The kids went off to granny and papa's house last night for a sleepover and DH had to get up at 4am for work, so I figured I'd go to bed nice and early (9pm) and get up at 4am also so I could try for 5 miles before work. (I don't have to be in until 1pm today, but since the kids spent the night at granny's house, I told work I'd come in around 8am) So I popped a melatonin at 8:30 and crawled into bed around 9...and then it began. The dogs (one is 15 months, the other is 6 months) decided that it was play time. They ran all through the house, barking, whining and carrying on, non-stop. About 1am, it was quiet...DH says, "You awake?"

...I am now...then he tells me that he locked the dogs outside in the backyard. The big one (a bullmastiff/malamute mix) I don't worry about, but the little one (a terrier/hound/something??? mix) has escaped before. He manages to find or create holes between the fence slats and gets out. We think we plugged them all, but I cannot sleep soundly knowing that he is outside in the backyard. So I try letting them in...little dude comes in but big girl is all sprawled out on the deck, enjoying the clear, cool night air....fine, stay there. Little dude came into our room and laid down to sleep...until he realized that his big sister wasn't around. So now he won't stop whining! Ugh

! I think DH finally got up and put him outside too because when the alarm went off at 4am, they were both back outside.
Sorry for the rambling...back to my point...I dragged my sleepy self out of bed at 4:15am and finally hit the road at 4:45. I had no delusions of grandeur since I was so tired. I was thinking that 3 miles would be my distance goal but I was determined to be at or under 12:30 no matter what. It was nice and cool outside (49 degrees!) with no clouds and a bright, full moon. I was throroughly enjoying my run and, again, wished I had more time. I did my 1/4 mile walk to warm up then started the 4/2 intervals. I hit my inhaler one time which cleared my chest tightness right up and it never returned. I made it back home and stopped my watch without looking...oops...3.24 miles

. UGH!!! I should have gone across the street one more time for a nice, even 3.25 miles. My pace? 12:30 exactly

. It felt good, I wasn't too winded and I still got in at a 12:30 pace. I looked at my splits and the second mile was faster than the first (obviously, since I walked the first 1/4) and my third mile was faster than my second. Oh how I wish I could have kept going!
I will probably try to run tomorrow and then I will see what the weekend brings. It is my 4-day weekend ON so running time will be at a premium.

Good luck to all you other pavement-pounders! Get out there and run....LUSHES UNITE

!