Running in the a.m.

Six miles logged this morning - start time 6:30 a.m.

When I started running a few years ago I would talk to other runners and read running blogs about the crazies who got up at 5:00 and 6:00 in the morning to go run. Now I liked to go workout and was an elliptical gym queen, but never in the morning. I tried working out in the morning several times and it just was not for me. I couldn't get up. I would grow faint. I had no energy. I had every excuse in the book. Now generally I was a night owl too. Mornings were not my thing. Ever since I switched jobs and was forced to take on a more "morning friendly" schedule I've had to adjust. Now I wake up at 6:00 or earlier regardless of the day - weekend, weekday - it doesn't matter.

My schedule allows for me to work at home one to two days a week. I love it because I don't have to deal with the hour commute into downtown those days. I gain an extra two hours a day. It's heaven. My long run gal pals are both morning runners. They have convinced me to get up early and start running with them these one to two days I'm at home AND on Saturdays for the long run. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm really enjoying the early morning runs. My main reasons:

• It gets my butt productively out of bed
• It's the coolest part of the day (rated in temperature - not awesomeness)
  
• The trace is less crowded (less bikers running over me)
  
• I get my exercise in and I'm done for the day. No thoughts of the gym looming over my head.
• The energy I have for the next few hours is amazing.

The only drawback I see is that I am ready to gnaw off the arm of anyone holding anything resembling food all morning. I'm completely famished. So, if you don't want to draw back a nub, don't come into my cube eating a cookie or crackers or popcorn or even have the faintest smell of Cheetos on your breath.

And I have found that if I don't fuel properly before and after the run I get faint during and then crash around mid-afternoon. So I eat a light high-protein cereal bar before and a big breakfast is a MUST afterward. Carrying healthy snacks with me to the office helps too - almonds, light popcorn, fruit, V8 juice (spicy only!), etc.

So, now being all "morningy" (I swear I'm turning into my mom) we decided to up the meeting time to 6:00 a.m. for our long run this weekend. Yup, I'm now a crazy morning runner.


On another cool note:

Between the Miles wrote a post comparing coconut water and Clif Shot Electrolyte drink powder. This really got me curious about coconut water. I had never heard of it but really liked the nutrition facts and tend to enjoy and consume mass quantities of coconut flavored liquids (Pina coladas, coconut rum, for example...). I figured I should probably try a coconut liquid that doesn't leave me in a stupor a few hours later.

I couldn't find the O.N.E. coconut water but did find the O.N.E. Amazon Acai flavor. My grocery store did have coconut water made by Vita Coco though. I picked up three different flavors and threw them into the fridge to cool down. I just sampled the coconut with pineapple and must say that it was really refreshing. I love the Vitamin C counts (240% PDV) and the potassium is great for a real sweat fest (680 mg) to replenish. The sugars were a little high, but from the ingredient list it must be coming mainly from the pineapple. I'd like to try just the plain coconut water and see how I like it (less sugar and calories). Overall though, I give it a thumbs up for a nice treat away from sports drinks.

AND I learned today that I am a "flexitarian" from No Meat Athlete's blog. I do not eat red meat or pork and only limited chicken, turkey and fish (about 3 days a week). If you haven't already, go check out his blog. He has great recipes, tips, advice for exercise, living healthy and eating healthy (and NO you do not have to be a vegetarian or flexitarian).

Today I LOVE: Target's C9 Long and Lean running tanks. I need to go buy a few more. They adequately cover my bellah without riding up. Love 'em.