A Rewarding Morning

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I'm a weather wimp when it comes to seasonal workouts. Even so, I went for a run yesterday when it was barely 30 degrees out. This was my first official workout run in preparation for the half marathon I plan to run in April.

If you know any runners, even casual ones like me, you've probably heard them say that getting out the door is the toughest part. Figuring out gear and stretching or warming up a bit, deciding where today's run will take you... it's seems easier to just skip it. The reality, though, is that once you're out and running everything changes, and that's what many runners know - just get out there and it will be well worth it. Yesterday's was another run like that.

When I run I'm a purist - no earbuds for distracting music, and rarely do I wear sunglasses. I want the whole experience, all the sights and sounds (and smells... this is Lancaster county, after all). So here are some of the things I was blessed to experience on yesterday's run:

• a biplane chugging along its approach to Lancaster airport
• the sunrise over Welsh mountain
• several dogs with their owners, one of which really wanted a piece of me
• a neighbor calling out, "run some for me!"
• about 10 cyclists out for a morning ride (who looked as funny in their cold weather gear as I'm sure I did)
• about two minutes looping through the cemetery at Jerusalem church, where a good number of the headstones are from the 1800's
• a lap around the polo field, which is close to where we live

For me, the experience is a big part of what a morning run is all about. I've always had a memorable time on a run when I've made a start and just did it. Overcoming the inertia of doing nothing is the toughest part. If you have a goal you're looking forward to in 2015, jump in and get to it...You'll be glad you did.

By the Way

While I only did 3.8 miles (I had settled on a 40 minute run), I felt like I could have gone on for another 40 minutes easy. Since I've been making power pantry choices in my eating and lifestyle, I'm amazed that my physical energy and stamina just keeps coming. My legs don't cry out for a break like they used to, and I can actually kick it up a notch at any point for a burst of speed or a hill. That's a cool rush when I had gone for decades not remotely considering the possibility of a rewarding morning run...