Sunset in morning

My dad had a saying that he frequently used, "sunset at night, sailor's delight, sunset in morning, sailor take warning!" He was in the Marines during the Korean War and I suspect this is one of many anecdotes he brought back.

It's been a strange winter weather-wise in Vermont this year. We've had almost no snow and the temperatures have been inconsistent to say the least. As a triathlete I train year-round and that means running outside all winter. On Tuesday I did a hard session on my indoor bike trainer, then quickly changed into running gear for an easy 4 miler. I dressed for the cold, but it was more frigid than I expected, about 5'F to be exact. Needless to say, I ran faster than planned because my face got numb and my hands really hurt.

This morning my training plan said to do a pace progression run for an hour. This is a good, hard workout, but not so intense that it defines how you feel for the rest of the day. For me it's 20 minutes building to a steady run, then 3x7:00 minutes of work interval with 3 minutes rest in between, each interval faster than the previous one, with a 10 minute cool-down back to home.

I like this workout and, as we're in March now, the days are getting longer so I don't have to run in the dark as much. Even though Tuesday was bitter, this morning was mild and breezy, temperatures in the 50's. It was a pleasure to step outside into the half light and start ticking over the legs.

Not long into the run the sky began to turn pink. It was beautiful as there were some light puffy clouds to catch the color. The "sunset in morning" didn't last very long, but, despite the portent that my Dad's saying whispered in my head, for me, on this day, it was a great accompaniment to my workout.

Simply put, I didn't take warning. Instead I hammered out three good intervals, reveling in the light, the color, the mild air, and the peace that comes to me when I am moving under my own power swiftly enough to sense the speed as the Vermont landscape slides past.

Maybe some day I'll be a sailor, but for now triathlon is my thing, Kona Ironman is my dream, and I'll take all the uplifting sunrises I can get.