It's always exciting setting an early morning alarm when you know you're heading to the airport.
And I must admit, as I dialled in 2.30am on my phone last night, I was as excited as a kid on the eve of going to Disneyland.
While I would also love to be heading to a sunnier climate this week as summer comes to an abrupt halt, this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to do something a bit mad - run Glasgow Airport's runway.
There were a few things that surprised me about the whole experience, too.
The city's airport opened its runway to runners for the first time in its history as part of the city’s official Glasgow 850 celebrations.
I was one of just over 50 lucky runners who took to the tarmac to complete the just over 5k route at 3am this morning, September 18.
Demand far outstripped the places available for the event, with more than 800 Great Scottish Runners from this year’s event applying for just 50 spots for this exceptional training event.
Glasgow City Council, AJ Bell Great Scottish Run, and Glasgow Airport put the event together.
Runners bolted off the start line where Glasgow Airport fire crews had fire engines lit up
Arriving at the side entrance to the terminals, usually reserved for staff and the firefighting crews, we were all subject to airport security level checks before we were allowed to limber up.
Greeted at the start line by the airport's fire crews, we were taken through a warm-up by local running group Stride, who the Outlier Run Club helped to pace runners around the course.
We were split into pace groups, and being an average runner at best, I set my sights firmly in the middle.
The groups embarked and were seen off by the airport's fire engines, which blasted their sirens in approval.
Once away from the crowd of security and emergency crews, we settled into the run, and immediately, the first of a few surprises hit me.
It was so quiet.
The sound of trainers on terrain was just about the only audible noise, as even in the early hours, I had expected the place to be a hive of activity.
The second surprise soon followed after we left the fire engine and terminal lit area; it's incredibly dark out there.
When you come in to land at the airport, it seems like the entire runway is lit up like a beacon welcoming you home - but out there on ground level, it was almost pitch black, save for the cat's eyes.
The third and final (and least pleasant) surprise was the headwind we faced on the straight of the runway.
It had been explained to us in the safety briefing beforehand that "planes perform best landing into the wind," but the same definitely can't be said for me in my trainers.
The pack settled into the wind-burn-inducing onslaught, and I found myself getting lost in the scenery of the airport.
It's quite a beautiful place in its own way, and I thought of all the times I'd been on the other side of the glass-fronted terminals, staring out onto the runway about to head off to somewhere new and exciting.
As we rounded the corner at the end of the runway and sprinted past the parked up planes to the finish line, I revelled in the sheer special, unique nature of the experience.
After crossing the line, the group all clapped and cheered for each other and grabbed some photos.
As we were escorted back out of the airport's secure walls, it all felt a bit surreal.
It was only once I was back in my car and looked at the uploaded activity on Strava (which, yes, I will use to brag) that I believed it had actually happened.
The whole experience, wind included, was a great one, and I hope that the airport looks to run it again sometime so that more people can annoy their family and friends like I will at GLA from now on by saying, "You know I ran on that runway once?"
Some of the Glasgow Times team and I are running the Great Scottish Run this year for the Teenage Cancer Trust. You can read more about our challenge and donate HERE.
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