I'm Hooked

Since completing my half-marathon two weeks ago, I have been enjoying some "down time" in my running schedule: sleeping in, skipping days, and running random distances and times.  Without a goal race ahead of me, it's easy to pull the covers up over my head when the alarm goes off ... or, more frequently, to shut the dang thing off before it gets a chance to alert others of my good intentions to head out the door.

This morning was one of those mornings.  It seemed extra dark, the rain was pelting the window and the wind was undeniably making its blustery presence known.  I awoke, as I often do, two minutes before the clock's buzzer.  In those few moments between sleep and wake, I contemplated my morning's trek, comparing it to the cozy, warmth of my present location.

Oddly, my pillow didn't win.

You see, I love to run.  Not only do I enjoy the benefits it gives me physically, it heals me mentally.  And who doesn't need a little mental mending now and again?  Also, I especially love to run in the rain.  Why?  I'm not sure.  It probably sounds a little crazy to those of you who do not run.  Is it an extra sense of accomplishment because I'm out there even in the crappiest of weather ... in today's case that, had it been a mere 8 degrees colder, would have been a blizzard of genuine Nor'Easter proportions?  Is it that the rain keeps me cool, and washes away the salty effort from my body?  Is it the musical beat the drops make as they hit the pavement along side my sneakers?  Who knows.  But it is sincerely my favourite time to run.

So I did.

I'll admit, the first five minutes had me questioning my own sanity.  But once I got over that hump, I had the best run.  The kind of run where you get to the end and you say, "Really?  It's over already?"  And the bonus?  Upon my return to our cozy little home, I was greeted by my loving husband, a towel, my big fluffy housecoat ... and the smell of coffee brewing in the kitchen.

TOTALLY worth leaving the warmth of my bed in the pre-dawn hours.  And totally the best start to the day!