Waking Up Before 4AM

By now I'm sure you know that I run with MarathonFest three times a week. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, my alarm goes off at 3:45AM. On Saturdays, my alarm goes off anywhere between 3:15AM and 4:15AM depending on how far we're running that weekend and what time my group is starting. I've been averaging about five to six hours of sleep on nights before my runs. Recently, I was asked how I do it. How do I wake up that early three times a week to run?

There are a couple of factors contributing to my success at waking up so gosh darn early. First, I believe that being in good health is a huge factor. I do not feel fatigued every hour of every day like I used to. I actually feel rested even after only five hours of sleep. Believe it or not, I've only been napping after my long runs on Saturday, and the occasional (maybe once every few weeks) cat nap during my lunch break to keep me fresh for the rest of the day.  My increased energy and the fact that I feel amazing makes it relatively easy to wake up.   Second, I think the fact that it's been easy for me to jump right out of bed when my alarm goes off at an ungodly hour has a lot to do with how motivated I am to train my best for the NYC Marathon. I don't know if I've ever been more determined to succeed. Sometimes I even wake up before my alarm... that's how excited I am to get to train for NYC!

Whether or not I will wake up when my alarm goes off has not been a question. The decision was made when I won the lottery drawing to get into the NYC Marathon.  Don't bother asking me if I'm running... the answer is YES!  Not counting my surgery and slight recovery in April, I have only missed two training runs and that was due to period cramps. I got a little behind on my long run distance during the couple of the bad runs I had in the unrelenting Florida heat, but I am officially back on track.

When my alarm goes off, I wake up. I don't hit snooze or lay in bed convincing myself to get up. I don't need to be convinced because I understand that getting out of bed so early to run is a good way to train for the race of my life.  So far, I haven't regretted waking up early to run. It's always fun to tell my co-workers that I ran five miles before work or to tell them how far I ran over the weekend.

Hello Appetite, Hello Energy

My appetite is crazy and I'm not sure if it's because of the new medication or because I'm training for a marathon. I've been hungrier than usual in the past week or two. I find myself snacking at work and eating two dinners some nights. My bowel movements have been absolutely beautiful. I've considered taking pictures and framing them. It's been a long time since I've had such awesome poop like this that I forgot it could be this amazing! Taking a dump is effortless, and I think it's because my stricture is fully stretched.

Although I wouldn't go as far as saying that my energy is through the roof, I will say that my energy has increased in the past couple weeks. I'm not as inclined to take naps. I'm going to bed way later because I'm not dead tired by 8pm like I usually am. I find that I have more energy to take care of myself. I'm actually showering every day. It might be gross, but I usually only shower a few times a week because it wears me out. Not only have I been showering every day, but I've also been shaving regularly. I haven't just been brushing my teeth in the morning, I've been brushing them at night, too. I haven't just been doing the bare minimum of laundry because laundry sucks the energy out of me, I've actually been washing my towels and sheets, too! Hygiene is a lot of work, but if my energy keeps increasing I have big plans for new routines.

I Take Naps in My Dreams

I thought I got all of my credit card shenanigans straightened out. Thankfully, I remembered my dream last night, which triggered a thought. In the dream, my sisters, a few friends, and I were on vacation in NYC. Apparently, I take naps in my dreams. Anyways, when I woke up this morning, I was lost for second because I thought I was taking a nap in a hotel room in NYC, not in my bedroom in Florida. It made me think about my dream, NYC, and the NYC Marathon. That's when I started to freak out. I remembered that I forgot to change my billing information on the New York Road Runners website where the marathon lottery takes place. The drawing isn't until March 8th. so I did have some time... but it was a close call for someone with a memory as bad as mine. If I didn't update my billing info with a valid credit card and I won the lottery into the NYC Marathon on March 8th, I would have forfeited my entry because I didn't have a valid payment method on file.

I'm all set now! Honestly, I don't know if I'm more nervous about my interview on Thursday or the lottery drawing next Tuesday. All the while, I should probably be more concerned about taking naps in my dreams.