Those Early Morning Runners

 

“If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves.” – Thomas Edison

As I pulled out of my driveway onto Ocean Boulevard at 5:45 a.m. this morning, the street was dark and deserted — except for one lone runner huffing and puffing his way along the beach side of the road. I wondered what he does and what possesses him to get into such a high gear so early in the morning.

What were you doing at 5:45 this morning? Or 6:15?

It’s 6:15 now. I’ve opened my warehouse office, cleared my inboxes, and snuck a quick look at the newspaper. For the next hour, I will be completely undisturbed. If there’s a soul in the office next to mine, he’s someone like me — someone wanting to get a jump on the day.

At 7:15, KH will come in and drag me to my morning Jiu Jitsu practice. It’s an experience I never look forward to and yet never regret doing. When that is over, I will have started my day off well. It will be 8 a.m. — still an hour before work officially begins.

My friend RW, who owns a $50 million teaching business, works like this. So does BB, a $100 million publisher. My sister works this way — and the business she is working for has been knocked over by the amount of good work she can crank out. (My prediction: She’ll be running her own business, if she wants, within two years.)

Early risers. What’s with them anyway?

Is the time you spend in the morning really that much better than the same amount of time you’d spend if you stayed up late the night before? Does it really help to exercise your body when 90% of the population is still horizontal?

You know what I think. What do you think? And what do you think about all these people out there in the early morning darkness, running or stretching or doing their tai chi?

What about the man with gray hair? The young woman? The 30-something Afro-American guy? What about that teenager?

What do you think about them? Share your thoughts with the rest of us on “Speak Out” (www.earlytorise.com)