"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."
-John Bingham, running speaker and writer

In a deep rem sleep I am awakened by the low beeping persistence of my phone's alarm. It is now 4:50am, my eyes are burning with sleep, so bad they begin to water. Finally coaxing myself out of bed I begin dressing myself, it has become so routine that the motions are nearly subliminal. The questions of why I sacrifice mind and body in form sleep deprivation just so I can get in a run has often popped into my head. Yes it hurts and I would rather stay in a warm bed, specially in winter when it is still dark and cold out, but the painful sleepiness quickly dissipates as you begin to move.

Crossing quickly yet quietly across the house I grab my shoes, my watch and headlamp. Standing on the back porch staring out into the dark, morning chill, I'm consumed by the darkness but not phased. I actually enjoy taking in the first crisp breath of fresh air, and the quiet eerie feel of the winter darkness, I find myself oddly at peace. Without wasting any time I head out front to meet my running partner, Richard, for the morning.

Within minutes of departing into the darkness, I find myself alone in my thoughts as Richard drifts ahead a few yards. Sure the purpose of running with someone is for the camaraderie and conversation but for us we share few words in the beginning then again maybe in the middle. This is in part due to Richard being a stronger runner, but at the same time we have an unspoken bond and friendship that we share without needing words. I fall into a rhythm of my feet pounding lightly on the dark tarmac surface, and the beating of my heart - no other sound is present. Deep in my own thoughts I'm immersed in the near solitude, it becomes a very Zen like experience and a mental recharge.


A little while into the run, the sun starts to melt the darkness away and slowly the town starts to awaken. Families getting ready for work and school. Commuters leaving town in hopes of squeezing through rush hour, all the while I'm soaking in the morning, my coffee at 5 mph. Little escapes me as I glide along the towns walks, under the street lamps and through still dark neighborhoods. It is Eerily how peaceful it is when you first start, not a creature is stirring and gradually over the course of the run the town quietly awakens. 

Stepping back into my house, my family is now awake, I'm fully charged and ready for the day. I used to loathe getting up early, now I love my mornings, even though it hurts for a minute :-).