Lake Michigan at Sunrise

Lake Michigan at Sunrise

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Late Night or Early Morning Run?

Howdy All!
I got to meet up with some of you, +Maggie Wolff , Lauren , Chris, Erica, and Erin, at the blogger happy hour last night and departed on the early side to see my tot for a little while before bed. Thankfully I finished eating before anyone showed up so nobody could see me eat like a pig, as I forgot my lunch and was STARVING. And the whopping two drinks didn't settle well either once I went home. I was a little worried how I would wake up today to run. Drank more water, had some flavored ice (this is my cure all right now), and had some pepto tabs.

This morning Erin (Not happy hour Erin, see links) and I planned to do somewhere around 11-12 miles with some hill repeats at Cricket Hill. Expected start time? 4:05am...This is a PR for me for start time. I have to thank Erin for getting me to start early. I wondered at the start of my plan how I would get my runs that went 10-13 miles in before work and not getting into work too later. I didn't want to just start waking up super early to do it, it was a mental block. But give me the option to have a running buddy? I'll do it. And since we've started running together, the block is gone. I've learned more about time I need to get the stomach ready, get more relaxed about starting early, and how nice it is to finish early too. Plus, running for an hour on the lakefront path and seeing like 5 people total is a cool experience.

Now I had to wake up at 3:40am to make sure I could sip coffee and get out in time. Thankfully I felt okay and all systems were green. I check the weather, says 70, dry conditions will continue, nothing on radar. Shirt off, gonna be warm! Get outside... misting, humid, and it felt a little cool for skins. Too later, I'll warm up. And remember how yesterday my GPS wouldn't connect in clear skies? This morning.. connected in like 15 seconds with the cloudy and misting conditions.

I met up Erin about a mile in and it was a fun run. Easy pace, that hovered between 8:15 - 8:30 I think. We saw our first runners around 5am. But the gnats didn't sleep in. The were bad out this morning and couldn't see them as it was dark. Good also to have a running partner for that hour of the morning (and I had on an LED light on my arm band).

On the way back to our end point, we went to Cricket Hill and did 5 hill repeats! It was a lot of fun, as I haven't done them purposely before, just if a hill is in road I run when I am not in Chicago. Lots of gnats there too! Pretty sure I inhaled a few.

After this, we went back to the path, high fived and each went out own ways home. Ended up being 12 miles and I felt great, but noticed I was hungry now. So when I got home, this hit the spot:
I actually ate it as I left for the bus, felt like a kid waiting for the school bus.

And a late entry photo for my blog, my wife emailed me this picture of our tot getting ready to take tiger out on an adventure:

And with that, have a great day! I hope you got a good run in today!

Do you like flavored ice?
Is 4am considered morning or night?!

23 comments:

  1. Sounds like a great time.


    Is that a gatorade freezie? I had no idea they exist.

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  2. LOL! nope. Just those basic flavored ice that come in a 100 pack for like $4 dollars.

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  3. Haha, probably close to the same ingredients anyway.

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  4. I actually have some sort of energy freezie in my freezer right now that I still need to try...my 4-yo son loves his freezies though!
    I would say that 4am is about the time night becomes morning...the 3am hour is a kind of no-man's land but come 4am you probably see more people starting their day than ending their night. Either way, it's too early/late for me!

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  5. Firstly, nice to meet you in person last night. Sorry I didn't get to chat with you more.
    As for 4.00am, I think it's morning. I'm impressed with that start time. I'm awake then but no way I'd have made it out the door.

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  6. energies freezies! just throw in a broken up caffeine tablet..


    4am is pretty dead until closer to 5. Come Thursday to Sunday, you see more people out still drunk from the night before! lol

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  7. Likewise! I don't blog serious enough to really be involved in the latter conversations before I left to really talk. Next time!
    Hardest part is always the first few blocks when you are still tired and stuff.

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  8. 4 am is sooo early haha! I think the earliest I've woken up for a run was 4:30 and that was to squeeze 15 miles in before work. It was winter though and I finished the entire run before the sun came up. I felt so badass! When I did the Goofy Challenge we had to wake up at 3 to get ready and hop on the shuttle to the start area... that was more "late night" than "early morning".


    Awesome job with the hill repeats!

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  9. 4am is really really early morning. I had to get up at 4 for my half, since it started at 6:30 downtown and I take forever to get moving in the morning, but I can't imagine running that early! Yikes!


    And no more details about the happy hour?

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  10. i think there needs to be a new term nighning half night, half morning!
    I def want to do more hill work! was just fun change too!
    thanks for commenting!

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  11. Early bird gets the sausage. #wrce


    Well I left at 6:30, the group met closer to 5:30. So I'm sure I missed most of the hilarity. sorry!

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  12. Gosh I need to join in on these fun runs. I was a huge chicken this morning because my friend knew someone that was robbed at gun point near my house 4 hours before. Needless to say i changed plans and headed to the treadmill to avoid paranoia. HA. I'll be back out tomorrow.

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  13. haha if you ever want to, let one of us know! safety in #s

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  14. It was great to meet you!

    4:05 AM!?! I leave at 5:50 on Weds and think that is pretty early. It is. Kind of. RIght!? Did 8 - felt good. The humidity returned. It rained too. My doorman noted it - I told him that I looked like this before the rain started. Good thing I am married - no?

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  15. Aww, did Tiger have a good adventure!


    Awesome early run! And! With hills! Meeting friends makes it SO much easier. Makes you feel less crazy! That is awesome that you found a great running bud in Erin! :)

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  16. I love slurpees after I run too.

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  17. Oh, THAT'S what you're calling flavored ice. When I read it up top I was really confused. I call those Otter Pops! They are awesome. But that's all you ate for breakfast after a 12-miler?!?!?!? You're insane. I eat pancakes for breakfast and I don't even run in the morning!

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  18. Likewise! Always feel like i can't do any early, then I set the time earlier lol

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  19. haha we didn't let her venture out with tiger! but she wanted to.
    Unity in craziness. Thinking - in one of the biggest cities in the US, we are the only two people out running in the busiest running path, is pretty cool!

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  20. oo, i want a post run slurpee machine!

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  21. sorry, my wife correct me too, the package say it is Fla -Vor ice lol


    That wasn't my breakfast! just a quick snack on my way to work before i ate breakfast!

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  22. I'm sad I missed the happy hour! But I had a kickball game. 4 am is too early for me. I would definitely need to be meeting someone to hold me accountable to get up that early!

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  23. Kickball! Fun! I did it one year, but I kept straining my ankle/foot kicking lol 4am, def need accountability buddy, or even a safety buddy for the dark.

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