14 Easy Ways to Learn How to Be a Morning Runner
Want to know a secret?
It’s a coveted secret amongst busy runners.
So shhhh, don’t let the word out.
Kidding, tell everyone, even your annoying next door neighbor.
The secret to fitting running into your busy schedule is – BECOME A MORNING RUNNER.
I know, I know. Yuck, right?
You can do it, just like I did.
All it took was following these 14 tips…and coffee. Lots of coffee.
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How to Be a Morning Runner – Why Should I Run in the Morning?
So many reasons. Really.
- Wake up better (think: no longer groggily rolling into the office)
- Boost your mood – running (well, exercising in general) improves your attitude and mood
- Start Your Day Productively – Check a major accomplishment off your list early in the day!
- Stay on Track – we often find excuses to not run if we wait until night time. Get it done early and it’s off your mind, and you stay on track too!
Now, here are the 14 tips to learn how to be a morning runner!
1.) Mentally Commit Before Bed
This sounds so simple, right?
It is. And it’s not.
Ever find yourself saying “well, I’ll see how I feel in the morning” or “If I wake up I’ll go for a run”?
Yeah….about that. It’s not gonna work.
Strictly tell yourself “I will wake up when my alarm goes off, and I will run”. Nothing else will do.
It’s a simple but effective mentality shift that puts you in “can do” mode. Anything else leads to excuses and then you’re WAY more likely to hit the snooze button (over, and over, and over).
2.) Lay Running Clothes Out the Night Before
A simple task that removes friction in the morning.
Check the weather and put your running clothes, socks, running shoes, and any gear you need, out the night before in a convenient spot.
This one easy trick helps me a lot because I roll out of bed bleary-eyed in the morning and don’t have to think about anything.
3.) Or, Sleep in Your Running Clothes
A lot of runners swear by this method.
One friend (a half marathoner with 2 kids) wakes up at 5am to fit her run in.
How does she do it? She SWEARS by sleeping in her running clothes.
Out the door in less than 5 minutes. Saves time, hassle and expedites the running process so she gets her kids to school on time (and arrives at work on time too)!
p.s. you don’t actually need to sleep in running shoes…. 🙂
4.) Go to Bed on Time
Again, another seemingly easy task that many people neglect.
Most people need 7-8 hours of sleep to be fully rested and recovered (especially if you’re exercising).
Make sure you sleep well!
Set a drop-dead time to end all activities (I do 30 minutes before bed) to have time to brush your teeth, set your running clothes out for the next morning, etc. So if 10pm is bed time…I stop everything at 9:30pm.
If you want to learn how to be a morning runner…going to bed on time factors into it…don’t lie to yourself!
5.) Pre-Run Coffee
Coffee makes the world go round.
If you’re a coffee person, consider waking up 20-30 minutes before your run to get your hit of coffee.
It gets the body flowing (if you know what I mean) and kick starts your motivation too.
This trick helped me learn how to be a morning runner quickly…I LOVE my morning coffee and it allowed me to wake up a bit before running (with a better mentality than if I skipped the caffeine).
Bonus tip: If you like coffee after your run, get a coffee maker with a timer to set exactly what time it starts brewing (so it’s perfectly fresh and hot after your run).
The Hamilton Beach Coffee Maker is only about $90 and lets you brew a single cup (or full carafe), is fully programmable so your coffee is hot and ready post-run…and best of all? Use K cups (so easy!) or ground coffee – your choice!
6.) Prepare Post-Run Breakfast Ahead of Time
To be a morning runner, sometimes means you have to “hack” other parts of your morning.
One way to do that is to prepare overnight oats the night before.
Make one of these 5 Healthy Breakfast Bowls the night before (no microwaving) and fuel up deliciously (and quickly) after your morning run!
7.) Map Your Route Ahead of Time
Again, reduce morning-of friction by plotting out your running route the night before.
This is especially helpful if you’re following a training plan and need to get a certain amount of miles in.
I use MapMyRun.com to plot my route – it’s free, just click along a map to create a route and see the distance. It’s easy, plus it saves you time!
8.) Set Alarms (Yes, more than one)
Worried you’ll snooze the alarm?
Set 2….or 3….or 4.
I always have 2 or 3 alarms set. That way, if I accidentally snooze one…the second (or third) will wake me for sure.
Note: if snoozing is a big problem for you, set the first alarm at least 15 minutes ahead of your “must wake up” time to give yourself wiggle room. Then if you do snooze through 2 alarms, you still aren’t too late to run.
9.) Keep the Bedroom Shades Open
The sunrise was meant to wake people up…yet we block it out with shades, curtains and other light-blocking tactics.
Do yourself a favor and keep the shades up when you go to bed.
Sleep when it’s dark, and train your body (and brain) to wake up when the sun rises.
Luckily, this usually coincides with when a morning runner usually wakes up, so it will help you learn how to be a morning runner!
10.) Get Help From Friends and Family
Live with a spouse? Significant other? Friend?
Enlist their help!
- Find a morning run buddy to run with
- Get help with the kids in the morning (so you can run and not worry)
- Find an accountability partner – share your commitment to learn how to be a morning runner, and text/email/call them after completing your run
- Ask for encouragement – sometimes all you need is a “you got this!” the night before
Asking for help makes morning runs SO much easier.
11.) Create a Habit
Creating a habit is more effective than completing a task once in a while.
Why?
A habit sticks better.
If you want to learn how to be a morning runner, but only run in the morning every once in a while….that’s not becoming a morning runner, really. It’s just completing a task occasionally.
Habits take an average of 66 days to form – learn how to make running a habit in 5 Ways to Make Running a Habit.
12.) Take a 7 Day Running Challenge
New to running? Need tips on how to become a runner, and run the right way?
Take the (free) 7 Day Learn to Run Challenge and kick start your new running habit the right way.
13.) Have a Training Plan to Follow
Training for a 5K? Half marathon? 10 Miler?
Choose a training schedule, and follow it.
Having a plan takes the decision-making out of things in the morning.
If you know you have to run based on a training schedule, it’s easier to get it out of the way in the morning (in case you get too busy later on).
14.) Have Patience
And finally…have patience with yourself.
You will make mistakes. And it’s ok.
Don’t let accidentally snoozing an alarm ruin all your progress. One bad day does not ruin everything.
It will take time to learn how to be a morning runner, but trust the process and commit to it, and you’ll thank yourself!
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