I REALLY did not want to get out of bed this morning. I slept in Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (until 5:15 a.m.) I HAD to run this morning. I HAD to get out of bed. I HAD to keep writing HAD in all-caps.
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: The hardest part of my early morning run is from the bed to the floor.
But I got up. I took the dog out and got my shoes on. I started running up the steep hill on my street. Since my legs were fresh, I ran faster than normal. And then I ran a little faster. It felt so good. The air was crisp and my lungs felt great. Miles ticked by. One, two, three, four and five. I was almost at a full sprint. When I made it up the hill and back to my house, my watch said 5.33 miles. I stopped, took a deep breath and looked at the stars hanging like lanterns over my house. I felt a blanket of peace around my shoulders.
I took off my shirt and my skin was beet red from my blood circulating in my skin. I felt euphoric. Joy crashed over me like a giant wave; I was hit by one of the strongest “runner’s highs” I’ve ever experienced. Life was nothing but good at that moment. I wanted to go back out and run another 10 miles.
Today was one of those days that keeps me running. It was a reward for all the crappy runs, cramps, blisters, side-stitches, dizzy spells and moments of exhaustion. I almost forgot the sweat and pain. Today was why I love to run.
I have a very busy day today. It’s a day that includes travel and hard work. But it has already started off on the right foot.
I completely agree about bed to floor. Sometimes I just roll out to get up.