Brakes ... what brakes?

Pre-workout fuel: Slice of whole-wheat toast with reduced-fat peanut butter and half-caff coffee
Workout: Ran 6.02 miles in 52 minutes, 9 seconds; average pace, 8:39.


The glow of the street lights offset the black sky. A breeze nearly chilled my ears. And the sidewalks were vacant as I set off on my run at 6:30 a.m.

For all that is said about running with a buddy, and I do enjoy the company of Denali and Mark on a run, there is also something to be said about running alone. In the darkness of morning, I could listen to my feet. Hear my breathing. I could settle into my thoughts - no matter how scattered they seem to be in these moments.

What should be my strategy for Fort-4-Fitness?

Will the tiny grocer across the street have Morningstar "sausage" links?

Should I try to rein in the pace?

I really want pancakes.

And when it all gets to be too much, you can turn your focus to your form. Melt the shoulders. Control the breathing. Land on the mid-foot. Rolls off the toes.

I looked for the sun over the river as I navigated the trail but I could not find it. The sky was overcast and, later, I'd find a bit of relief in a light drizzle as I tackled the last of my tempo miles.

But though the morning brought out a sort of peace, this run was not the "let's run forever because it feels so good" kind. It was a good, hard workout. Comfortably uncomfortable, if that makes any sense. Six miles, 4 at tempo. My splits were ridiculous: 8:24, 8:14, 8:11, 8:05. It's a far cry from the 8:54 Runner's World prescribed. I'd complain but it's hard to when the day is just so beautiful.

Do you like to run with a partner or alone?