The best time for running during the workweek for me is early in the morning before I head to the office because I'm at work 10 hours a day at least and there is a low probability that I will have the energy to run at 7 PM on a Tuesday after working 10 hours and walking over 2 miles to the office and back. Plus there's nobody else out at 6 AM and no traffic so it's rare that I have to stop at intersections.
But I've also found that it's REALLY tough for me to get out of bed in the morning. Once I'm up, I'm fine and I function just fine. But getting out from under those warm covers is so hard! Especially now as the morning's get darker and our bedroom, thanks to the window AC we just got, remains nice and frigid, it's tough to talk myself into getting up. And then once I oversleep and wake up, I feel bad for wussing out. This is what has happened today, when I was supposed to get 2 miles in before work but slept in instead. So, this evening, barring torrential rains, I plan on doing those 2 miles as punishment to myself.
Next week I think I just need to override my sleepy inner voice that so easily rationalizes missing my workouts. Perhaps my guilt will also help overwhelm the temptation to get an extra hour of sleep.
On another topic, I went ahead and registered for the 2009 Celtic Solstice 5 Miler (yes, this is the 2008 page but they tend to wait until the fall to update the page for some reason.) here in Baltimore. I ran it two years ago in 2007 and loved it. The race was large but not huge (back then it was probably 2,000 runners, maybe fewer) and the weather was, I thought, excellent for a race. It was really cold (like teens or low 20's when it started), but under a crystal clear winter sky and a sun that warmed you up along the way. Plus running in Druid Hill Park is always great, although arguably not always safe. The presence of Baltimore's finest, the early hour and the large crowds helped keep things safe for everyone though. Plus the spread afterwards was great and I would imagine that since the race has become even more popular in the intervening years, it'll be stupendous this year too.
So, I'm registered for my first race in over a year, and I should be in fine form for the 5 mile distance by then. I'm conflicted about running in the Baltimore Running Festival in October, as the 5K is rather pricey. But I've run in the last two (5K in '07 and half marathon in '08) and would like to continue the tradition. I'm definitely running the Cincinnati Thanksgiving Day Race, though. I love doing turkey trots because they make the feasting later in the day a little less of a caloric Armageddon. Plus this is the 100th running of the race and as a former History major, I can't pass up historical events, no matter how inconsequential. It's also an affordable race at just $25.
So, we'll see how much racing I get done this fall. Probably not much since I'm taking my time rebuilding my mileage. But the main focus is more long-term with the hope of doing another half marathon next spring or fall, depending on how things go.
Now I just need to get out of bed in the morning to actually train and I'll be all set!
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