4:40am

4:40 am! That is the time that my alarm sounds. I hate 4:40 am. However, because my alarm goes off at 4:40 am, I drag myself out of bed, thinking lots and lots of bad words. With a whole stream of reasons why I should not be out of bed flowing amongst those bad words.

Then I somehow manage to put my contacts in. Which at 4:45 am in the morning is not an easy task.  Even my eyeballs rebel against the cruel and unusual punishment of being open let alone being subjected to contacts at 4:47 am. 

Somehow with minimal stumbling I manage to dress and leave my house by 4:55. By this time my brain is a little more awake and a little more accepting of the 4:40 wake up call. Most mornings I swing by and grab a friend or she swings by and grabs me. Just depends on who is moving a little quicker at this ridiculous hour.

We drive to the gym complaining about the stupid snow and how winter has to end eventually. We really don't understand the whole concept of global warning when there is a foot of snow sitting on our previously snowless yards. It is 5:00 in the morning, it is cold, we are tired, and whose idea is it to be out of bed in the cold anyway.

5:05 we are at the gym walking in the dark through the frozen parking lot. We are hit with a blast of warmth as we walk in to the gym. Which sends a message to your brain, warm must go back to sleep. Whatever, no sleep your at the gym. 

The gym is actually at a pool the pool is downstairs the gym is upstairs. After clocking in there is a two story climb up stairs to get to the machines. Stupid stairs, I swear it is the hardest part of my workout each day. Who wants to climb two flights of stairs at 5:10 in the morning. I could use the elevator but that makes me feel like a pansy. Would a person who uses the elevator at the gym be at the gym at 5:10 in the morning?

Today is spin day. Which means we head to the spin room. Set up the bike, climb on to the bike and start moving our legs. Today's instructor is Melissa who thankfully is not a, "Isn't it great to be here at 5:15am in the morning girl." She looks and drags herself in just as bed raggled as the rest of us. At least there is that.

She tells you to start warming up and every part of your body says, "NO GO HOME GO TO BED." It is 5:15 I am awake, I am at the gym, I am on the bike, and I still don't want to be. Pretty soon the class is going, up hill, down hill, fast, faster, fastest, up the hill, stand up, sit down, go, go, go. 

No time to think about sleeping have to concentrate on breathing. It is 6:15 and I  am finally allowed to slow down. Sweat is dripping into my eyes, running down my back, it even looks like I am entered into a wet t-shirt contest. Scary! My nose is running, my heart is beating fast, and best of all the endorphins are soaring.

It is 6:20 am my muscles are loose, my mood is up, I am walking to my car as the sun is rising. All I am thinking is, "I love getting up at 4:40am!"