A rest is as good as a change.

So... No early morning run today.

I've always run around 6am, getting up early, warming up and then running on an empty stomach. I just prefer it this way - I seem to have better results, and feel more motivated for the rest of the day if I start out with a few miles knowing everyone else is still sleeping or staring bleary eyed into their cornflakes.

But not today. Today I decided that I'm going to run in the evening. With Kasia. This is another big step for me, but I'll come to that in a minute.

Having worked in retail management for many years, I've always worked odd shifts, with weird days off, and my current job has been no different; 6 days a week, sometimes not returning home before midnight. That was up until a couple of weeks ago, whereupon I transferred to an office based role (go me), and now work regular Mon-Fri shifts, and have my evenings free.

So now I can finally get an evening routine together. The problem with an early morning run is that unless it’s your day off, you’re going to be on a time limit, even if you start at 6am. It’s not conducive to training for a marathon, and it probably isn’t that great for your body to go from sleeping to a punishing routine in a matter of minutes, regardless of the warm up.

So yeah, Evenings are where we’re at now. I did feel kind of restless this morning though, staring at my running kit laid out ready, and doubtless feeling betrayed. Somehow, maybe because I thought I had more time, I ended up being ten minutes late for work anyway.

Back to running with Kasia. I’ve always run alone. Well, as alone as possible. I tried running with my brother about ten years ago, but it was clear he wasn’t really into it, and ran about half my pace. He introduced me to a friend of his, who he assured me was “the fastest guy I know”, and although I enjoyed the company for a few weeks, he too soon gave up.

Running clubs do not appeal to me; don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of them, but they’re not for me, mostly because I can be rather competitive. No, I like the solitude of me vs. road.

So running with my girlfriend is going to be a new experience.

Is there an etiquette for it?