Post Image for the record, i do not enjoy running. i tolerate it, as i actually feel like i've done something worthy of being called "exercise" when i'm done. but there are days that i think a run through the quiet denver streets at 5 am might be enough to make me a true running convert.

with the continued onset of summer, the days are getting longer in the mile high city. the sun is resting its head for the day just after 8 pm mst, and what used to be a pitch dark morning sky now has a glimmer of the impending day when i slide on my shoes and unravel my ipod cord. i tend to run through the neighborhood toward downtown, so that i can run on the even pavement of the street without having to play dodgecar or "will tanya break an ankle on the 'historic' denver sidewalk?" given that i live to the northwest of downtown proper, by the time i reach the best spot to look out over the cityscape, the sun has just broken the skyline and the city that i love so much is bathed in this incredible golden pink hue. that moment makes me fall in love just a little bit more, and for 5 seconds, i forget that i'm sucking wind, my calves hurt, and that i'm basically torturing myself.

this morning was particularly grand. after weeks of rain/snow and cold, un-springlike temps, it was 65 when the alarm punched me in the head at 4:45 am. i ran in shorts. my light sweatshirt was totally unnecessary. and for the first time since i started running (which was september/october of last year), walking outside at that godawful hour of the day wasn't so painful. the weather, the clear sky - today, the cityscape looked as it only usually does in photographs. clean. a little sleepy but with the hint of a boiling life underneath. perfect.

i don't like running. but it sets my day off on the right foot. i always feel like i can conquer anything after a good run. i feel better physically and emotionally, and that means i want to make better choices. and when set with a picture-perfect backdrop like i saw today, i almost enjoy the torture. almost.