My body will not even entertain the notion of running early in the day. When I wake up, I'm on half speed and my body feels heavy. I get ready for work on autopilot. By 9 I'm coming to, I might even feel human. I converse if I have to, but I don't like it. I couldn't even contemplate breakfast until 10, ideally 11. I navigate the morning on coffee and bad temper.
And then there's the folk that get up early and run at comedy o'clock in the wee small hours! I find it absolutely amazing and terrifically impressive. I can see the benefits, not least of all if you live in a town, but I just can't do it. The earliest my body will rouse itself to a run is 9ish, but I'd rather wait until lunch. Afternoon is far better, and evening is my ideal time of day for pounding the pavements.
I guess a lot of people do it because they have to, in order to fit in their running with a hectic life schedule, but I'm sure there are some who actually LIKE it!?!
People eh? Go figgur!
Written by
coryluscontorta
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I am doing my runs at 0530 at the moment. Whe i wale up i feel exactly as you describe, and tbh the first km or so of my run is on autopilot, but once I'm done, watered inside and out it is still only 0630 and I am buzzing with endorphins. Making breakfast and lunchboxes for the ids and getting them off to school is briskly efficient and hasslefree and I am Jolly Dad, rather than bleary eyed grump staggering about two steps behind the 8-ball.
Also leaves lunchtime free for hHIT and evenings for strength work or, in a worst case scenario, rest.
I like it! It feels like you've beaten the rest of the world to the day! Running first thing allows you to enjoy the post-run high for the rest of the day. I always feel sorry for people running in the evening as they'll only get to enjoy that feeling for a few hours at most.
I generally have a pretty upbeat personality, and tend to be fully awake and participating in life as soon as I'm out of bed. There are days when I run in the pre-dawn, there are days when I run during the morning or afternoon and there are days when I run in the evening - all depending on my schedule and other people's. All these times suit me, and I don't notice a major change in my endorphin levels before or after a run - guess I'm just nauseatingly cheery all the time. When one of my friends was living with me for a bit we decided that I was a Tiggr (helped by the fact that I would sing the Tiggr song at her first thing in the morning) and that she was definitely an Eeyore - poor Eeyore - bad Tiggr.
Since my husband moved in with me some years back, early mornings have taken a bit of a backseat as there is snuggling to be done, making it much harder to get out of bed to do early morning stuff now.
The key is to get up very, very early, before your body/brain realises what is happening! Haha!
I know exactly what you mean though, it does seem crackers. My alarm goes off at 4.40am if it's a running day, and I'm out for 5am.
I would never, ever have classed myself as a "morning person" a few years ago but I have to say I do have a preference for the early runs now. It just feels like a good way to start the day, and it's so much quieter on the paths and the roads, you feel as though you have the world to yourself! Going out in the evening and the following shower etc just seems like so much more effort!
Would much rather spend the evenings with feet up, watching Corrie, basking in the glory of having ran that morning, which at that point was hours and hours ago!
Same as me! Out of the door at 5am, home by 5.30 for a cuppa and my morning 'routine'. Some people think I'm nuts but I do stick to well lit roads around my estate and haven't felt vulnerable yet. I have run in the evenings as well, but feel paranoid about fuelling during the day as I just don't eat that much. Have a nice big evening meal though which I think sticks around and fuels my morning run (not very scientific!!)
Funny post. I like silly o'clock to run and can't understand people who run at night, yuk! Joined a running club which ran at night on a track in the dark. Would rather be at home with my family having dinner, no fun at all. I like the daytime, daylight running as I can go where I want even through the fields and woods - weeeeeee - that is what I call the fun of running. Julie
I don't do either! early morning or night, I usually run at about midday, except for parkrun, prefer daylight, but I am retired, so virtually do what I want when I like.
But if I was still working, think I would do early mornings, as not much else going on at that time of day, or peeps around, there's other stuff to do in the evenings.
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