:: penelly ::

Since suzysiu and nadz0r have been writing a bit about their exercise routines, I thought I might write something about what I've been up to.

For the last week (well, for five out of the seven days) I've been getting up at 6am and going for a walk and/or a jog. This is very unlike me. Six is when the cat wakes me up with meowing, demanding his breakfast. I am really not a morning person, so getting up to feed him is a huge inconvenience and was beginning to make me grumpy.

However, I've now discovered that if I get my workout clothes/shoes ready the night before, putting them on is the hardest bit about the morning. Once I'm dressed and out the door and into the quiet cool of the suburb, it's absolutely beautiful. I've been walking up streets and laneways I hadn't ventured into before, and finding a new route every day just to keep it interesting. It's really fun learning how all the different streets and suburbs around here are connected.

Some days I just walk and look around me. It's so peaceful at that time of day (ie. virtually no cars on King St or Enmore Rd) and you see and hear things that you wouldn't normally get to. I'm loving it. I might take my camera with me sometimes and take some photos. The light of the rising sun hitting the terrace houses and the gumtrees is exquisite.

Most days I walk for a bit and then start running. Normally I can't run around the streets of my suburb much, because I have to stop for traffic lights or cars and that's a drag, but when it's so early I have the streets to myself, which is just awesome. I can even jog on the road if I want. And there's no-one to see me in my workout gear all sweaty and puffed.

The other benefit of getting up so early is having a couple of extra hours in the day to do stuff. I was inspired to do it a while ago when I read this article about becoming an early riser, but I never got into it because I *hate* the mornings so much. Hopefully, though, if I keep at this for a bit longer it will become a routine - a habit - and then it'll be easier.