The First Step

I officially started my training program last Monday. On the schedule for that day: stretch and strengthen. No problem, I thought. Tuesday was a bit of a wakeup call when I actually had to run for the first time in almost a week. I felt stiff and tired and out of whack. My Wednesday cross training (which I did on the elliptical machine at the gym) was much easier. Thursday I headed out to the trail in the morning, which was simultaneously better and worse. Better because it was cooler, much cooler, and because I was completely done with my workout by 8am. Worse because I had to run 3 miles before 8am. That said, I think I'm becoming a morning runner. It's so hot and sunny by 6pm that I have a hard time getting out on the road and convincing myself that running is fun. In the morning I roll out of bed, take a couple big swigs of water, and head to the lakefront path before I'm even fully awake. It's much, much cooler, and kind of a nice way to start the day, watching the morning sunshine bounce off the lake. As I said, I'm done by 8am and then I don't have to spend the rest of the day alternating between dreading my evening run and trying to talk myself out of it. I go home, shower, and eat breakfast at work. My evenings are open to do whatever I want. That said, this zeal for morning runs will probably wane as the summer progresses, especially when they double in length and I have to get up even earlier to fit in 6 miles before going to work all day. This is going to be a long road. Literally.