Nobody Gonna Break My Stride...

Yes, I became...one of THOSE people today. You know, the ones that make you feel like crap because you are still sleeping while they are exercising? Yep, for some unGodly reason, I decided it would be a good idea to get up at 7 freaking AM and go run before work.

Boy was I wrong.

"A morning run will be invigorating! A morning run will keep me energized throughout the day!" No, sorry Emily, you're wrong. A morning run will cause you to sweat your life away by the time you get back to your dorm, and by your 10:15 staff meeting, you will wish you were curled up in your bed, passed out.

I must admit that I wish I had the discipline to run every morning. I miss having that built-in routine, like in high school. And running in the morning in DC is the best time to do it, for a number of reasons, including...

- The tourists are not out yet, in full force, with their cameras, fanny packs, and visors.
- By 10 AM, it is already 90 degrees out, so it's better to beat the heat.
- Seeing the sun come up over the monuments is really nice.
- The only other people by the reflecting pool (excluding the 800000 geese) are runners, and they give you that nod that runners give each other, like "Hey man, I feel you", which always makes me laugh.

...despite all the perks, I have a feeling this was a one time shot. Sleep is just too precious. I got into the elevator this morning on my way to run, and my neighbor got in with me, on his way to work. He stared at me, saying "No, not you" as if I was committing a horrid fashion crime. "No, not you...you can't wear those black leggings under that denim skirt!" or "No, not you...you can't wear oversized sunglasses that take up 2/3 of your face...". Yes, Matt...I did it.

Running in DC is so different from running back in Wilmette. "Yes," you might be thinking, "that is probably because DC is not Wilmette." Good point. But running in DC is so cool, because I really feel like I am running through a newscast. (Sidenote: I literally almost ran through a CNN newscast outside the State Dept today.) The other night, I was running past the Washington Monument, while various NGOs and congressional offices had their teams playing softball and kickball on the lawn; their org name or their congressman's name plastered on a red t-shirt, chearing each other on. USPIRG played softball against some other environmental organization, and it made me happy to see USPIRG people doing something other than standing infront of my building with a binder, asking me if I have a minute for the environment (to which I always say no, sorry, I actually don't). Running by the embassies is always interesting, and motorcades are cool, trying to guess which politician is sitting in the back of the limo, palm pilot strapped to his or her ear. There is always something to look at while you run in DC, whether it is a protest, confused tourists, motorcades, or cherryblossoms.

And so, as I turn in tonight, I am in a way glad that I decided to run this morning. At least it made me feel accomplished.

But I am also glad I will be sleeping later tomorrow.