Today’s run: 57 min, 5.15 miles. YT: 17.80. Incredible skies and moon over West LA; the Hollywood Hills and San Gabriels were crisp, but lower to the ground Hollywood was in a thick yellow smog. I thought a lot about love on my run today. And about timing. Yes, timing is everything. But I deeply believe that for every opportunity you miss, there’s one you find.

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No, it’s not always easy to pull yourself out of bed, especially in the winter darkness. The gremlins WILL natter in your ear: You’re tired, running is hard, it’s cold out, it’s going to be hard and unpleasant.

Here’s how to shut them up.

1. Fill your head with thoughts about how you’ll feel after the run: accomplished. Strong. Fitter. Joyful.

2. If that’s not enough, enlist help: Your iPod. Put your earphones on, right there in bed. Play a song that gets you moving.

3. If that still doesn’t work, try bargaining. Tell yourself, “You don’t have to go running, but you DO have to get up and put on your running clothes.” Then tell yourself you don’t have to run, you just have to walk.

Nine times out of ten, you’ll end up running.