Day 68: Lying Awake, Wondering if there is a Dog

Did you hear about the dyslexic, agnostic, insomniac? He kept himself awake at night wondering if there is a dog.

1:30 AM: I am lying awake, figuring that it's an even bet whether I'll fall back asleep or not. It also occurs to me that hey - with all this extra time, I can make this morning's run a long one. I truly had not been thinking about this last night before bed. I'd been thinking that I may consider doing elevenish miles to make up for coming up short of ten yesterday.

2:15 AM: Whoa. It appears that I did fall back asleep. At least a little. Now I'll begin getting ready for that long run.

3:15 AM: Double whoa. I fell back asleep again. But I'm really getting up this time. I mean it!

4:00 AM: I'm becoming woke. I'd been working towards getting out the door by four, but I've only had two of three huge mugs of coffee. I pour the rest and also have some toast with jam and an apple.

4:30 AM: The run begins. It's ridiculously warm and still. The current heatwave has, so far, featured relatively comfortable humidity and relatively cool nights. Those days are now gone. The heatwave isn't fooling around anymore. I notice the nearly full moon, then nearby Saturn and Jupiter. In the middle of the sky I spot Mars, and then Venus rising in the East.

5:30 AM: Time for a necessity stop after those five one-mile loops in the subdivision. Afterward, I bring some water and gel with me as I jog over to the track. Only 13 to go.

6:00 AM: I crawl under the fence as usual. I will plan to do around seven miles here before my return. The sunrise is pretty.

6:30 AM: My pace, which had been extremely slow, has now picked up. I would call it. 'respectable'. I mostly hold to it while I'm here running in circles.

7:30 AM: I took a gel and I'm going home. Whoa. I'm tired, sore, and beat-up. I slow down. Then I slow down some more.

8:00 AM: The final three miles have been totally awful, but I've made it back home. Barely.