There Are Worse Things

People have all sorts of habits that keep them up too late at night. They stay up to watch TV, read, use the computer, go to the bar, talk on the phone.

But, oh no, not me.

What is it that always keeps me up way beyond my bed time?

It is the evil runner voice in my head.

You know that classic picture of an angel on one shoulder, and a devil on the other. Yeah, that devil would be my evil runner voice. It talks me into doing irrational things.

It'll get to be 10:00 or so, and I'll start getting this itch to run. I try to talk myself out of it.

I tell myself that today is an off day. I don't have to run.

I tell myself that I have to be to work early. I will be tired if I don't get to bed.

I tell myself that I need to do other things. There are bills that need paid or laundry that needs folded.

But that nagging little runner's voice in my head wins out the majority of the time.

You see, it is 1:00 AM, and I just finished running 5 miles.

And today was supposed to be an off day.

I was sitting at my computer, listening to music while making my RBF CD, and the music was making me want to run.

Then I started thinking about how dreadfully busy I am going to be for the next two days.

And that lead to me wondering when I was going to fit in my 5 mile long run this week.

The evil runner voice kept telling me to go do it now. But the rational voice kept saying, "But it's midnight! We can't start a run at midnight!"

Evil runner voice, "Sure we can! How about if we just run a mile or two?"

Rational voice, "Well.... that might not be so bad."

Evil runner thinking......"Ah Ha, Gotcha!"

Yeah, so I get on the treadmill and start running.

I hit the 3 mile mark, and rational voice says, "Well, we should stop now."

Evil runner voice says, "If we went 3, we may as well go 5 and get the long run over with."

Rational voice, "But it's sooo late."

Evil runner voice, "What's 25 more minutes going to matter?"

Rational voice, "Fine! You win."

Yeah.

There are worse habits, I suppose.