The trick of running at 5am!!!:)

So today was my first day of training!!! Not pre-pre-training, not pre-training, BUT ACTUAL TRAINING!!! And I was a little worried that I spent ALL my energy last night getting pumped up for this day, that 5am would come by and I'd hit the snooze 14 times and wake up at 6:20 instead!! WELL THAT NEVER HAPPENED!! I actually was alive and ready to go at 4:45, but of course waited for my alarm to go off!! Who gets up before 5am when they don't have to, COME ON!!!:) 5am comes by, alarm beeps: BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!! I shut it off, and wouldn't you know it took maybe 3-4 minutes once out of bed to be ready to run mentally, and another 10 minutes physically (breakfast, dressed, etc.)!!! AND HERE'S THE TRICK!! Be warmer then the bed!!!!;) Think about it for a second, IF you count on your bed to keep you warm, then what's to keep you from staying in it when the really early alarms go off?!? Cause you'll start to peel off the covers and layers of blankets and feel that cold air hit you and BAM you're right in bed and say the famous line "5 more minutes!!" Which as we ALL know means 30-45 more!! If you have that time to spare!!! Well last night for the first time this winter, and remember winter in Mussoorie is NOTHING like winter in Minnesota, BUT for Mussoorie it was quite chilly last night, and without central heating I guess it may be equal to a Minnesota winter!! Anyways for the first time last night I wore my thermal long underwear, pj's on top, socks, long sleeve t-shirt, and sweatshirt!!! I was hot!! Literally and not metaphorically!! So when I put on the sheet and my 3/4 inch blanket it was the perfect temp!! Now usually I sleep with just pj pants, long sleeve t-shirt, and sweatshirt!! However, those thermals made all the difference!! When I woke up my muscles were already warm, I took off my covers and BAM cold did not effect me AT all, and listening to a little "Final Countdown" on the old i-pod never hurts either!!!;) Now some of you may be thinking, but Steve I'm not an easily warm sleeper like you, SO PUT ON ANOTHER 5 LAYERS THEN!! Do whatever it takes to make you warmer than the bed!!! Because if you are training for something, or have to do something early everyday of the week, every little trick and cheat you can find to get going in the morning will make life that much easier, and if you're training save on your mental anguish you go through during the hell weeks of training (which are pretty much all except the week before the event!!!:) Oh also, going to bed at a decent time DEFINITELY helps too!!!;) Can't be going to bed at midnight and waking up at 5am and expect to have that last long!! Your body is a machine and you have to treat it like one!! You can't drive a car without gas, so why would you try training for anything without proper sleep!! Yes, it will definitely cut into your social time a bit, but that's where you need to decide what sacrifices are you going to make!?!? In the long run is it worth it, no pun intended!!:) Your friends will be there after the race, and for your friends that have run one before, may even be a little jealous of your dedication and wished they had the same dedication you had when they trained for something!!! Life is short, so go and live it people!! Don't let 5am or cold ruin what could possibly be the most gratifying thing you've done in your life up to this point, besides having a baby for those that are parents!!;) It's a LOT easier to enjoy life, when you're filling it up with experiences, challenges, and completed goals!!! Heck if it wasn't for loving marathons, I don't think I'd even think of traveling to Finland this summer!! So yeah, look at the small benefits of that!!! Someone asked me, "What time of day is your favorite time?" And I said 5-6:30am, why?!? That's usually around the time of sunrise, and it's the MOST peaceful time of the day!!! You can think and think and think for hours without anyone being around to disturb you AND you get to use your night vision while running, cause there aint no sun that early!!!! Well that's all for tonight, and Day 1 training is in the books!! A quite SUCCESSFUL day if I may say so myself!!!!!!:) BOO and YEAH!!!! HAPPY RUNNING!!!!