Running

So, seeing as I couldn't sleep last night... I woke up at 2:15am and couldn't get back to sleep, try as I might... I got up at 3:15am. After folding laundry and tidying up, I decided I would go for a run. By the time I walked out the door it was about 4am. I ran straight from my house to Lake Merritt. This is a 6 mile run round trip. I am not fond of being outside alone in the dark in Oakland, but I was determined to not let that stop me. It took me about 11 minutes to do the first 1.5 miles. It is all down hill. As I arrived at the lake it was really dark. The lights strung around Lake Merritt are turned off at a certain time apparently. Not sure why I would have thought they would leave them on all night? That would be pretty wasteful. There was one lone light, a search light, like on a light house that moved in the same way. I found that a bit ironic - a light house on a small lake. A beacon. By then I had seen a few random people. One guy starting his shift at Safeway, another walking around the lake. Obviously nothing was open. It was dark. There was a bite of cold in the air. It felt good, refreshing. As I started clockwise around Lake Merritt at "the columns," I was a little concerned about how dark everything was. The sun really doesn't start to come up until at least 5am. There are a few spots on the far side of the lake that are REALLY dark and people could easily be lurking without being seen. But I wanted this run. I wanted to be brave. I had my music pumping. Loud. And then I saw it... one of many rats that crossed my path as I made my way around. Ew. Yuck. At one point, one actually came very close to running right over my foot! I am not really squeemish, but that was a bit much! There were so many rats out there I couldn't believe it. Running into their little dens to get away from the giant coming their way. I came around and was in the last stretch before going back up Grand Avenue, there was a cop car parked on the lawn, under a tree. As soon as I got a few feet from it, a bright search light flashed over me. If I hadn't been so much in my own world I would have waved! It did startle me and for a moment I thought they might come after me. I think the hours of the lake are sun up to 10pm or something. But they didn't. And I was back on my own, in the dark.
I made it home in 1 hour 11 minutes. That is a respectable time: 11:50 per mile. My ears were ringing. I guess I had my music up louder than I had thought.
Now I have to tell my running partner that I already went running today. I hope she doesn't get too upset. Now I am super tired. That is the problem with getting up long before the crack of dawn. You feel like crap most of the rest of the day. So far so good, but I expect I will crash at around 3pm or so.
So, I feel like I will be ready for the SF 1/2 Marathon we have been training for on 7/26/09. I am a bit anxious about how warm it is going to be, given it has been in the 80s the last couple of days! I hate running in the heat and would rather run in the rain any day. We will see.