this is going to require a lot of coffee.

Oh my. This day started at 4:15a, when my alarm started screaming at me. You know when you get jolted awake far to early, almost like you are getting scared awake? You sit up fast, breathing hard, and shaking wondering what the heck just happened? Yeah, that was me. And I sat in my bed thinking of all the very valid reasons I should lay back down instead of getting up to go for an eight mile run (like my warm bed, or my warm bed, and my warm bed, or my warm bed. warm. bed). Pouring gasoline in my eyes and eating nuts sounded more favorable (you have to understand, nuts and i? not friends. oh, but gasoline and i? BESTIES). I fought the temptation to lay back down with every fiber of my being, but remembered why I was getting up.

To go run with this girl and what I'm deeming her 'gang.' Not her "hey gang." No, a rolling hard, not messing around, we will screw you up kinda of gang. Anyone who can breeze by a woman pointing a gun at them at 5:30 in the morning are not a force to be reckoned with my friends. Mmm-hmmm. That's right. They don't mess around. Clearly, because if they were, they wouldn't get up AND RUN EIGHT MILES AT FIVE IN THE MORNING!

Honestly though, I have been worried about finding some new morning running buddies for the summer and fall since my summer running buddies from last year are out of commission now. I can't complain one bit that an early morning running buddy fell in my lap in the way of Hannah and her training buddies. It's just those initial first days of early morning running that really kick my butt. I mean REALLY. Getting up was absolutely worth it, the weather was perfect for running and Hannah and her buddies didn't disappoint one bit. It was such a good run. In my opinion, there is almost nothing as satisfying as knowing you ran eight miles before the sun came up.... wait, did that sound redneck? Bad country song? I apologize. But it's true!

I warned Hannah in advance I'm not a friendly morning person so I might not chat much, that thrown on top of a semi-challenging week basically equals a quiet FWR. Which was true, I didn't talk much (i bet the lawyer is jealous), but I loved listening to them talk about their fund raising efforts and life and....trees..... It was a quite perfect eight miler really. Hannah is going to get a big surprise when she finally hangs out with me in the middle of the day after I've been heavily caffeinated and realizes I won't shut up, but I'll let her figure that one out on her own.

So today. Coffee. And lots of it. My morning, like I said, started at 4:15a and won't end until I get home from work around 10:30p. And yes I'm pointing this out for the eighteenth time so you will tell me how fantastic I am and help me not feel like that was a bad choice..... chirp...... oozing sarcasm complete. I sure did reward myself (and all my calories burned) with a big fat cup of delicious from Starbucks, and I have a feeling there will be another one of those in my near future, because I'm already struggling and it's still early. But it's all part of the deal. The deal of trying to be a dedicated runner while still being a responsible employee and human being in the cycle of starting up morning running again. And I wouldn't change a thing, meeting some new running buddies wins over sleep. And maybe next week I'll get more sleep the night before..... stupid Breaking Dawn (and nerves about running with new girls). Yeah interweb, I'm one of THOSE.