Wake Me Up Before You Go Go

It was not as early as I'd hoped, but I was determined to get up and go. Just before 7 a.m., I slipped out of bed and got dressed. My usual running clothes were in the dryer in the basement and so sweat pants, a longsleeve T-shirt and my Akron Marathon jacket would have to do.

From the other room, I heard the Enthusiast say she was thinking of going for a run too. After all, she just signed up for a big race next spring. We decided to hit the streets together.

The morning was crisp. Our pace allowed me to focus on form, with light and quick strides. The Enthusiast said she wasn't sure she could do three miles as was my intention, but she never split off from me.

I came to the realization that my running gear instincts are all out of whack. Within the first mile, I already felt warm. Our apartment is ridiculously warm with old fashioned steam heating. My October slack off caused me to miss a slow acclimation to cooler weather. Also, the Vibram KSOs allow me to feel the cold ground more than my Brooks T6 Racers.

Last year, I would have headed out the door with shorts in weather like this. Instead, I'm bundling up like Randy Parker from A Christmas Story: "I can't put my arms down!"

My toeless socks worked well this morning. However, the socks bunch and pull between my toes awkwardly. I might just have to spring for some ridiculous toe socks after all.

Finally, a morning run wasn't a failure. Can I keep it up?