The Beauty of the 4:30 a.m. Run

Today was a busy day. I had to be to work by 7 a.m. and to a funeral by 10 a.m. That meant my normal 5:30 a.m. RIPPED class was out of the question. I also wasn't sure what time I'd be home and therefore if I'd have time to work out when I finally got back here.

So I set my alarm for 4:30 a.m., hoped for a restful, if short, night.

As sometimes happens, I woke up a few minutes ahead of the actual chime. As it not-as-often happens, I woke up ready to go. I geared up, grabbed my Rehydrate/Spark mix and headed to the treadmill.

The four miles flew by.

At a pace faster than normal, no less.

I like it when the house is quiet, when I feel "tough" for getting up early and kickin' it, when I have time to get my brain settled before the stress/emotion/frenzy of the day starts.

There's just something about knowing that I'm doing what's good for my body and good for my soul that makes the whole day better. Starting strong carries forward into the day, giving me my own little secret power to help get through whatever craziness comes my way.

I have said it before, and will say it again ...

The workout is the reward, not the punishment. You treat yourself well when you make time for you.