The Morning Run

 Even through my closed bedroom windows I can hear the birds chirping loud and clear. As I roll over and look at my alarm clock I realize I still have 6 minutes till the buzzer sounds. I think I'll wait. One bird out there just doesn't agree with my plan. "Stop repeating yourself!" I say as if he can hear me, or understand. Either way he isn't listening. As I lay there just waiting for the alarm to go off and lift the metaphorical gate surrounding my bed allowing me to get up, I try to think of how good it's going to feel to be running early in the morning again.
     Last time I was up and running before work it was still very dark outside. Work started a lot sooner overseas. I start to flash back to the morning routine. Getting dressed in the dark so I wouldn't wake my roommate. Putting the same shorts on over my spandex, the same shirt and my reflective belt. I also wore two knee braces at the time. The large one for my left knee, that's where the real pain was. The small one for the right, just in case. I put on my new Nike running shoes, then it was outside to start stretching. My headphones go in and I hit play on my running play-list. Technically I wasn't supposed to wear headphones while running outside, but at 0430 I'll take my chances. The course I choose to run over there was very flat and it was awfully dry outside. Two things I could count on were dry air and flat surfaces. The final distance would be right around 3.5 miles. That was a good distance for the morning, to get the blood pumping and the calories burning. I'd love to be back in that shape again. It begins today.
     The routine this morning is a bit different. Not really a routine at all, I just started. I don't have to worry about waking anyone up so I get dressed with the light on and Sports Center on the TV. Interestingly enough I still put only one pair of running shorts over my spandex. They're not my army shorts, but they are always the same ones. I get to pick my shirt this morning and decide to go with a white Nike shirt. No knee braces nowadays. After getting the right shoes all the knee pain went away. Crazy how important running shoes are when you do it often enough. I lace up my even newer Nike running shoes and outside I go. Same MP3 player, same running play-list. It could use an update but the songs still keep a good rhythm. Same stretching routine. Hamstrings, quads, calves and upper body. Now it's off to the races.
     It's very humid this morning. I hope the rain holds off till I finish. As my run starts I pass all the morning traffic on Great Falls St, imagining what they're thinking puts a smile on my face. The ups and downs of the neighborhood keep my legs and lungs guessing. "Just keep a good pace" I continue to tell myself up the hills. "Now open up your stride and go with it" on the way down. The development I turn into is remarkable peaceful compared to the bumper to bumper traffic I just passed. The trees are blossoming and petals cover sections of the sidewalk. Kids are walking to the bus stops while their parents are getting ready to leave for work. I'm in my own little world as my strides echo in the background of my music. Whatever is going on around me is taken in by my eyes but never really processed. It's just me and the road today.
     "Keep your breathing in check" I tell myself as I start to get a little winded. In-in-in, out-out-out. That's better. Now I get into a groove where I feel I can run forever. A calmness washes over me. The different smells of the morning are fighting for attention in my nose. The freshly laid sod and grass seed takes over as I pass a house making some lawn improvements. Briefly I think about my lawn. Just briefly though. My mind is concentrating on the countless steps I have until the end of my run. There is a small part of me that doesn't want it to end. While I'm running there isn't a care in the world. When it's over I have to go back to reality. Back to work. Back to the bills. Somehow if I could keep running everything would go away. As I round the last corner, up the final hill towards my house, I realize it's almost over. I have a feeling of relief as I approach the 4 mile mark. I also have a feeling of disappointment.
     I walk back and forth on the lawn I was thinking of earlier as I catch my breath. I check my run-keeper to see my pace and calories burned. Not bad. I start to stretch just as I did before the run. Hamstrings, quads, calves and upper body. The rain starts to fall as I wrap up my last stretch, almost like it was waiting for me to finish. I head inside for some water and relaxation. Not for long though, now that I'm done I have to start my other morning routine. This one I am familiar with.