Leaving your cozy comforters to go out into the cold dark night for a run might seem a little insane. However, throughout the years, I have found that the runs I do early in the morning are often the best and most enjoyable ones.
I am not an exception. I am not a born “morning person” nor a very tough cookie. It took me a while to get used to going out before sunrise, and I still skip my morning runs sometimes – like when I go to bed too late the evening before, when I feel super tired, or when I am on a holiday, as I was last week. And, as my pregnancy progresses, I choose to spend more early mornings at home to do some yoga practice, limiting my runs for errands or going to places with the stroller.
In spite of this, I believe that persisting in what was a difficult habit initially has made me now look forward to heading out when most of the world is still asleep. There are few things that beat a good morning run! Need some more motivation? Read on!
Out for a sunrise run
Before we start with the marvels of early morning runs, however, there are a few precautions you may need to take. First of all, make sure you have the right gear. If you run in the dark you will want to wear bright, reflective clothes and maybe even a headlamp, especially if you run in places that don’t have streetlights.
Also, take a cell phone with you in case of emergency and make sure someone knows where you are. Better yet, find yourself a buddy to run with. Besides being safer it is often more enjoyable to run with company. Plus, you are less likely to hit the snooze button knowing that someone out there is counting on you!
Once you take these precautions, however, you will find that the pleasures and benefits of running early outweigh the hurdles by miles. Running early in the morning is fun!
1. Get your workout out of the way
There is nothing worse than having a workout planned sometime during the day only to realize at 8 p.m. that it ain’t gonna happen anymore. Work, children and other obligations (or fun distractions) can all get in the way of a workout, but early in the morning they are least likely to happen. The rest of the day you can relax and focus on whatever emergency arises, knowing that you’ve already done your run!
2. Have more energy
My favorite pre-running snack
I used to wait for Ahmed to come home and go for a run in the late afternoon, but most of the time I was dragging these workouts. My energy levels usually dip in the afternoon, so going for a run at that time was less than ideal. Also, I had to be super prepared, making sure dinner was ready so as soon as I got back home we could eat and take Maria to bed (or vice versa when she was still a baby).
Once I started running first thing in the morning, when my energy levels are high, I noticed a big improvement in the quality of my workouts. What’s more, I felt more energetic throughout the day. Somehow, the afternoon dip hit me less. I am not sure whether it’s a physical thing or a mental one, but I welcomed the increase in energy wholeheartedly!
3. Achieve your fitness goals
The bulk of my training for the Dubai Marathon in 2014 was done in the morning.
As I mentioned in my previous point, the quality of my workouts is highest when I run early in the morning. While I may need a little more time to warm – and wake – up, after that I have plenty of energy and motivation for that challenging interval or tempo run. In addition to that, the fact that my trainings are more consistent – I skip less runs – means my running and endurance improve when I train in the morning.
4. Feel great about yourself
There’s something about being out in the cold, rain or dark when most of the world is still asleep. It makes you feel focused, strong, determined. You are different. You have goals and the willpower to achieve them. Come 7:30 a.m. (or whatever time you finish your run) you have already accomplished something that day. That feeling of accomplishment will stay with you the entire day, motivating you to work towards goals in other areas of your life as well.
5. Sunrise
Need I say more?
Mommy on the Run 