Marathon Training: Week 2, Day 2.

Early last week I cancelled my gym membership. I'm paid through the day Aoife and I head off to Oregon for the holidays, but I'm kind of in a bind. You see, I sell myself short on a treadmill. I either run much much slower than I am capable, or I figure the last 5 minutes I'm supposed to run can be seen as a cool down and are optional, usually opting to not run those last 5 minutes. So I wanted to run outside. It was my stupid idea to train in the winter, so I had better learn to love tolerate being cold. I went out and bought myself a ridiculously warm neon running shirt which I absolutely adore, and some smashing long spandex, equally warm. I equipped myself with a running belt to carry snacks and a water bottle. There's just one problem. Daylight savings is a stupid idea, and I'm a woman. 

I would love to get my run done and out of the way in the mornings before Ross goes off to school or work. I had great ideas about waking up early and taking control of my day, using my runs to energize me and help me plan the rest of my day, and otherwise turn into Woman. Hear me roar. 

When I wake up at 5:30 or 6, it's DARK. and it doesn't get even remotely light until 7 or so. By then, the girls are awake and terrorizing the house and needing sustenance for their bodies, which have been starved through the night. When these two sweet girls wake up, the house is crazy and I'm not really able to ditch Ross to have my energizing, peaceful alone time. Running in the dark is an absolutely no, even with my trusty pink mace. To sum it up- Dark in the morning = No run. Let's talk about when Ross gets home.

Ross has a few late classes. Sometimes he isn't done till 7 or 8, but usually it's around 6:45. From 8 till 6:45, I am alone with my busy 2 year old, and exploring, scooting, equally busy almost 9 month old. I crave bedtime. I praise bedtime. I am so excited for bedtime, it's like Christmas morning EVERY NIGHT!!! Once Ross gets home to save the day, not to mention my sanity, I am exhausted. The very last thing I want to do is run. Unless of course, Claire was especially frustrating and I have a bit of steam to let off. And it's dark. It's dark at like 4:30! So- Dark when Ross gets home = No run.

I have loved my gym membership. The only problem is the cost is so cheap because they don't provide childcare. And I sell myself short on a treadmill.

So here's where my head is at for this week. Day 1 I missed due to cleaning and moving prep, but that's alright since I'm doing a longer run on Thursday before I get my turkey on. Day 2, Today: I set my alarm for 6:00. I've been waking up A LOT through the night because of pain, so I took the full dose of my prescribed sleep aid. (I always only do half.) I still woke up some, but come time for my alarm to go off, I didn't want to open my eyes. I didn't even want to get up to shut off the blaring thing. But I did. I silenced the stupid machine and... got back in bed. It seems my best and deepest sleep always comes an hour or so before I need to get up.

This morning when I was awake and conscious, I was really disappointed in myself for not having the discipline to go running. It was only supposed to be 40 minutes, and I had it timed so I'd be back in time to get Ross off to work and the girls ready to go shopping for our Thanksgiving goodies. Being tired hurts, but not nearly bad as being disappointed with yourself. No one is really impressed when you sleep in. Having the discipline to get your butt out of bed and put on your running shoes early in the morning is impressive. There are all kinds of motivational images floating around the web that say something like, "The hardest step for a runner is the one out the door.", but for me, the hardest step is the one out of bed. 

Ross and I talked about that this morning on the drive to campus. Working out in the early hours is challenging for him, too. For a week or so, we used to get up early together. He'd work on things and read while I exercised. I didn't last long. He lasted longer, though doing it alone was hard. Then he started exercising in the evenings instead. We are a very fortunate couple and get to spend a lot of time together. Tonight though, after the girls go to bed, we will both be going our separate ways. I will be running, and he will either be exercising or taking some much needed quiet alone time.

Week 2 starts today and I am determined to get my run in today and the rest of my runs this week, especially on Thanksgiving. Week 1 was fun and all, but I didn't do my best. Week 2 starts today.