Here Comes the Night

Summer is starting to wind down. The nights are getting a bit cooler, the school bus is passing by my house, my black-eyed susans are curling up and browning. Autumn is my favorite season of the year, except for one very notable thing. The shorter daytime hours mean that I have to transition into evening running. It is just too dark for me to leave the house before 6am without the fear of a coyote jumping on me or the boogeyman hiding behind the trees waiting to get me. It is an irrational fear of the dark I suppose, but one that hinders me.

I struggle with evening running. In order to make sure I get those runs in I have to plan every evening out in detail, and at least a week in advance. Forget about the nights I have to drive kids to ballet or tap or cub scouts, even a magician couldn't fit in a run on those nights. Count in B. working OT on a few nights, and then the dinners that must be ready BEFORE I head out the door, or I come home to a hungry, whiny, demanding family. It is stressful for me, and tends to make me anxious about an activity that usually relaxes me.

I could try to get over the morning darkness fear. Right now it is only dark when I start out, by the time I am halfway done running morning is dawning. I could probably squeeze out a couple more weeks before my runs would be in total darkness-something I would NOT consider doing at all! I am trying to reassure myself that I can do this-I still have two 5k's and a 10k left before my season is over, and I have goals that have not been met~ so I have to find a way to get those runs in and overcome the morning or evening obstacles that stand in my way.