Now, many weeks later, I've decided to address this question based on the premise that maybe those of us who are early morning runners might actually have some worthwhile tips to share with those who would like to be early morning runners.
I've decided to get the ball rolling with my two cents worth: The way I see it, there are pros and cons with everything in life, including early morning runs. From my perspective, the pros of an early morning run are a) the temperature is cooler, b) I have the rest of the day free to attend to other commitments, c) my motivation to exercise is at its highest in the morning and slowly diminishes as the day goes on, and d), it sets the tone for the day and places me in a good mood. There really is only one con as far as I am concerned and that is the discomfort I feel when I first turn my alarm off and roll out of bed in a still-sleepy state. What it comes down to for me, is that the few minutes of debilitating fatigue I feel when I first get up is really just a small price to pay for the energized feeling my run fuels me with throughout the remainder of the day.
Feel free to add your comments and keep the ball rolling.........
I'm glad to see this post. I am not a EARLY morning runner - but I am a morning runner. Now that I am marathon training and the heat is on its way I really need to start getting out earlier to beat the humidity. Lately, running in the humidity, I have been getting side stitches - something I never experienced before. I am always well hydrated but the air is so thick I feel like I can't breathe. Morning is the coolest time here and I will be rising earlier to beat the heat - and keeping your PRO's list in the front of my mind!
ReplyDeleteI agree with your 4 points. Not many people think, Oh BOY! I get to wake up at 4 AM!! but there I am most mornings hitting the dismiss button on my phone alarm and walking to the coffee pot.
ReplyDeleteAnother con for me is my evenings do not, cannot, last late into the night. Around 8PM, I am starting to wind down along with my girls. Not exactly the life of the party! My non running girlfriends don't really get why I have to go home early every time or why I don't indulge too much in drink or yummy foods. If I do stay up late, drink or eat too much, the run suffers and I feel horrible. So the life of an ultra runner is not exactly the same as a rockstar.
Thank goodness my best friends are runners like me :)
I like early mornings because its the only time of day I have almost complete control over. I think the best tip for actually getting out of bed is to have someone waiting to meet you to go for a run or work out. There have been times when I have discovered that my training partner and I each got out of bed solely because we didn't want to abandon the other!
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