"Rise Up This Mornin'"

Tuckahoe State Park, the preferred stomping and gunkholing grounds of the Rise Up Runners.

"Rise Up this mornin', smiled with the risin' sun," sings Bob Marley. That seems to say it well. Never mind the fact that our weekday runs seem to start well before the sun rises. Early morning runs afford us the opportunity to smile with the sun.

Rise Up Runners is a running group that revolves around a fairly simple idea: rise up and run in the morning. Start your day with a run. In the case of Landy, Joel, and myself (Mike V.), we know that is when we have time to run--before kids wake up, before the workday calls, before your schedule has a chance to steal the run from you.

We've started running as early as 3:30 a.m. (though I don't recommend making that a daily occurrence :). Most morning runs get under way at 4:45 or 5:00 a.m. We loop around Easton and meet each other on the roads. It's a motivation, an inspiration, and a discipline. It's a pleasure, albeit an odd one.

Rise Up Runners (RUR) takes its name from the fact that we rise up and run. It also borrows a name from Rise Up Coffee, whose founder Tim Cureton digs what we're up to and liked the idea of working together. You'll notice the family resemblance of the logos. Coffee, especially good coffee, is a necessary fuel, indulgence, and recharging elixir for a wicked early runner, who then goes to work or tries to keep up with children for the rest of the day!

On this blog, you'll see things like scheduled runs; upcoming races where RUR are venturing out to; race reports and local adventures and endeavors; thoughts and ruminations on running and other endurance activities. And probably a number of other things--from outright humor to gear reviews to recommended reading.

Who are the Rise Up Runners? You'll see and hear from a number of us. To get things going, there are those of us who run around Easton: Landy Cook, Joel Shilliday, and Mike Valliant. A pediatrician, a web designer, and a marketing/media/editor/writer type. There are also those who make our favorite running trek with us to Tuckahoe State Park, and who have shaken sleep from their eyes for many running adventures like Michael Keene (boat builder, sailor, budding triathlete).

Who can be, or how do you come to be a RUR? Easy, come running with us, either around Easton, or out at Tuckahoe, at a race, or on an excursion you see posted here. If you are a morning runner and you can't connect with us for runs, post a comment and share what you are up to. The more the merrier, especially on long runs!

We hope you enjoy it. We hope you are inspired to run, start running, keep running, or run more. Or rise up and do whatever it is you do. And we recommend drinking good coffee to help you do it! Closing also with the words of Bob Marley, "Wake up and live, y'all! Wake up and live!"