What a Difference a (Time of) Day Makes

This week, I'm attempting the FLUX CAPACITOR Challenge — exercising at a different time than usual (see Contest Rules in the sidebar on the right for more details ... then suggest a challenge for our AUDIENCE CHOICE Challenge).

An aside: I'm a bit shocked by how many people don't know what a Flux Capacitor is. Hello! It's the device that makes time travel possible! I'm not judging, but I am saying I feel sorry for you if Back to the Future wasn't a formative part of your childhood. Deloreans! Orange Vests! 88 Miles Per Hour!

Anyway ... I'm at my most creative at night, and I've never considered myself a morning person or an athlete. But a job change forced me to switch from a sunrise shift to more reasonable work hours. Surprisingly, I began to fill my mornings with exercise. Even more surprisingly, I enjoyed it.

Now, as the sun rises later and later, it's hard to fit in running, icing my knee, and Starbucks (I'm a bit of an addict, and the baristas at Starbucks in Crestline totally make my day). Seems like the perfect time to try running in the afternoon.

Some things I already love about running at the end of the day: the feeling of running shoes after a day in heels (absolutely amazing), the smell of Davenport's Pizza Palace after a hard run, and the energy I have all night so I avoid collapsing in front of the TV.

And things I miss about the morning: Waking up with the neighborhood, smelling the lavender in front of The Cook Store (what is it with me and scents?), and the energy to make it through a work day in a cubicle.

I feel stronger and run farther in the afternoon, but I'm less concerned with what people think of me in the morning.

No matter your feelings (or appalling lack of knowledge) about Flux Capacitors, this challenge has given me the guts to change my routine and get out on the trail even when I'm uncomfortable and intimidated. Will I switch mornings for afternoons? Jury's still out. But there's one thing I really love, and that's having the courage to change things up.