4:40 AM...

That's what time my alarm clock went off this morning. Last night, I set my alarm to go off 10 minutes earlier than when I really needed to get up to allow myself one snooze--it usually takes about three to get me up (haha). So why I on earth did I get up this early? To run! I have been so busy lately that I've been having difficulty finding time to run. It had been 3 days since my last run and I was itching for it. There was no way I was going to get these miles in this week if I didn't schedule an early morning run. The thought of running that early...especially on a work day seemed impossible to me...an occurrence I could only dream of. I'm the kind of person that needs at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep and a cup of coffee to start my day right. For the past few nights, I had only been getting 6 hours and it was starting to show...so I wasn't really sure I could or...even should...do it.

The only thing that really got me out of bed was knowing that someone was counting on me to meet them out there. My friend Jessica, who I met through Team In Training (and who conveniently lives near my neighborhood) called me the other day. She gave me a rundown of the many many miles she was planning to run this week and mentioned she was planning on a 5 miler at 5 am for today. The 25 miles she was going to run this week compared to the zero miles I had logged thus far this week motivated me to entertain the thought of joining her. I struggled with the idea of getting up to run before dawn but called her last night and we made plans to meet just outside her neighborhood. So right at 4:50 am--I definitely used that snooze button--I rolled out of my warm cozy bed and put on the running gear I had so neatly laid out the night before. I headed out the door and it seemed weird at first...a little scary to be out there in the dark with just the street lamps on. Not a soul in sight, just dew on the grass and park benches and silence. I even thought to myself--geez, if something happened to me, I would have no help or witnesses! (Note to self--get some damn mace already!) I expected it to be a lot cooler than it was. The weather was pretty comfortable and I ended up taking my gloves off a mile later. It was about a 1.5 miles before I would see Jessica and as I started to approach our meeting spot, I kept looking into the distance for her...and then...just as we had planned, I saw it. I say "it" because I am referring to her stride. It's a funny thing runners can observe and learn to recognize with fellow runners. After all the miles we have run together, I knew Jessica's stride and could spot it a mile away...okay well maybe a quarter mile away. So we continued on together talking and running as if we owned the streets. Seriously, it was that dead. It seemed all of the people on our side of Suisun were still deep into their REM cycle. We separated when I had reached my neighborhood and my trusty Garmin read 5.25 miles when I got to my doorstep. I got ready for work and enjoyed my cup of coffee (first of all, I don't know how I managed a run without even having a cup first!) It was a great run and I felt really good knowing I got it done with and out of the way. Today was the first time I had ever run this early and it definitely won't be my last. A dream come true.