morning running: what a fantastic way to start your day, huh? nothing like hearing the morning birds chirp, enjoying the misty air, and only having to shower once during the day. but SHOOT! i freaking want to stay in bed and enjoy that extra hour's worth of sleep, you know? i do find that the rest of my day is fantastic if i've already run, but it is more than difficult to not hit snooze and cozy up in the covers for a few more minutes.
evening running: i also find it is a nice time of day to be outside. though you do take a gamble with the weather being a little warmer in the afternoon. after a long day of whatever it is we all do, it's sometimes really hard to want to lace up your running shoes and pound the pavement. you are probably hungry, tired and ready to relax for the evening, or worse yet have a lot still to do in the evening. evening running does allow the luxury of sleeping later in the morning, and for some of us that is a necessary!
i would love to be more of a morning runner, and i know that will take only one thing: self discipline. self discipline to go to bed the night before a little earlier; self discipline to set out my running gear the night before; self discipline to just get my butt out of bed when that alarm goes off, because let's face it, that is the hardest dang part right there. once you're up, your clothes are on, your contacts are in, and your water bottle is in hand, it's pretty easy to step out that door and go. the other solution i would suggest, other than self discipline, would be to get a buddy. i (CRY!) do not have that luxury here in north carolina, as i left my buddies in california who would get me out on the trails at any time of the day. but for those of you who can, make a commitment to each other. it's so much easier getting out of bed when someone is counting on you.
so, when do you prefer to run and what do you do to get yourself out the door?
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ReplyDeleteSorry about the previous deletion. I was logged in under someone elses account. Anyway, I just wanted to add that although I have been trying to get my workout in at 5 AM, I do come home and crawl back into bed until my kids wake me up! Just knowing that I can come home and get another hour or two of sleep motivates me to get up and out the door at 5. Next month maybe my goal will be to actually stay up when I get home. For now I'm just doing what works!
ReplyDeletei think i prefer morning runs. i too hate "getting" up in the morning, but once i am out there, it is so great. and then to be done... it helps me be so much more productive during the rest of the day. i had my two sisters though, and without them, i don't think i would have been able to do it. hopefully i will be able to get a running buddy in the next month or so. also, my husband is gone a lot in the evenings, so if i don't take my chance in the morning, i may not get another one!
ReplyDeleteThis is the ultimate struggle. I've done both morning and afternoon workouts. Although getting used to waking up at 4:30 was so hard!! I would feel better throughout the day! I'd be more awake and sociable by the time I got to work and no getting ready twice in one day. In my perfect world I'd wake up at 6:00, workout and then only work from 9-4, that way you have all night to do whatever!
ReplyDeleteWhen I used to work out in the AM, I would wear my workout close to bed. In the AM all I'd have to do was strap on my shoes and go!
ReplyDeleteI split the difference and do most of my weekday runs at lunch time. :) It's great to work in a place with an onsite gym that comes complete with treadmills and showers. Don't have time to do much more than about 4 miles though. Soon my runs will be moving to the morning hours to get longer. Oy.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely morning. I hate getting up, but I prefer to run in the morning. I feel like I always have bad runs after work. I think I'm just tired and ready to eat dinner.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with Zach, though. I love going running during my lunch break. Even though it's sometimes hard to get myself to leave my desk, the second half of the day is so much better.
when you work out during lunch, do you fit in time to clean up afterwards? or do you stank it up the rest of the day?
ReplyDeletei would love to run during lunch, too christina. but i would have a hard time coming back stinky as my office doesn't have a shower. i would have to work something out with my boss for a little extra shower time for the benefit of all!
ReplyDeletebut it really is the best of both worlds!
a.m. all the way baby. if i schedule it for later, i can always find excuses throughout the day about why i can't run...
ReplyDeletea time saver: skip the contacts, julia. running blind can be kind of a thrill. ha!
I watch all these people running at lunch, trying to squeeze in a run, eating, and showering. I honestly don't envy them because I love to get dirty when it's time to get dirty, you know? I love getting up in the morning and running until I am super stanky, but knowing I can come home and be fresh and clean for the rest of the day. In a perfect world I would get off work at 5 and run but since that's not my life, I now prefer morning. Now, if I don't run in the morning, I don't run at all. It's been working realy well and I love coming home and being done for the day! I think the self-discipline for the Wades is stopping the TV and going to bed earlier! :)
ReplyDeletei totally love to run in the morning. i'm definitely not a morning person and it's a fight EVERY DAY to get out of bed, but i love to start my day out with a jump start for my metabolism. plus, if i don't do it in the morning, i'll have to get my run in on the treadmill after my husband gets home from work and it's too dark to run outside... and i really don't enjoy running on the treadmill and i hate running at the end of the day when i'm totally tired. so, all i have to do to push myself out of bed in the morning is think of an 8-mile run on the treadmill and i usually hop right out. :)
ReplyDeleteI used to love running in the early am (5 or 6) but now that I have a baby that never sleeps, I can never get up and out. Now I run later in the day, but it is not the same! I miss the sunrise!
ReplyDeletewhitney, that is the best! the thought of treadmill running would absolutely get me out of bed in the morning, too.
ReplyDeleteand yes, kaylynn - we have tivo addiction issues. going to bed just isn't our forte. we're working on it, though! ;)
Julia Im totally digging your blog. My girlfriend Sarah (of sensibly sassy) told me to check it out. I used to run in the morning when i started work at 9:00 and it was great. The key for me was to put all my running gear in the bathroom and my alarm far away from my bed. Once the alarm goes off try not to think at all (The little voice will always come up with a reason to hit the sheets instead of run) and then march to the bathroom and suit up.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest thing is not to let your brain think about running. You want to be out the door when it kicks in and says "maybe i will just run tonight"