When I woke suddenly early Friday, and found the clock reading 2:45, I saw it as an opportunity. And even though I was working on a short night of sleep, I decided to get up and ready myself for a run around Lake Bemidji.

While I didn’t leave the house for a couple hours, the thermometer reading was 46 degrees – setting up for a perfect morning for a long run. And it started well with a nice comfortable pace.

But things slowed considerably by the time I reached the 4-mile mark, setting me up for a long grind. It didn’t really matter, though, because I really just wanted to get time on my feet and enjoy a perfect morning.

My plan for the weekend – a test of endurance – was to get a long swimming session in today, along with a short ride, and a longer ride and short run on Sunday before embarking on another long run Monday. Consider it a jump start on training for next year’s triathlon schedule.

This morning, though, I woke up feeling tired – and I never really could shake it. While I zipped over to campus for my swim, it didn’t go well. I felt exhausted and out of breath the whole time, prompting me to cut the workout short. Afterward, I circled the lake and promptly called it a day. My hope is to relax, recharge and take another stab at it on Sunday.