Up at the Crack of Darkness?

I don't know what got into me. Yes, it's true: I've been thinking that I should get up and go walking and/or running with the dog before work since we got her sometime in November. I think I may have even gotten up for a few morning walks with her. (Few in this case equals no more than two. Probably one.) Since then, she only wonders why I take her out of the kennel to simply watch me make breakfast.

It's been cold, you see; it's been winter. When there wasn't ice or snow, there was cold. I mean these are bitter cold mornings. I have to get up early as it is, and it's even worse if I have to get up and out into the freezing cold. Well, I guess that excuse has well outlived its validity.

Cut to the first Monday back to work from spring break. What did I do? I heard the alarm go off, reset it for some more sleep, rethought, and actually got up. At 4:15 I climbed out of bed, dressed, clipped on my headlamp, clipped the dog into the hands-free leash, and went for a run.

Did you catch that? 4:15 A.M. Ante meridiem. That's a quarter after the middle of the night.

It. Felt. Great.

And the great feeling lasted all through the workday. Now, I need to hold on to the memories of that greatness, that alertness, that feeling of starting the day with physical accomplishment, and even the wonderful sounds of the sweet birds and frogs who sang to us despite the lack of dawn.

I need to hold on to those memories because something tells me that I'll need every single one of them to talk me out of bed tomorrow morning at 4:00 a.m. If I'm successful, this could be the beginning of a wonderful thing.