Who Runs Before work?

imhungry2012

I do. Set my alarm for 5:30am and out the door by 5:45am.

Lay out everything the night before (shorts, sports bra, shirt/jacket if it's cold, socks, sneakers, ipod) - PUT EVERYTHING ON AS SOON AS YOU GET UP! Then there is no going back once you are dressed, try keeping your gear on your bathroom counter so in the AM when you get up to pee it's there!....then brush your teeth, grab a couple sips of water, assess the weather conditions and you're off...within a couple minutes you're wide awake

I don't eat before and don't have any issues (I do about 3 miles).

I never regret the days that I go but always regret the days I don't! :happy:

summertime_girl

Yeah, but to be fair, I can start work whenever I feel like it. A perk of being the boss

superchunk17

I had the same problem. The first couple weeks are rough but you get used to it. What I do now is set my alarm (on my ipod, on the other side of the room so I have to get up to shut it off) for 5:15 each morning; even when I am not running. I usually run around 6:15 so it gives me about 45 mins to wake up, get dressed, grab a drink and go. I have been running anywhere from 4-6 miles before work and plan my long run for sunday. On Saturday and Sunday I let myself sleep in and stick with the same routine, waiting about 30-45 mins before I head out. Getting to sleep earlier helps too..... Good luck.

caseye98

I think it's just making it fit your schedule. I was getting up every morning but when I have my kids(dad has them sometimes), I don't beat myself up too bad if I can't get out there until evening time. Which, I will have to do tonight. As long as I get an hour in somewhere of the day, I am happy. My calories are based on working out at least an hour so yep...if I get that in, it's all good. I also use a HRM Polar FT60 and love it.

Culley34

I run after work, but run on the mornings during the weekends.

If you feel 'burned out' from the day -- do NOT allow yourself to sit down when you get home. I noticed this when I was going the gym a few years ago. I would get home after a long day at work, sit on the couch, and then DONE - I was not moving for the rest of the night.

If you do decide to run after work - have your stuff ready, change as soon as you can, and go! Don't give yourself time to rationalize!

EDIT: If you want to run in the morning -- put your alarm clock across the room or multiple alarms so you have to get up and turn them off. It gets you out of bed so you can't idly hit the snooze button.

iWaffle

My biggest problem would be running on country road before dawn (no street lights so it's pitch black and cars drive VERY fast down that road).

This morning it was overcast and this trail I was on barely has any light. I might get a headlamp to wear while running. There was one spot where the trail isn't paved and I stepped in a hole of some kind. Still have no idea what it was. On the way back I actually ran out in the street to avoid that area. You could hurt yourself if you're not careful. I saw some with an elastic headband yesterday at Lowe's. That might do the trick.

dsjohndrow

I get up and have a coffee in front of the PC, read email, check MFP and then get dressed and go. It's even harder when i have to go to the gym because it snowing or something. The longer I wait in the day (used to run at lunch at work) the harder to get it going it is.

Muddy_Yogi

I set my alarm for 3:45 in the morning....when it goes off I get up. WHy? because the only person that can control what I do is me....so I tell myself this is what you want so go get it! I am out the door and on the road by 4 am every morning.

julieh391

For me it was just about deciding it was worth it to get my lazy butt up and moving. I work second shift, but I still have to get up at 5:30 to run before my husband has to go to work (I'm on kid duty with 3 kids all day before I go to work, so no running then.) This means some nights I'm not home until midnight, but I still get up and run at 5:30. My alarm on my phone says "RUN!" on the screen when it goes off.

Oh, and I don't eat breakfast or drink coffee or anything. I lay my workout clothes out the night before so they're easy to find in the dark. In the morning I get dressed, pee, brush teeth, fill water bottle, and head out the door to the gym.

BrianSharpe

Timer on the coffee maker ensures there's a fresh pot waiting for me when I roll out of bed, my gear is all laid out the night before (no fumbling in the dark looking for socks etc); roll out of bed, get dressed, have a quick cup of coffee and out the door. It gets pretty routine after a while and it helps that I'm a morning person.

Personally I find that running first thing in the morning (around 5:00AM) is a terrific way to start the day and there's no traffic to dodge (either on the roads or the recreational paths).

maxonehiphop

I run before work most days but it's usually on a treadmill. On lift days I only run a little bit in the morning just to kind of wake up. On the days I don't lift I run for about an hour.

it doesn't take much to mess it up though. I have crazy bad insomnia and sometimes I decide that an extra 2 hours in bed will do more for me than the gym. sometimes that is true and sometimes it isn't.

kimmymayhall

I run around my neighborhood before work 3 days a week. Others have said it, but I get all my running gear together the night before. As soon as I get up I go to the bathroom, put on my running clothes, then do busy work around the house until it is light enough to head out. Once I get my shoes on there is no good reason not to go run. It is important to make sure you get enough sleep. I have to make myself go to bed on time or I know its going to be rough the next day. If you booze, drinking an extra glass of wine/beer the night before can make for a sucky morning. I did go through a few weeks of setting my alarm early and just going back to sleep every morning, you've just got to decide that you really want to do it.

rchupka87

Ugh - I have TRIED to get up and run in the mornings, and literally the first thing that goes through my head when the alarm goes off is "Un Uh. Ain't gonna happen", and I go back to sleep. I have GOT to start doing this. NO MORE excuses!!!!

doggiesnot

Try making a habit of getting up early, at the same time every day. It's easier if you go to bed earlier by the same amount. I used to go to bed at 10:00, but now it's 9:00, so I can wake up at 5:30 and feel fully refreshed! I'm not exactly running, but I bike commute to work. In any case, I think setting the habit will be key for you, and allowing yourself a week or two to get into the groove.

CatMagnet71

I wake up listening to music that gets me energized. I also know that although getting up and out for my run can be a chore, I always feel amazing afterwards.

So I set the alarm for 4:00AM, allow myself to linger in bed for a bit to stretch and wake up a little. Then I get dressed, grab a banana and a glass of water and head out.

I prefer to get my workouts done in the morning anyways, because that way, it's done and out of the way and I can enjoy my evening.

kimmymayhall

Just adding that I usually do not eat before running. When I run on weekends I go out later and run longer so I might have a little bit of fruit or a spoon of peanut butter. But for running before work (1.5+ miles) I just drink a little water.
Alos, I really like eating back my exercise calories. I've gotten in trouble when I eat something extra during the day because I know I am going to run after work to earn those calories. And of course something comes up or I'm just lazy and don't go running after work so I end up over my numbers for the day. That doesn't happen if I run in the morning.

stljam

I downloaded an alarm clock that forces me to do a certain number of math problems before Im allowed to snooze or dismiss it. It makes me brain wake up for almost 30 seconds and then its like, well, flop, im awake now.

You might look into the sport sensor alarm clock. Instead of giving you problems, it makes you do things like punching, jumping and shaking to turn the alarm off. Burn some calories and wake up.

neentree

I love running in the morning . I usually eat a banana before going for a run and it helps me keep going in the morning. When I get back then I have a quick smoothie.