. It doesn't matter if I set my alarm for 4:30 a.m. (I don't) -- it's not getting any cooler out there, and the longer I lay in bed, chances are it's getting MUCH hotter. Let's ROLL!


2) Sun coming up (Part 1)
I go down to the middle school track on occasion to run. This picture doesn't do justice the HUGE orange orb that rose -- yet I was VERY thankful for that stand of trees that blocked the light and heat for a few more minutes. Every last minute without the extra heat is a blessing.

3) Every once in a while --
Random hot air balloon. Dunno why, but I loved it. Hot air balloon on a Monday morning. Why not?

4) Sunrise (Part 2)
After the sun rose a little higher in the sky, some clouds blew in. Not the rain variety, of course. We don't get those in this part of Texas. Rumors are that they get them on the coast, but not us. Anyway, it made for an amazing few moments of sunrise. Definitely worth being out of bed for (this is the same spot I took the first sunrise pic from -- weird, huh?)

5) You might find a friend:
Elsie and I have a deal: she doesn't mention my pace, I don't point out that her udders are in woeful need of support. It's a friendly arrangement. I'm pretty sure she thinks I'm crazy for the whole running deal anyway. You can kind of see it in her eyes.

Running doesn't have to be your deal. Walking, biking, swimming, yoga... whatever gets you moving. But I love what I see when I head out on the road. Now I talked to someone recently who lives close to some Buddhist monks. SHE got to see a monk sitting at the bottom of a spiral slide in her park having his morning meditation while she was on HER walk. I may ask for directions to where she walks just so I can get a picture. What do you see around you?