On Walks, Routines and Breaking Up with My Snooze Button

Anyone who knows me (especially those who have worked with me) knows that I am not a morning person. Dragging my butt out of bed may very well be the most difficult task I have to undertake each day. My snooze button is my best friend. I love him with all my heart. And yet our relationship is really not good for me. I habitually oversleep and thus I am habitually late for work. It’s a wonder I’ve yet to ever really be fired.

I’m hoping all of that will soon change, however.

(That came out wrong. I’m not hoping to really be fired soon. I’m hoping to start getting my butt out of bed earlier soon. And while I am in this parenthetical space, I’d like to state for the record that I do not look nearly so good as the guy in the picture above when I hit my snooze button in the morning. A boy can dream, however.)

Going against type, I got up rather early on Sunday morning. It was a gorgeous spring morning and so I decided to get outside and go for a walk. There was little traffic. Most people were still asleep. It was the perfect atmosphere for walking.

And so I walked. I took in the sunshine and all the trees that were blooming. And I walked. I marveled at the colors of the various flowers I passed. And I walked some more. I bopped to my iPod and enjoyed working up a little sweat. And then I found myself at Lake Michigan.

Walking to the lake from my apartment is roughly a three-mile walk. Walking back is obviously the same distance. And so on Sunday morning I was able to claim that I walked for six miles before most of the world had even had their first cup of coffee.

It all felt pretty damn good.

As the day wore on, I got to thinking about my walk. It really did feel good to be out and about before most people. It definitely felt good to be active. I’m still plugging away on my bid to be the unofficial biggest loser, and the walk was a nice addition.

So I have decided to try and make it a part of my daily routine. I’m going to start getting up early enough that I can take a nice long walk before I have to start getting ready for work. I think with enough willpower, I can do it. I cut soda completely out of my diet a few weeks ago. How hard can it be to take a walk each day?

All I have to do is set my alarm a little earlier (and not hit my beloved snooze button).