Prepping for an early morning run

I am useless pretty much anytime before 9 a.m., but I'm at my worst when I have to leave early for running group. I do things like fall asleep on the toilet (yup) and pour orange juice into the cereal. And even when I do manage to get all geared up and out the door on time, I tend to forget things - like a change of underwear, for instance, or my lunch. (After running group, I go straight to work.)

Thus, any early morning run requires some preparation the night before so as to minimize damage/lateness/absence of essential articles of clothing:

• Make sure there's gas in the car.

• Grind coffee so that all I have to do is dump it into the machine, add water, and press start (though sometimes I simply press the off button without realizing it and walk away).

• Set pill bottles right next to the coffee maker so I don't forget to take my prescription before I leave.

• Place wallet, keys, and phone next to my bag. Otherwise, I won't be able to find them. Even if I place them *in* my bag, I will not be able to find them. They must be in my line of sight between the kitchen and the front door.

• Prepare lunch. Place all food in appropriate containers. Place containers in clear view in the fridge and on the counter. Place utensils next to food.

• Fill water filter pitcher.

• Lay out running clothes.

• Lay out towel, toiletries, change of clothes next to running gear. Include EVERYTHING I need. In the morning, I won't be functioning well enough to hunt for my stuff. I hate this part because I hate packing of any kind, however minimal.

• Check to make sure there is toilet paper in the bathroom.

Plan for tomorrow is to run ~4 miles, but I'm hoping to push for a few more. I think we can handle it - especially now that the weather's a bit cooler.