Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Conquer the Morning

This was me at about 5:50am this morning after my 3.75 mile run. 


And I look pretty happy for someone who ran mostly pain free.  It usually is so hard for me to smile in the morning.  It's like my facial muscles will not work until I have a shower, coffee and/or breakfast.

I think one of the reasons I am able to get up and run in the mornings is because my alarm really is not going off that much earlier than my normal waking time for work if I don't work out.

Morning workout day - Alarm set for 4:45 or 5am depending on length of run
Non-morning workout day - Alarm set for 5:45 or 6am

It really is just an extra 45 minutes to an hour of sleep that I am missing out on.  I think waking up in the morning for a workout gets tricky when you try and wake up so much earlier than you are used to.

Plus easing into a morning workout routine helps make it easier and with all new things, the first week is always the hardest and most taxing on your body.

Finally a decent picture of the moon



What time do you wake up for a workout compared to a non workout day? 

11 comments:

Bad Ass Baker said...

I have started getting up at 5 am on Wednesdays and Fridays to run my usual 7 mile loop before work. I normally wake up at 6:10am for work so it's not that much different. I just found your blog recently and I love reading a fellow runner's thoughts on life :)

Sweat Is My Sanity said...

Now that it's winter in AZ, I don't have to wake up early just to workout. In the summer I was on the pavement by 5 a.m. and it still was already 95 degrees. Ugh! Now I go running at 9ish...perfect because Sophia's in preschool and also the temps are good. Love the headlight!

Kim said...

I am happy you had a good run! I find that my morning runs are so much slower, because I essentially roll of bed, put my running clothes on, and head out the door. Do you take time for breakfast?

I wake up for work at 4:30, so running before work can mean getting up as early as 3:00. I don't do it that often. (Or, I can get up at 4:30, run, go to work late and get home really late).

Today I worked from home so I got to run during lunch :)

Laura said...

Oof, that is a pretty brutal wakeup time! I try to work out every weekday (because I know that inevitably it's going to get skipped here and there), so I get up at 6am. I am pretty used to that schedule and don't mind it; however, I DO hate running in the dark and can't bring myself to do it, so my workouts have been primarily at the gym.

Marlene said...

When I meet my friends to run, I have to be up at 4:30. No-run days are 6:45... so it is TOUGH to get up sometimes!

I could theoretically sleep later and get my run in, but then I'd be alone.... and it wouldn't happen!

teacherwoman said...

Nice work! I have been gone for a while and don't know if I am back for sure in Blogland, but wanted to stop by! I miss my morning workouts but with all the changes, I haven't been able to make it work!

Laura said...

cool pic!
Non workout days I am up at 5:30. Workout days it is 4:30. It is tough but then I look at it like..if I go back to bed, it is only an hr of sleep and for the most part for me..it doesn't make a difference so I just go..

Allison said...

I've been struggling a bit recently with getting up, but I really do prefer morning runs! I just have to keep reminding myself how glad I'll be when I'm done and don't have to fit it in after work.

Christine said...

The funny thing is, I wake up at the same time! On workout days I get up, run, shower, pack and leave. On non-work out days, I watch the news, read blogs and hang out and just enjoy the slow start of the day. I don;t like to rush in the morning and that's why I decided to not run :(

Chelsea said...

I always workout on weekday mornings to I can save my non-workout morning for Sunday, when I can typically sleep in the latest. I wouldn't get to sleep in *that* much more on a weekday even if I didn't workout.

Anonymous said...

You really make a good point here. That extra hour really isn't much different, compared to if you tried doing it after work. Since you still have to shower and get ready in the morning, it does make sense to run first then you are ready to go for the rest of the day. I just my alarm would spring me out of bed in the mornings. That is the hardest part for me.