early:dark-thirty

Clusters of streetlights make my shadow multiply as I dance past them in this otherwise-dark landscape. It is 5:10 a.m. and I've just crested the Slope and entered Prospect Park. I am one mile into a five-mile run.

I woke at 4:30 this morning, intent on getting in this week's long run before having to zip off to PT. After a half-hour of waking up, peeing, eating, drinking, and the like, I got out the door. The temperature was comfortable, much lower than the last few runs, and the haze and humidity had also diminished. True to the famed "darkness before the dawn", it was very dark, even for NYC. And quiet, too, I reflected as I jogged my way up the first block. The absolute serenity of the hour impressed me. Continuing up the slope, taking mini-breathers of jogging one block over for every block up I ran, I quickly made my way to the park entrance.

The loop around the park was serene and beautiful. The birds wake just before dawn around here, as the grey light of false dawn begins brightening the hidden horizon. In my first mile, I saw only one other runner and one bicyclist. By mile two, about 5:30, I began to see a lot of walkers and a few more runners. More importantly, the sun had started to rise and all the high, wispy clouds were tinged with shades of salmon and pink. Oddly enough, the lake looked exactly as it did last winter when it was frozen over. There were no ripples or waves. Maybe the ducks weren't awake yet.

I had the park to myself again as I pounded up the north hill and before I knew it I was on the west drive. I was somewhat surprised to find myself coming out of the trees at the bandshell; it didn't feel like I'd run far enough to be there already. I exited the park where I came in and had a quick, easy jog downhill towards home.

Fantastic run, all told; hardly felt like work. Getting out of bed so early wasn't even that bad, though I don't want to make a habit of it.

To top it off, I had a great session afterwards at physical therapy and then had a great checkup at my doctor's. My lung function is up! I have better numbers than I've had for a couple of years. I had a chance to check the accuracy of my pulse oxymeter with my doctor's and it's good. What surprised me, though, is that my resting heartrate hovers around 60! (I haven't checked resting heartrate since before the marathon and back then it was around 70 just after waking.)

And there's the Met's Run tomorrow morning, too, which should be a glorious, fast, exciting 5K!