My friend C and I do something crazy (no, not the running itself): we run long long distances in the middle of the night. That's right, while most of you were snuggled up tight in bed, peacefully slumbering in dreamland last night, C and I were out sweating, pushing ourselves, and hoping that those glowing eyes in the bushes by the trail don't decide to follow us. It's frightening to think about too much, but we basically ran a half marathon this morning (13 miles) before the sun came up.
Things I've learned from our several night/dawn runs:
1. It can be so quiet at 4:00am while running.
2. There's a $hitload of wildlife out! I've seen coyotes, javelina, bobcats, deer, hawks, and even snakes out and about. This is in the suburbs too (outskirts, but still).
3. Headlamps are awesome devices. Whoever invented them should be kissed. Repeatedly. But not by me when I'm done running - even my husband doesn't want my sweat, salty kisses at that point.
4. The miles go by easier when it's dark.
5. Why aren't restrooms lit during the night?!??
6. Why are there so many f*ing vehicles on the freeway at 4:30am?!??!
7. There is a truly palpable temperature drop right before dawn. I remember C and I being surprised by this and commenting on it. It got cold!
8. It's so much easier to run in the dark with a friend (and a headlamp!).
I wonder how many more of these we'll end up doing? C does it before work so that she can spend time with her kids in the afternoon/evening, while I do it with her so that she's not alone, I'm not alone, and I avoid taking time away my husband "babysitting" the girls. I'm not sure how far back we can push the start time when we start going further and further though - I'm thinking a 3:00am start time is just a touch too crazy for me!
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