If you think that morning runners are miracle workers, think again! Yes, they deserve two thumbs up for ignoring the irresistible temptation of their cozy beds and choosing to hit the streets instead. And yes, we admit that becoming a morning runner is no smooth sailing especially if you are not a morning person at the first place. Still, we bet that after reading this article you will become a passionate Am runner.
Let’s get started…
The rewards of morning runs are well worth the effort you initially put into them. Here are some of them:Ensuring that you will stick to your running schedule since no work, family, or any other obligations will ever be needed very early in the day
- Kicking off your day with a metabolism boost
- Enjoying optimal weather especially in the summer
- Feeling energized and uplifted the entire day
- Running across the streets care-free due to the limited traffic
- Above all, races take place in the morning. So, if you are not used to morning runs, your race performance could be substantially affected
Now that you fully grasped why morning runs are good for you, Let talk about the “how to do it” part…
Mental and motivational tips for Am running wannabes
Create a compelling reason to do it. For example, if you are training for a marathon, it is a clever idea to include morning runs in your training schedule. With the rush and excitation of the big day, you will have every reason to follow through
- Make a commitment that you will run in the morning right before going to bed
- Have a clear plan about your morning run including your target distance, pace, and wake up time
- Tell your close friend that you decided to run in the morning and ask him to follow up with you
- If you are competitive by nature, here is a great tip for you: Remind yourself that if you didn’t do it, others will which translate into them outperforming you
- Have a motivational self-talk: “I didn’t sacrifice sleeping early on a Friday night to end up “ditching” this run. I will get up and go in a heartbeat. If others can do it, I can do it”
- Be realistic: Anything is hard in the beginning. So, don’t set yourself up for disappointment by deciding to wake up at 4 Am and hit the streets instantly if you haven’t done it before or have gone to bed after midnight! Some runners find it easier to wake up and do some morning activities for an hour or so and start running later
Common sense advises
- Lay out your clothes and running gear the night before
- Keep your clothes in the bathroom so you have to get up and wear them (Added bonus: your spouse will be happy that your healthy Am running addiction doesn’t translate into disturbing his/her sleep : ) )
- Go to bed early (11 pm maximum if you are aiming for a 5 am run)
- Do NOT hit snooze when the alarm rings. Even better, keep the arm far enough that you have to get out of bed to turn it off
- If you can’t keep your alarm away for fear it would disturb your spouse, here is a great tip: once you turn off the alarm, sit crossing your legs in bed for a minute or so. That’s it, if you can sit, then you can get up. As simple as that!
- Find fellow morning runners in your area so you help each other out on this “holy” mission
- Here is the best tip of all: don’t put too much thought into the process. Just get up, dress up and off you go. Make it automatic like washing your teeth and don’t second guess it
Funny Tips That WORK like magic!
- Sleep in your running clothes
- If your spouse was a morning person, ask him/her to throw cold water in your face if you didn’t wake up on your own
- Set up 3 different alarms at 3 different times. Caution: this tip is only recommended for singles or those who miss being so : ) )
- Drink a lot, and I mean a lot, of water before going to bed so that after visiting the bathroom at least 5 time throughout the night, getting up for a morning run will be a piece of cake
- Here is my favorite tip of all:
- Hit the snooze button every 5 minutes and do NOT run
- Prepare to be showered with an avalanche of swear words form your spouse in the morning!
- Repeat the same disaster for another 2 days
- On the 3rd day, I bet getting out of bed and running would seem like a better alternative
- Now I am saving the best for last: Visit RunAddicts.net right before going to bed for a healthy dose of motivation and inspiration
Final Advises
Definitely your body is not likely not be fully awake in the beginning, especially if you start running right after you woke up. Make sure to get enough warming up right take it easy during your first mile
And hey, enjoy the runner’s high you’ll be sure to experience with the fresh breeze of the morning
We have been there and we can tell you that once you manage to break free from your old habits and become a morning runner, you will feel ecstatic. How would it feel if you are hearing the moaning and groaning your sleepy co-workers when you can proudly say: I ran 5 miles today?
So, did we win our bet with you? Did you decide to become a morning runner after reading this article? We can’t wait to find out : )
