Trying Morning Runs Again

Years ago, I forced myself to be a morning runner. I'm not a morning person and tackling that training plan went against every natural instinct I had. Still, three or four days a week I met with a friend at 4:30am and ran four miles before work. Those runs, plus my weekend long runs, led me to my first successful half marathon.

Eight years ago, I tried my hand at pre-work workouts. They paid off.

But honestly, waking up that early just wasn't sustainable for me. As soon as I finished that half marathon, I switched back to being an evening runner.

Working at a school calls for an early wakeup. One perk I was looking forward to in starting a new career was a later start time; paired with my current situation working from home, I'm finally reaping that benefit.

My alarm for work is set for 7:30am, but I've been waking up naturally around sunrise at 6:30am. Every night last week (my first full week of training), I really struggled to get out to run. I've been too tired to use the Peloton. This evening exhaustion, along with this apparently new, natural wakeup time, is what put the idea in my head that I should try morning runs again.

I've been consistent and dedicated in my workouts since November and I don't want to lose progress, so this week I've set "morning run" alarms for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Yesterday was my first day trying it; I woke up naturally well before my running alarm even went off. I lay in bed for awhile, recalling that my reluctance to run in the morning is also due to temperatures when I saw it was only 34°, but ended up dressed and out the door right on time. I had committed myself to it, so I got it done.

I had forgotten how sluggish I feel at the start of a morning run. My pace was noticeably slower than I've been running lately, but still faster than what I consider my normal pace. I ran two miles and had plenty of time to get ready for the workday.

I felt the effects of the run all day: I was in a good mood, I was more focused, and my energy levels didn't crash in the afternoon. After work, I was able to relax without feeling guilty for missing a workout.

So, I'm going to keep at this. I'll see if I'm in a place now where morning runs make sense for me. If I continue to wake up easily before my alarm, great; in theory, if I get up as soon as my eyes open at 6:30, I could easily run three or four miles before work. 

Things may change when we go back to the office, which could happen in the next few months if this vaccine rollout continues to go smoothly, but for now I'm taking advantage of an early sunrise, a later start-time, and a 10-second commute.

I have high hopes for this new habit, and I hope the foundation of dedication I've built for myself in the last few months pays off.

ABK