At first I thought, maybe I just ate too much.

Maybe I didn’t get enough sleep.

Am I overstressed?

But no matter what the variables, one thing is consistent: I run better first thing in the morning than any other time of day.

I was up at 6:45 this morning—for about 10 minutes. Then my body told me I needed to go back to bed.

I was planning to run at least three miles, but I settled on a little more rest because I was dragging.

For lunch today, I went to Bern’s to celebrate the departure of my co-worker Karla. She’s leaving the Tribune after 22 years to work for USF. Go Bulls!

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Bern’s was offering Little Midway Retro Lunches. Yum-my!

I had a tasty Steakhouse Cobb Salad for less than $10. It was a winner. And Bern’s was more packed today than I’ve ever seen.

Lunch ended about 2, when we returned to the office to take a nap. And brew coffee. Eventually work was involved.

Instead of chowing down on a snack two hours later, which is the norm for me, I held off because I knew I wanted to go for a run later.

This did not stop me from enjoying a slice of cake in Karla’s honor. Hey, it was from Olympia’s.

That was all I had the rest of the afternoon. Then I hit the treadmill a little after 7.

I ran hard for the first half hour, but then I felt myself slow. I stopped to stretch and take a swig of water. Then I finished the run.

I never stop during a run. Ever. Unless it’s in the evening, when I start to taste the salmon I enjoyed for lunch. Or the pasta. Or the soup.

My legs don’t turn as quickly, and my feet feel like lead. My delicate stomach starts bothering me, churning up the 13 minimeals I have a day. The burping grosses me out.

I never have these problems when I pound the pavement in the morning. I guess I better rethink snoozing the morning away.

So am I really the only one?