The woman's alarm went off every day, on cue, at 4 am. She could hear her husband breathing as he slept soundly beside her. She relished the perfect silence as everyone in her house slept but her.
She groaned slightly as she swung her legs off the bed. Her muscles complained as she stretched her arms into the air, her back cracking as she lengthened them up further. Yesterday's workout had been a tough one. She had done some strength training at her gym the previous day. The woman's passion lay in running though. She ran everyday, rain or shine,
She slipped on her workout clothing and grabbed her athletic tape. These days, she was having to tape more and more of her body in order to complete her runs. But she didn't mind the pain. In fact, secretly, the woman loved it.
The harder she worked her body, the more she felt it. This deep, visceral pain that radiated throughout her body. It was a challenge that she wanted to conquer. She reigned it in and overcame it. The only way to get rid of the pain was to run harder and faster.
At this point, she was running 7 days a week. It was like an addiction. She just couldn't stop.
She knew her husband was worried about her. He complained about her 4 am wake up calls and stressed the importance of rest but he didn't understand. He couldn't possibly fathom the feeling she got once she took that first step onto the pavement. The happiness that spread throughout her body as the pain subsided and the adrenaline kicked in.
The woman would never tell her husband the truth. Her early mornings were for herself and her workouts, but they were mostly so he didn't see how slowly she had to inch out of bed because her body was screaming. How she had to tape her ankles up tightly because the pressure was almost unbearable. He wouldn't understand.
She needed her running to survive. It was like breathing to her. If she stopped, she wasn't sure what would happen. And surely, if he knew, he would make her stop.
The woman leaned over to tie her shoes. She walked out the door and took a deep breath. And then she ran.
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