Night owl/early bird

Today I did something that was previously, as in six months ago previously, unthinkable: I woke up on a non-weekend day and went for a run in the daylight, before work, before doing almost anything else. In short, I started my work day with exercise, instead of ending it with exercise. 

Now, this may sound unextraordinary to many of you early risers and jump-out-of-bed-at-the-crack-of-dawn getters-done, but to me, it is truly a feat. (Or possibly just a freak occurrence, so I don't mind if you stop reading this now and go back to Facebook.)

With the exception of a short stint as a school photographer in Tacoma, Washington in 2007, when I regularly rose at 5:30 a.m. or earlier each day to drive long distances and face gaggles of elementary school children as they lined up for their fall portraits, I have always been a staunch nocturnal being.

Thank goodness for 24-hour supermarkets, laundromats and gas stations. If not for them and their late-night services, I might never have a fridge full of food, clean clothing or a tankful of gas. Now if only the liquor stores would follow suit ...


I admire you greatly, you jump-out-of-bed-at-the-crack-of-dawn people, I really do. You complete a laundry list of tasks, and may even find the time to exercise, in the hours between when the sun rises and the time(s) I hit snooze.

And sure, I'd love to join the ranks of my family, friends and colleagues who operate on what Western society considers a "normal" wake/work/sleep schedule, both because life is more convenient that way, and so you'll all stop pestering me about my damn habits.

But the unpredictable routine of a 20-something journalista and pizza delivery girl by night does NOT bode well for this long-sought-after aspiration.

For example, one day I might enjoy a luscious lie-in until 11 a.m. and be scheduled to arrive at the newspaper at 3 p.m. for a night of copy-editing, which ends at 11:30 p.m. or midnight (like tonight. As an added bonus tonight, work on the copy desk included a round trip, 60 miles, to Troy, where we produce the paper when our Saratoga computer system fails, as it has all freakin' week. Yay, Citrix.) Then, for example, I'll get home in time to sleep a few hours before getting up at 7 a.m. to report on a school event that starts at 8. Or, I'll work a 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. shift on a Friday at job #2, then struggle to get to the newspaper before noon for the occasional Saturday shift. Throw in eating, showering, running, blogging, freelancing, keeping up with family and an attempt to have a social life, and I might as well not sleep at all.        

When I am forced to rise early -- and when I must, I do -- my body does NOT cooperate well. My legs will take me to the place I'm supposed to be, and my eyes will be (half) open, but my brain is still sleeping. And if I haven't had time to down some coffee, forget it. For your own sake, just don't try to talk to me before 9 a.m. Sorry to say, I will not be a very pleasant or a very productive person at this hour, and many of my beloved family and friends can feel free to vouch for me on this in the comment section below. 

However, I find that running has been gradually, slightly, changing all of that.

Case in point: When I ran the Firecracker 4 race on July 4th, I was excitedly recapping the experience over dinner to my sister Maureen later that same day. Sitting in on the conversation, eating his barbecued ribs contentedly, was my most favorite early riser, an easy-going and kind-hearted person who may be less accustomed to -- although he is quickly learning about (and I hope, learning to love tolerate?) -- my sleeping habits, than my family, who have understood for years now that calling me or asking me to do anything important before 10 a.m. is pointless. 

So, I told Maureen that I had voluntarily -- in fact, eagerly -- risen at 7 a.m. on that day, a Sunday, to prepare for the 8 a.m. race.

Her mouth went agape.

Aghast, she turned to my good-looking, rib-eating companion and warned him, "You know she doesn't do that, right?"

"I know," he replied, with a smile and some degree of complacency.

But, fantastically enough, I have done that. And though I'm not about to give up night running and all of its magic (more on that in another post) I will continue to do that for races -- Saturday is the Fasig-Tipton 5K at 8 a.m., which I'm planning to participate in -- and, with any luck, for the occasional pre-work workout. Because running tired and early is better than not running at all.