Late Night Running Fix

I'm one of those people who used to enjoy running late at night. That was college when I could convince a friend to go for a run at 11 p.m. and then we could sleep in the next morning to recover, not having to arrive at class until afternoon. And it went out the window as soon as I was both partnerless--other friends and boyfriend, now husband, didn't quite understand the midnight thrill--and faced with real world demands of rising early and sitting at a desk from nine to five, give or take a few hours.

So when I have the chance to feed my midnight run frenzy, I'm all for it, even if I'm not running. Like the Nike Run Hit Wonder when it hit the streets of Chicago around 9 p.m. one year (I could be wrong on the start time but I remember riding my bike home along State Street at midnight). Or the LATE Ride that takes cyclists along city streets from midnight until dawn. Or sitting at home in front of the TV watching the Olympics, ski racing, or the latest marathon or triathlon on Universal Sports. But it almost feels like an extra special night when those sports celebrities move out of their arena--or the pool if you caught Michael Phelps doing the night show circuit this summer--to chum around with the likes of Leno, Letterman, Conan, Carson or newbie Jimmy Fallon.

And that's just what I'm waiting for tonight when Jimmy Fallon welcomes lightning-fast Usain Bolt to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The Jamaican tore up the track in Berlin at the World Championships, setting world records in the 100m and 200m sprints and leaving the crowd gap-mouthed in disbelief over how fast he could cross the finish line. Bolt has been cruising around New York since last week on a media spree which he wraps up tonight before returning to Jamaica on Wednesday. Question is: Will he be talking about the World Championships, his speed or his New York events on late night? The countdown is on and the tele is tuned to NBC for all the action. Photo grabbed from Brunel University at flickr. Posted by Kate