Getting up at 5:30 a.m.

The summer is here, and the temperature rapidly gets high in the morning. To beat the heat (and to protect myself from UV rays), I got up at 5:30 a.m. this morning for a four-mile run. Granted, I had MS drag me out of bed, but I was still amazed I didn't fuss much this morning. My eyes were still half-closed when I got into the car, and my body cold and drowsy.

We got to the Sequiota Park, and seeing runners out there made me feel I wasn't alone and woke me up in a strange way. But, I still got off on my run on a slow pace. Why hurry? It was a pleasant, cool summer morning with the temperature at about 70 degrees. I could smell wild flowers (though some sort of stunk), and I could look out at mists over prairie gardens. A surprisingly good number of runners were on the trail, making strong and swift strides.

The firs two miles were slow, and I hardly sweat until I turned about and ran back. I felt good, picked up the speed, and almost sprinted that last 0.5 mile or so to the finish. It wasn't that bad, I thought. Should I get up early tomorrow morning for my 6-mile run? Let me think.