Whew, I forgot how hard it is to get up at 5:00 AM in the morning. I sure wish the sun came up earlier!
Yesterday I officially got back to the grind, and even though I was ready and excited to start back I really wasn’t ready for that wake up call this morning. Thankfully my training schedule called for an easy run this morning – no complaints here!
6 miles at just around a 9:00 min/pace. Going to be a tough adjustment getting back into this schedule. Most mornings I have to be at work by 7:30 am which means more early mornings are in my future!
I chose to run on the treadmill this morning because I honestly didn’t know where to run around here that was safe. Wes was going to do a workout, and let me know he would check out some areas for me. Thankfully he did find a nice lit road that hopefully might work in the future for workouts! Safety always comes first for me, even if that means running on the treadmill.
I am little nervous to see how today’s workout will go, but I have learned that I just need to take things one day at a time!
When I was working full time I went through spouts of getting up and running and then spouts of sleeping in too late. At the time I had the option of doing one or the other, now it doesn’t workout quite as easily.
Working full time, training for a marathon, blogging, and running my own business means I need every minute of my evenings to get my other work done. That means my running needs to happen FIRST thing in the morning.
Here are a few tips for joining the 5 AM club:
Don’t Give Yourself an Option
This is one of the first things that must happen for me. The moment my alarm goes off in the morning I am up and out of bed. If I allow myself to lay there and think about it, then 9 times out of 10 I am not going to get up. It’s just the way that I know I work.
Think About How Much Better You Will Feel
No matter how hard those early mornings are, I always end up feeling so much better once it is over. PLUS it is a really good feeling to get off of work and know that you aren’t coming home to a tough workout. Sure, some days I’m still exhausted all day but it’s better than coming home exhausted and knowing I still need to run.
Wear Your Clothes to Bed
When I know I am going to have to get up in the morning to run I usually will go to sleep in my sports bra and shorts. This makes it really easy to roll out of bed and have very little to think about. I will go feed the cats, let the dog out and then get strait to whatever run I have planned that morning.
Don’t Think About It
One of the worst things that I think we can do is to think about having to get up that early all day. I caught myself doing this Sunday and getting overwhelmed. Just set your alarm like it is no big deal and go to bed like any other night. The extra stress isn’t going to help anything anyways.
Have a Buddy
I don’t have anyone here I can get up and run with yet, but since my husbands schedule is all over the place he is often getting up super early with me to. Even though we don’t run together just having someone else get up with me makes it so much easier. I’ve had many mornings previously where he would stay in bed, which made it all the more appealing to get back under those warm covers.
It doesn’t always work out, but it definitely helps!
One final random thing, I will leave you with this picture of Zoe in the car on the way home last night. A great weekend at the beach (even though it was rainy)!
Do you get up first thing in the morning to run?
What is your tips for getting yourself out of bed in the morning?
Having a buddy is crucial for me! Even if it is only for one of my runs a week, I’m more motivated to get up on my own during the other days because I want to be in good shape for that run!
Yes having a Buddy can help so much!
I’m a long time early morning runner and those tips are all things I use! I don’t provide myself with another option: the clothes are there, I’m awake, no excuse. And any alternative would not be worth skipping. Great post 🙂 You’ll get used to the early mornings soon, and then you’ll have to do it early, even on the weekends 🙂
I hope that I do! Does it still feel tough for you to get up? I’m trying to convert because it sure feels great to have it done with sometimes before the sun even comes up!
What about the 4AM club? 😉 haha … yeah, I have been in the 5AM or 4AM club for more than 25 years now, so it is something I just do. Day in, day out.
My strategy? Just get out of freaking bed and do it. No snooze, no excuses.
You are WAY ahead of me on the 4 AM club! I don’t know how you do that every morning 🙂
Yes that is what I am having to do. Though I really need to get over this fear of running when it is dark outside!!
i want so badly to be an early morning runner, but it seems the only times i get out of the house early are when i am jet lagged and awake anyways!
Yes it isn’t natural to me, but I’ve finally gotten to the point where I really don’t have a choice. I guess that helps! 🙂
Setting my coffee up the night before makes getting out of bed so much easier for me!
Oh yes, I forgot that one!
Getting back into a routine is always tough for me, even if I don’t change that much about it while on vacation or during a holiday. So by giving myself a week to regroup, I am hoping to join the 5am club by Thursday of this week or Monday at the latest. Kudos to you for not only great training but sticking with it!
Good luck! You’ll get back into it – it’s good that you give yourself a little time to readjust!
I have never been a morning runner. In high school, the XC coach used to have us run doubles. We would run before school as well as have a team practice after school. I think that branded early morning running as torture for me. However, living in a hot climate and now in a job that is not as flexible, I am working on the 5am run.
The key tip for me this summer has been – go to bed! I had a late night TV habit that kept me up until midnight most days. Now I am ‘lights out’ at 9:30 – 10:00pm. That has really helped. I need the sleep for recovery too. Hope to make this practice stick in the cold winter months too.
Oh yes! I am usually a night owl because I work until almost midnight. Now I have to MAKE myself get off my computer by 10:30 at the latest to get to bed!
The “don’t give yourself an option” one, is HUGE for me!! I literally have to plug my phone in across the room so I absolutely HAVE to get out of bed to go turn my alarm off!
Yes the moment I give myself an option I will back out!
Great tips! Waking up early is SO hard for me, especially now that I have a baby. I usually set out everything I need for my run so that I see it when I wake up and know that I have to get it done! I always feel better if I finish before my husband and son wake up so I can spend more time with them 🙂
Yes I bet it is even harder with a baby! I am sure when that day comes for me I will have to work even harder at it 🙂
I get up at 530am three days a week and 600am the rest of the days. I actually don’t have any problems doing it (probably because as soon as the alarm goes off my dogs go crazy running through the house). Because I cannot stand the idea of sleeping in my clothes (sorry!) I lay them out the night before. That seems to help cut down on the fumbling around in the dark deciding which shirt to put on.
Ha! Yeah I didn’t sleep in them last night, but sometimes if I know It’s going to be a harder morning it gives me one less excuse to make! I do lay my clothes out as well right by the bed so its easy and no thought needed!
I think not giving yourself not an option is crucial. The alarm goes off and you should get up immediately! I also put my alarm clock on my dresser away from my bed which forces me to get up and turn it off!
Great idea!
Awesome tips. I’ve been trying so hard to get into morning runs, they will be crucial once school starts back up. I’m currently working a lot of mornings and have to leave by 6 so on days off it’s a struggle to get up. I’m definitely going to try sleeping in my shorts/bra to give me more motivation to get up!
Oh wow! Yes I would imagine leaving by 6 is TOUGH! My husband is going to run into that a little later in the year when he starts some of his rotations where he has to be at the hospital by 6!
LOVE being a part of the 5 AM running club. It’s the most enjoyable part of the day!
It is a great club to belong to! 🙂
I just do it! Otherwise the run doesn’t get done, and that’s worse than getting up at 5.
~Wendy at Taking the Long Way Home
Glad I’m not the only one who wears the (clean) clothes to bed when planning an early run! Go you!