Good morning, my friends!
I hope you’re all settling back into the workweek after the nice long holiday weekend! I decided the best way to get myself back on a work schedule quickly was to drag myself out of bed for an early run yesterday morning. This view was worth it, don’t you think?
Because you know I never like running alone (especially in the early morning), I had a buddy with me – my friend Mary!
Excuse our early morning/sweaty/no makeup situation. Just keepin’ it real over here.
I was in the mood for a longer-ish run, which was perfect because Mary was, too! We decided on 7 miles, and set out bright and early to make our way down towards our favorite running areas – along the water and down by the monuments. The sky was so cool yesterday morning!
Over the bridge we go!
I was wearing the brightest shirt in the universe for the occasion.
The colorful shirt is the Brooks Essential LS 1/2 Zip, which is my all-time favorite shirt from their brand – I have it in blue, too, and it’s SO soft, comfy, and flattering. It’s perfect to wear on its own, or layered over a long sleeved shirt if it’s colder out. Love the thumbholes, too!
Brooks sent the shirt to me in neon yellow a few weeks ago in honor of November being National Running Safety Month. It’s part of their NightLife line, which is a line of clothing that makes sure you are visible when out running in the dark morning or evenings of winter! The NightLife line features strategically placed contrast fabrics, retroreflective detail and active lighting to heavily increase not just visibility, but also recognition. This is important for runners to be seen and also recognized as a person vs. a traffic cone!
When we made it down to the reflecting pool, we decided to make a detour over to the tidal basin to catch the continuing sunrise. Beautiful!
This was a bit of a rough run – one of those mornings where my legs were just NOT feeling it – but views like this and great company definitely kept me going.
Our final mile of the run was steep uphill – man it was a challenge on my sluggish legs. Mary was a great motivator and we encouraged each other to keep it up until we hit 7 miles. I’m so glad she was with me – I definitely would have given up and walked had I been alone!
I forgot to restart my watch after my handstand antics, so here’s a picture of hers. We kept up a great average pace, especially given the hill!
Thanks for keeping me going out there, girl!
How’s your running going this week? Any successes or challenges to share?
Do you wear bright/reflective clothing if you run in the dark or at dawn/dusk? Stay safe out there, my friends!
