Remember last summer when I talked about hating morning running and then made a big public commitment to actually try it out? Well, that didn’t exactly last long.
I half-heartedly slogged through a couple of weeks of AM runs, but never actually stuck with it. Because honestly, even though the feeling after the run was awesome, the way I felt during it was pretty miserable. I hated feeling like I was sleep-running, hated the stiffness in my legs, and I hated how slow I felt. But most of all – I just wasn’t into it. Even though it was unbearably hot in the afternoons, I still found that I’d rather run after work than get up and run first thing in the morning. Despite my declaration that I was going to give morning running its fair shot, my motivation was lacking.
At the time I was convinced that anyone who told me they actually liked running before work was on drugs must suffer from an acute case of Post-Exercise Amnesia. This condition, brought on by the extreme runner’s high one gets after completing said morning run, causes the exerciser to forget all about the pain and discomfort of the run itself.
I couldn’t deny that the feeling I got after running in the morning was great. I was so happy to have my run out of the way early, and that was almost enough to make me forget about how much I actually hated running at that time of day. Almost. But not quite.
So after a few weeks of sporadic morning runs, I joined a gym and decided I’d rather escape the heat on a treadmill than in the early hours of the morning. I figured I was just meant to be an afternoon runner, and was content to go on my merry evening-running way.
But then two things happened:
I don’t know how or why, but somewhere between Christmas 2011 and the start of 2012, my motivation to run in the evening all but disappeared. And over the last couple of weeks, it has been a struggle to get myself out the door after work. Even the fact that it is slowly getting lighter in the evenings hasn’t been enough to get my evening-run spark back.
An automatic programmable coffee-maker. Which means a nice, fresh pot of coffee waiting for me the instant I wake up.
I love my French press, but the coffee wasn’t exactly making itself.
It was time for an intervention. I needed to bring morning runs into my life once again. The only difference was – this time I didn’t feel forced into running in the mornings as the only way to escape the weather. I actually wanted to become a morning runner. Or at least try.
So last night, I programmed the coffee-maker and set the alarm. When it went off this morning, I got out of bed right away, drank my coffee, ate a little snack and got myself out the door.
The beginning of the run was tough. My legs were stiff and tired, and I still didn’t feel completely awake. But as the miles went on, a weird thing happened. I was actually starting to enjoy myself.
It may have been the caffeine coursing through my veins.
Or the fact that I had been sick and hadn’t run in two days.
Or it could have even been the awesome running-related news I received last night that will shape my entire running season (more on that later!).
But whatever the reason, this morning’s run was not only the best morning run I’ve ever had, it was best run I’ve had in weeks! I was on top of the world and felt like I could run forever. For the first time in my life, I was that annoying, “I know it’s early but I’m high on life!!” type of runner that you scowl at as you pass.
I know it’s way too early to say that I’ve become a morning-run-believer and will be sticking to pre-work runs from here on out. And I can’t say that I’ll never run in the afternoon again. But I can say that I’ve finally discovered the {not-so-secret} key to sucessful morning runs: the right motivation, and a little bit of caffeine.
And the best part? I was home early enough to actually make a real dinner. Which was a nice break from my usual weekday gourmet feasts.
Veggie sausages + Vermont PB. Though not together. And this is why I’m not a food blogger…
I can’t wait to do it all over again tomorrow.
Remember last summer when I talked about hating morning running and then made a big public commitment to actually try it out? Well, that didn’t exactly last long.
I half-heartedly slogged through a couple of weeks of AM runs, but never actually stuck with it. Because honestly, even though the feeling after the run was awesome, the way I felt during it was pretty miserable. I hated feeling like I was sleep-running, hated the stiffness in my legs, and I hated how slow I felt. But most of all – I just wasn’t into it. Even though it was unbearably hot in the afternoons, I still found that I’d rather run after work than get up and run first thing in the morning. Despite my declaration that I was going to give morning running its fair shot, my motivation was lacking.
At the time I was convinced that anyone who told me they actually liked running before work
was on drugsmust suffer from an acute case of Post-Exercise Amnesia. This condition, brought on by the extreme runner’s high one gets after completing said morning run, causes the exerciser to forget all about the pain and discomfort of the run itself.I couldn’t deny that the feeling I got after running in the morning was great. I was so happy to have my run out of the way early, and that was almost enough to make me forget about how much I actually hated running at that time of day. Almost. But not quite.
So after a few weeks of sporadic morning runs, I joined a gym and decided I’d rather escape the heat on a treadmill than in the early hours of the morning. I figured I was just meant to be an afternoon runner, and was content to go on my merry evening-running way.
But then two things happened:
I don’t know how or why, but somewhere between Christmas 2011 and the start of 2012, my motivation to run in the evening all but disappeared. And over the last couple of weeks, it has been a struggle to get myself out the door after work. Even the fact that it is slowly getting lighter in the evenings hasn’t been enough to get my evening-run spark back.
An automatic programmable coffee-maker. Which means a nice, fresh pot of coffee waiting for me the instant I wake up.
I love my French press, but the coffee wasn’t exactly making itself.It was time for an intervention. I needed to bring morning runs into my life once again. The only difference was – this time I didn’t feel forced into running in the mornings as the only way to escape the weather. I actually wanted to become a morning runner. Or at least try.
So last night, I programmed the coffee-maker and set the alarm. When it went off this morning, I got out of bed right away, drank my coffee, ate a little snack and got myself out the door.
The beginning of the run was tough. My legs were stiff and tired, and I still didn’t feel completely awake. But as the miles went on, a weird thing happened. I was actually starting to enjoy myself.
It may have been the caffeine coursing through my veins.
Or the fact that I had been sick and hadn’t run in two days.
Or it could have even been the awesome running-related news I received last night that will shape my entire running season (more on that later!).
But whatever the reason, this morning’s run was not only the best morning run I’ve ever had, it was best run I’ve had in weeks! I was on top of the world and felt like I could run forever. For the first time in my life, I was that annoying, “I know it’s early but I’m high on life!!” type of runner that you scowl at as you pass.
I know it’s way too early to say that I’ve become a morning-run-believer and will be sticking to pre-work runs from here on out. And I can’t say that I’ll never run in the afternoon again. But I can say that I’ve finally discovered the {not-so-secret} key to sucessful morning runs: the right motivation, and a little bit of caffeine.
And the best part? I was home early enough to actually make a real dinner. Which was a nice break from my usual weekday gourmet feasts.