Remember this.

In two weeks (or hell, tomorrow), when I don't want to get up at 5 a.m. and run, I will remind myself of these things:

1. It's still a bazillion degrees at 5 a.m., but it FEELS much cooler.

2. You run and then you're done. It's like gaining an extra hour or two. I'd just be sleeping anyway; might as well DO SOMETHING, right?

3. Running when it's still dark outside reduces the whole sock tan line thing. (Also the sports bra tan line thing.)

4. If I want to run/walk/bike in the evening, I still can for a bonus workout!

5. Frees up my evenings for all the mad partying I do (falling asleep before 9 in the recliner while watching shows on TNT).

6. I know how many calories I've burned before I start the day. So if I want to be all crazy and have...ahem...cookies and cream fro-yo with dark chocolate chips mixed in for...ahem...lunch, I can. (I really have never done this. Really. I'm serious.)

7. I feel more alert, and I know I'm more relaxed in the morning. I'm not all trying to fit life in and run.

8. With the exception of a few neighbors who have to leave for work that early in the morning, I'm alone. That's always been one of the big attractions about running for me -- I'm literally never alone. I'm am at home with the kids (who even at 10.5 and almost 13 still have this innate sense of when I'm in the bathroom and inevitably knock on the door to ask some horrifically urgent question: "Ummm, Mom? Can I have some popcorn?") or I'm at work or at the grocery store or, or, or... When I was running in the evenings, my kids were usually outside playing (which is awesome), but they always wanted to flag me down to ask, again, some urgent question: "What are we having for supper?" "How many miles do you have left?" "What would happen if you were our mom, but Dad wasn't our dad? Would Kyle still have blue eyes?" (I am not making this stuff up, people.)

9. I feel more accomplished. Yes, I know. It's not like I discovered a cure for cancer or something, but I got up at 5 and ran 6 miles!

10. I'm able to run faster. When I was running in the evenings, I was averaging 12- to 13-minute miles. UGH! In the mornings, I can consistently run 9-minute miles. That means I'm done with my 6 miles in less than an hour! I'm going to move to 8 milers next week.