Monday am, 10.2
miles in 1:22

That's right, 0-for7 last week. I have logged miles with crippling back
pain, a stress fracture, and tendinitis, and even post-marathon, but
last week I didn't run at all. For no particularly good reason. I even
went so far as to put on my shorts and shoes on a few mornings, but just
didn't make it out the door. By last night, I'd had enough, and I vowed
to get up at 5:45 to squeeze in 6 or 7 miles before Si woke up.

Well, Si had other ideas (actually a stomachache and low-grade fever),
so we were awake by 4:45 this morning, and I crawled out of bed
around 5:20. After reading a few books, I grabbed a flashlight and we
headed out the door to find the stroller in the dark. We headed out
into the early morning, watching Berkeley slowly wake up (while Silas
played with the flashlight in the stroller). I decided to pick up some
bagels and then get in as many miles as I could.

We turned up Marin Ave, my old nemesis, but this time for fun rather
than battle. We crossed the Circle, but just headed up one block to
Shattuck before turning down (with a sense of relief, sanity, and, yes,
slightly burning lungs) to run through the Gourmet Ghetto and Holy
Hill. We ran up through campus, past the lab, and wandered around
Elmwood and just into Rockridge before heading home. There is
absolutely nothing like a 10 miler first thing in the morning, and it's
a feeling that my legs have been missing for a while. Last week and
this morning make it clear that consistency is still elusive, but I will
try to hold onto this feeling as motivation to get myself up for more
predawn runs through the winter.

Oh, and Silas? He fell asleep by mile 3.