Everyday I'm Shuffling - Day 8 of 26.2

I'm a big fan of stupid o'clock in the morning. A really big fan actually. I love, love, love bouncing out of bed just before the alarm, throwing on my workout clothes and hitting the road or the studio for a workout.

That is, until, the day comes that I HAVE to do it.

This is the reason why training for specific events doesn't appeal to me. I love what I do, so I don't need the motivation of a race to get me out the door. I like to get up and run and choose how far/how fast depending on how I feel.

When you have a marathon looming you HAVE to get up. UGGGGGHHHHH. So most mornings, I drag my butt out of bed and lug my groaning, sore carcass to the front door. Sometimes I brush my teeth and apply deodorant first. On a morning like today, when I'm genuinely sore, tired and have an exceptionally busy week ahead of me, I would roll over and press snooze. But no.NO. Stoopid marathon.

Morning run, this is how I feel about you today

So I DID get up and dress AND brush my teeth AND apply deodorant.

You are welcome, residents of Brooklin.

It's an easy week leading up to the marathon. Called tapering, where you reduce your mileage and effort pretty drastically in order to freshen up your legs. Yesterday my Sunday long run was reduced greatly, and today I shuffled along for an easy "recovery" 7K. I say shuffled, because it was literally everything I could do to pick one foot up and place it forward. Then repeat. My hips hurt. My knee hurt. My pride hurt a little too.

I love running!!

I like to run alone but I notice occasionally that this ^^^^ person stalks me.

Fortunately, as always happens, my heart got lighter although my feet did not. I could hear the birds singing. Saw our neighbourhood crane fly overhead. Watched the world wake up slowly, and felt a little smug that I had beaten them to it. Learned that robins aren't fond of runners aggressively charging towards them with a phone in their hands. Camera shy. Whatever. Divas.

I swear the next picture has a robin in it.

Our local babbling brook

So, 6 days to 26.2. I'm tired. I hurt. I have a full week of classes ahead, several more runs to enjoy and many more moments to capture.My next task, and blog post, is to figure out how to eat to fuel for this. Tune in tomorrow.

Full steam ahead!

Find Your CORE