Rise and shine

An early start as the alarm rang at 6:00 am this morning. My change of job has obliged me to modify all of my routines. I used to be able to run at lunchtime, in the early evening , or exceptionally before going to work. The new job takes up so much of my time that evening runs are out of the question, lunchtime runs might be possible but I haven't found any changing facilities as yet and morning runs have to be made bloody early in order to be able to avoid the traffic and still arrive at work at a reasonable hour.

This was a bloody early morning run. Alarm at 6:00, out the door by 6:05, 10k run and back before 7:00 before a quick shower and then off to work for 7:15 am.

This was the plan in any case. I enjoyed my run. I mean really enjoyed my run. The fact that I haven't been able to plan a time to get out meant that I appreciated it all the more when I was running this morning. It was very early, very quiet and very dark. The birds were just beginning to wake when I went out and I listened to the dawn chorus while I was out. Even car drivers were less impatient and more courteous at this time in the morning: at least the police car was when it stopped to let me cross the road.

I ran easily at first not pushing the pace but just enjoying being out. I wore the Garmin but didn't look at my lap times. I was on my sixth kilometre when the urge took me to up the speed, to stretch out and to let fly. I looked afterwards and my pace increased at this point from 4:45 pace to 4:15 / 4:20 pace until back to the house.

A quick shower and then over an hour of traffic as I left a little late and got caught in the rush hour. Everything is not idyllic but things are looking up.

10.1k in 45:39 or an average of 4:30 per km.