Early morning runs: If you plan it, you can do it (at least once).

Surprising even myself, I did an early morning run. On a Saturday, no less!

When I went to bed, I told myself: at 4:00, you will wake up and go running.

At 4:00, I woke up. I don't mean that I woke up just enough to hit snooze, roll over, and go back to sleep. Well, sure, I did all those things, but I was much more awake. By 4:25, I realized that I was so awake that I may as well stop playing games with my alarm and go out and run. (That, and I negotiated with myself that if I didn't run today [because I recharged yesterday], I'd have to do week four yet again.)

It was wonderful. Hearing the crickets out the window, I decided to leave my ipod at home and run "pure". Sure, it was tough, especially because I went a little optimistic and included a very small hill which forced a short unplanned walk, but it was incredible. Started in the dark, ended in the morning light. Fantastic.

Stats: 2.60 miles in 37:44. Overall pace: 14:29/mi. Flat course with one small hill.