I am SO a morning person. One day last week, while driving my children to a doctor’s appointment I had conveniently (for me anyway) scheduled at 7:45 a.m., my son commented out of the blue, half-dozing, half awake. “I just don’t know why you do that.”
Hank is in tenth grade.
“I just don’t know why you get up so early. Why do you do that?”
I thought for a minute. By the time I responded, Hank had fallen back asleep, this time with his head against the passenger side window. I responded anyway. “Because, it’s the one time of the day I own.”
My Mom got sober in 1970. I was in fourth grade. Not shortly after, she started running. She would launch out of the house, the screen door slamming behind her, feet to follow on the gravel pathway just outside. One hour later she would come back, perspiring, red-faced and happy. She was literally transforming before my very eyes.
My mom was tall, svelte and quite elegant. She was captain of the basketball team and Homecoming Queen. She went to Smith College and shortly after, met my father. He drove onto campus, one fall day, in a baby blue convertible and the rest was history.
Mary still is the most authentic woman I’ve ever known. In March of 1970, she hit bottom. It took a couple of tries before sobriety “stuck” but once it did, she became a tremendous advocate for women struggling to get sober. She started working at a local alcohol treatment facility and sponsored dozens of women in a 12-step program. She wrote poetry, read poetry and even had a number of her poems published. She competed in many local 5k’s, winning her age group. She started running longer distances and competed in a number of 10k’s, 15k’s and even one half-marathon.
In 1974, I joined her on one of her early morning runs. I was 14. She was 52. The sun was not yet up. The screen door screeched “good morning”, our feet hit the gravel and we were soon journeying through our neighborhood. I ran one block with her–about a mile. We didn’t say a word. Our feet rhythmically hit the hard cement in unison, our breath in and out—mantra like–the crisp edge to approaching autumn filling our lungs. I had never experienced anything quite like it…the quiet, the fellowship, the power.
I started running regularly with my Mom. The one-mile block grew into two blocks and then three. Eventually we were running eight, nine and ten miles together, usually first thing in the morning. And no matter how crazy my “other life” got (high school, college, my 20’s) meeting my mom for that early morning run was a welcoming sanctuary, where mother-daughter became woman-woman…where I felt connected, loved and whole in spite of the low feelings of self-worth during the remainder of my day.
I am quite convinced that Girls on the Run came about in part…due to those mornings runs with my Mom. The distance in our age slipped away and we were just two women…running and sharing something that even now, words cannot do justice.
There is something quite magical about the early mornings. These days it is simple… a cup of coffee, a lit candle and then time to just be with myself, by myself, while I run. The sound of night crickets crosses over to early birds, traffic, school buses and my children just waking. I have learned a lot about myself on my early morning runs…time to think, ponder, wonder and be. The weariness of the day hasn’t yet soaked in and my big ideas, hopes and dreams somehow seem to feel more honest, doable and realistic. There is a gleaming optimism that shines with each morning…not yet tarnished by carpools, homework and laundry.
I love to run in the morning. The solitude, quiet and expectation of the day feeds my idealism, hope and belief in my life’s work, my children’s futures and the future of all children. I am fueled by the certainty with which I write these words on this morning… that if I seek the good, then the good will come.
MOLLY BARKER is the founder of Girls on the Run International, Athleta's charitable partner. A four-time Ironman Hawaii finisher who holds a master's in social work, Molly combined her passion for sport, her counseling and teaching expertise, and her research on adolescent issues to develop and deliver the first Girls on the Run® curriculum to 13 girls in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1996. The innovative, experiential program combines training for a 5k event with life-changing, confidence building lessons that enhance the physical and mental health of 8 to 12 year-old girls. Today, Girls on the Run is offered in over 150 cities across North America and hundreds of thousands of girls and women’s lives have been changed by the program. Learn more and get involved at GirlsontheRun.org »
Thank you for this beautiful article!It is an inspiration!
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Wonderful story!
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Lovely. While I’m running mid-day today, this makes me want to rush to tomorrow so I can run in the morning.
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Thanks ~ I love posts about running!
I went to college with Molly’s daughter – Molly spoke in one of our women’s studies classes about GOTR and it inspired me to become a mentor/coach of our local GOTR. Through this experience I realized that the most important thing to demonstrate to these young girls is one’s own personal relationship with [insert whatever empowers you! - running, biking, yoga]. Finding my own confidence through running was key, and this article illustrates that beautifully.
I’m still not a morning person!
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You ROCK, Molly!! I love you! You are one Incredible person!!
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Love the early morning runs too.
I work from home and could choose any time of the day. But, I have a friend. She is a teacher. She is early morning OR not at all.
I sacrifice at get up at 4:15am to run with her – and it makes the rest of the day feel like magic. It’s a guilt free magic. Because the best thing I did happened right away. Run.
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I was an early morning, before work, runner for years…over 10 years worth. The beauty of the earth and sky before sunrise, and the quietude is just amazing to experience. I am no longer a road warrior, but I still get up at 5 AM to have my coffee, email friends and workout before I go to work at 8:30. Watching the dark sky become lighter and the day break in peace and quiet in the house is such a good start to the day. Exercising in the early morning sets a positive tone for the day. What an inspiring story! It is so easy to fit in exercising with early morning motivation!
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I can totally relate, except at the opposite end of the day. For the same reasons, I’ve always cherished the night time. Everything is done for the day and I can quiet my mind and enjoy the peacefulness of the night hours. If I didn’t have to get up early to take care of my toddler, I’d probably fit it more nighttime runs!
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I love your positive energy. I am not a morning person, but I have recently found swimming to be an activity that quiets my mind. As my body enters the water all I can hear is my breathing and that takes me to my internal quiet mind. I then, can do as you wrote. My day seems clearer and motivation grabs my attention.
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A wonderful & inspiring story!!!!!!!!!! Thank you! Like you, I prefer those early morn runs with the peace around me or as much of it I can get in southern CA!
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Thanks for the article! I too ran w/a parent, but it was my dad and it was at night. Now I, like you, prefer to run in the morning and marvel at the possibilities that the day holds. I help out w/the running club at my son’s elementary school and love to see the feeling of pride on the faces of the kids, girls and boys alike. Some of our kids are from low-income families and running is an inexpensive way to keep fit and shine! Happy trails!
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You capturing the morning run perfectly! I have never been a morning person but I have found that I AM a morning person when I am getting up to run. Knowing that it holds the beginning of my day is enough to get me up. Very inspiring…thank you!
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My daughter has participated in the GOTR for what is now her third season. It is such an amazing program and has made such a profound difference on her self esteem issues. Thank you for starting such an amazing program. Once my youngest, now 4, is old enough I hope to be a coach. Thank you!
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What a wonderful story – thank you for sharing Molly! I can relate to your joy of early morning runs, and pretty much for the same reasons too.
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Thanks for sharing this wondeful story Molly! I too am an early morning road warrior…it’s the best time to run for me…it literally prepares me to meet the day!
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Thank you for sharing your lovely story. You clearly also have a gift of writing like your mother.
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