I absolutely detest early morning runs. I know some people love the whole getting up at 5:30am and working out thing, running off endorphine highs for the rest of the day and feeling smug about being up and done before most people wake up, but no, that is not me.
If I run in the morning I struggle to get out of bed, I struggle to put my clothes on the right way round, I struggle through the run and then I struggle through the rest of the day in a zombie like state. I much prefer my evening runs which I use to chill out after a hard days at work, or if I’m running at the weekend I like to go out about 9:30am, after my body has had a chance to wake up and I’ve had a chance to drink some coffee.
Despite everything I have just said though, I had to get up today to go for a early morning run before work, and if I am going to take running for a half marathon seriously (not that I’ve signed up to one yet....) I realise I will occasionally have to do the odd early morning run to fit in with my schedule, so I’ve decided to share my top tips for help getting you out of bed in the morning and pounding the pavement before breakfast!
1. Go to bed slightly earlier. The extra sleep helps and TV is normally pretty dull after 10pm anyway.
2. Prepare your gear and clothes out the night before. A pretty obvious one but very handy for being able to get yourself out the door quicker in the morning. Make sure you have everything, from sports bra and socks to GPS watch and hairbrush to scrape back that bed hair.
3. Set 12 alarms one minute after the other. Sounds a bit extreme but if you end up hitting snooze once you will just be woken up again a moment later, and after 12 alarms you will more than likely be awake so excuse to still be in bed!
You can also put your alarm out of reach of your bed, seeing as you have to get out of bed to turn off the alarm you may as well get up and go running.
4. Don’t bother washing your face or brushing your teeth. This sounds pretty gross, but you will more than likely be having a shower when you get back, so to save yourself a few extra minutes before going out just do it when you get back, there isn’t that many people roaming around at that time in the morning to notice your morning breath.
5. If I am running in the morning I can’t eat, it makes me feel sick on the run, but if you don’t want to run on a empty stomach try half a banana, something that is easy to grab and quick to eat.
6. If you can't function without coffee, maybe consider investing in a coffee maker with a timer, that way it's ready for you when you wake up.
7. Get a running partner. Having someone else to run with will make you less likely to skip the run as you don’t want to let your partner down and making running into a social event may encourage you to get out of bed more.
8. Have a nice breakfast prepared for when you get back. I really like to make up batches of the Tone It Up protein pancakes the night before, all I have to do when I get back is pop them in the toaster to warm them up and add some fresh fruit and honey. It feels like a nice reward and is something to look forward to after the run; it’s also great recovery food.
9. Remember that you love running and that once you get going you will feel a lot better than you do now.
10. Not so much a tip, but just reminding you to wear your reflective gear! The roads may be quieter than they are at night but there are still cars and they need to be able to see you!
These are all the tips I have managed to pick up. Do you have any others that can help me love my morning runs? And are you a morning person, or like me prefer evenings?
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
that early morning run when you know you have to get to work after is definitely tough. Even if I think I know where my gear is I'm always muttering under my breath as I look for something else. Great tips above, thanks!
ReplyDeleteHaha I know what you mean, for me it's normally the dog doing a runner with one of my socks. Thanks for reading :)
ReplyDelete