Change.

Here's the deal: I am old.

I will be 40 in a little more than two months. There were days in my youth where I could stay up most of the night and get up at 8 a.m. There were days in my youth where I worked from 4 p.m. to midnight, then got home in time for the late-night baby feeding, heading to bed around 2:30 a.m., only to be woken at 5 a.m. by a 3-year-old.

From 1999 to 2004 or so, I slept about three hours a night. I am glad those days are OVER.

My current running/workout schedule looks like this: Monday through Friday, 4 a.m. 6- or 8-mile runs; Wednesday and Friday, 45-minute session at the gym; Saturday, 6 a.m. 10-, 12- or 15-mile runs; and on Sunday, I rest.

(Ha. A mom rest? I crack myself up.)

Wednesday is a pretty busy day for me. I have my 4 a.m. run, work, my 45-minute session at the gym, and I teach a twirling class from 6:10-6:40 in the evening. I am addicted to "Top Chef," and that comes on at 9 (my usual bedtime).

So in addition to my busier-than-usual schedule, I am also staying up later than usual. And when the alarm goes off at 4 a.m. on Thursday, I do not want to get up.

I still want to do some sort of exercise/activity/workout six days a week. Something has to be changed:

I need to:

• Get younger. That isn't going to happen.
• Cut out my activities on Wednesday. Again, not going to happen.
• Stop watching my beloved "Top Chef." Ummm...no.
• Stop running, or take two days off a week. NO!
• Change up my schedule. BINGO!

So here's the plan: Thursdays are my new off day. Now, once it gets warmer and the time changes, I may do some sort of running/walking/biking in the evening, but right now, it's an off day. Sunday, I'm going to run. It won't be early in the morning, and it won't be late at night. There is usually a couple of hours on Sunday where I don't really have anything I have to do, so I'll just run then.

See, you can exercise if you really want to. Really!