My weekend runs were easy. If I missed the morning, I'd have all afternoon. But my weekday runs? Not so simple. I've done seven marathons, with a 3:17 PR, and I'd like to get to an even 10 in the somewhat near future. But long hours at work, two young kids, and a wife who also deserves time to work out make serious training more challenging.
Like most Americans, according to the Bureau of Labor's 2009 American Time Use Survey, I prefer to lace up in the early evening. But also like many Americans, I find it tough to make that happen most days.
Top Motivational Tips for Runners
Even if I get home in time, my choices are (A) ignore my family and my hunger and take off; (B) scarf dinner and go before it digests; (C) nuke leftovers, play with my kids, crash on the sofa.
Looking for more options, I found studies that show people who work out early in the day are more committed to exercising regularly. Running first thing also will make you more efficient and alert at work, and will help you sleep better at night. (Search: What are the body benefits of running?)
Knowing I had to do something differently if I was going to toe my eighth starting line, last year I set out to become an early morning runner. My friend Dan agreed to tag along. The only catch was that we had to finish by 6:30 when his kids get up. (Mine sleep later. Damn!) That meant we had to meet at 5:45. That meant I had to be up by, gulp, 5:15? 5:30? 5:44?
The Beauty of the Morning Run
Twice a week, Tuesdays and Fridays, we were pretty consistent. But our three-to six-mile runs were slow. Usually when one of us couldn't make it, neither of us went. We joked that we thought it was going to get easier each time, yet it never did (okay, maybe it got a little easier, but we still whined about it).
And then life got in the way. We were both preparing to move. The New England winter dropped record snowfall on us. As it warmed up, I did manage to head out alone a few mornings, but missed Dan. Clearly, I needed a new strategy. This year, I sought the advice of true converts. What I learned was eye-opening and has helped me become race-ready for this fall's BAA Half-Marathon in Boston, setting me up for a solid winter and Number 8 next spring. Here's how you can get out early, too.
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Making the Switch
If you don’t consider yourself a morning person, the good news is that you can turn yourself into one, says James Mojica, MD, a sleep physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and medical director of the Sleep Center at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston. "The body is malleable," says Dr. Mojica, who runs first thing four times a week. Address these points before you reset your alarm.
Weigh the pros and cons. If you're on the fence about converting to early workouts, John Raglin, PhD, a sports psychologist, suggests drafting a checklist of pluses and minuses. On the plus side, he says, jot down all the benefits of running first thing: getting the workout out of the way, great start to the morning, extra time during the day, and so on. The minus side might include have to go to bed earlier, unsure about running in the dark. "Hopefully the runner will see that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, and that some of the drawbacks, like going to bed earlier, may in fact be beneficial or at least good habits," he says.
Get your family on board. As a teacher, Joanie Templeton is used to leaving her house by 7 a.m. But when she decided in 2005 it was time to slim her 220-pound frame, she knew the only time she'd ever be able to exercise was if she got out of bed at 4:30. "I couldn't do this without my husband," says the 36-year-old from Lincoln, Montana. "He gets our daughters (6 and 10) ready for school. He sees the difference in me when I don't get my workouts in. I am sluggish, and I get supercrabby." Let your family know your goals so your training becomes a project they can all get excited about.
Enlist help. Meghan Ridgley, who moved up her morning runs by three hours—to 5 a.m.—when her daughter was born, says she initially relied on friends to help her adapt. "Having people to meet those first few weeks got me in the habit of getting up at 4:30," says the 32-year-old from Vienna, Virginia, who now typically runs alone.
Find the right route. Getting out of bed isn't the only obstacle early morning runners face. Sometimes, paths that are idyllic at noon or 6 p.m. are downright dangerous at dawn. Before your first early run, give your usual paths a second look, paying special attention to the lighting, shoulder width, road conditions, and traffic patterns. Be open to scouting around for some new scenery, and make sure family members or a friend have a list of your planned routes.
