Running in the AM
Options
Replies
-
First, thanks off to everyone who posted with advice!
To @nosajjao: When I say "eat at night", I mean having dinner... I'm not chowing down at midnight or anything. I just meant that I try to eat more than just a salad for supper. Most people I know try to work in some carbs and protein with their dinner, so I don't think I'm doing anything crazy here.
To @KarenJanine: I appreciate the fact that recovery is something to be concerned about but I focus on form and am in tune enough with my body to know when enough is enough. So far, this amount of running hasn't been putting any undue stress on me.
To @vegwrangler: Thank you for this! I hadn't really thought about increasing my warm up at all but I am definitely going to try it! As for the sleep diary, I will definitely try that too! Really appreciate your advice! :flowerforyou:
To @shropshire: Thank you! I am motivated
To @BrianSharpe: I'm not exactly a novice runner, but most of my running used to happen because of rugby. But this thing where I jog without the fear of a woman twice my size grabbing my legs is new :laugh:
I just happen to like the mornings and the evenings.. you see different birds and animals, and get to take in all the sights and smells of your home waking up or settling down. So, while doing 6 miles all at once is something I can do, it's not something I really want to do. Besides, rn I am sitting around writing my master's thesis so I like having two excuses to get out of the house instead of just one!
As for eating before the run, that's something I haven't been doing because that would require me getting up even earlier to have time to digest before the heat of the day sinks in... Is there a way I could just have a snack or something and then eat a proper breakfast after? What kinds of pre-jog snacks would you all recommend?0 -
Perhaps you just need a little more time to wake up? I hate morning runs if I just get up, stumble into my shoes, and wander out the door and try to run.
On mornings where I have to drive to my run, I feel better. I spend about 45 min in the car drinking coffee, grooving to some tunes, etc. Those are the mornings where I have energy and enjoy the run.
What/when I eat makes little difference.0 -
it's like a cockroach. it will not die.Source for this? I've never heard that (and based on my own experience disagree as I eat at night and train in a morning and am a far better trainer in the am than the pm)
Wow, would've thought this was very nearly common sense. Besides hearing this from various flight physicians I've had (i'm an aviator), a nutritionist who trained me to be a fitness instructor, and countless doctors you can find this knowledge on the web too.
When you eat during the day, you are relatively active, and your metabolism is functioning at a rapid rate. In contrast, during sleep, your metabolism has slowed quite a bit—and because of this, the food that you have recently eaten will be metabolized and digested at a much slower rate. This contributes to increases in body weight, and possible obesity. Another important reason why you may want to avoid eating late is due to the effect it can have on your sleep cycle. Having to metabolize large amounts of food during sleep can lead to feeling tired or lethargic in the morning. It doesn't guarantee that it will, but the odds are high. Everybody's body is different.
Scientists have found that when mice ate at unusual hours, they put on twice as much weight, despite exercising and eating as much as others.
The study, in the journal Obesity, is said to be the first to show directly that there is a “wrong” time to eat.
Keep in mind, I am not a doctor or a nutritionist or sleep specialist. I am just someone with a well-informed opinion and experience around how my own body responds to things.
Not this again. Doesn't matter what time you eat. You are not a mouse. This has been proven wrong numerous times here.0 -
As for eating before the run, that's something I haven't been doing because that would require me getting up even earlier to have time to digest before the heat of the day sinks in... Is there a way I could just have a snack or something and then eat a proper breakfast after? What kinds of pre-jog snacks would you all recommend?
Anything with carbs. A banana would work well.0 -
That is just a bit of a silly statement. this depends a lot on people fitness and personal goals. I frequently run twice a day as do a lot of runners. There have been some good studies showing it can be more beneficial than one long run a day. Also it's 6 miles it's not as if the poster is running two runs of 20 miles.Running twice a day is not giving yourself enough time to recover. Rest is important as that's when the muscles repair and energy stores replenish. How about running just once a day, making it longer than 3 miles if you feel you need to get more road time in. This way you'll have a lot longer between runs to recover.
The best advice is listen to your body after you've been running a while you can gauge what is too much.
As for the posters question> I'm not good at running in the morning so If I do two I normally do one at lunch time and one late evening. One of those runs is normally at an easier pace than the other. i know not much help but some of us just aren't morning people0 -
I agree with the others that in order to give you proper advice more information is needed such as: How many miles per week are you running? How many days are you doing doubles? What is your running history/ experience?
Aside from that, here are a few things that work to help get me going in the morning:
1. Drink a big glass of water as soon as I get up. I can literally feel it waking my body up.
2. 3-5 minutes of light yoga such as sun salutations to loosen up the joints.
3. Walk around my yard/ street for 2-3 minutes before beginning my run to get myself acclimated.
I would try and limit the number of days you double up. I generally double up with running and strength training on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but anything more than that tends to lead both to mental and physical fatigue.
Thanks for the advice! I do drink water in the morning and you're right, it definitely helps a little bit.
I'm not doing doubles everyday. Last night, for example, I was up late (posting on MFP haha!) so I didn't go for a morning jog today. Tomorrow, however, after getting to bed at a decent time, I fully intend to get up and go for a jog. So it isn't a rigid schedule.. I listen to my body and I run doubles when I can because I just like doing it 0 -
I just happen to like the mornings and the evenings.. you see different birds and animals, and get to take in all the sights and smells of your home waking up or settling down. So, while doing 6 miles all at once is something I can do, it's not something I really want to do. Besides, rn I am sitting around writing my master's thesis so I like having two excuses to get out of the house instead of just one!
If the purpose is just to get yourself out there door then go for it. It takes a little time to get used to the morning runs. When it gets hot and I transition my runs to the morning it takes time for my pace to get close to my evening pace. But I am always slower in the morning.0 -
As for eating before the run, that's something I haven't been doing because that would require me getting up even earlier to have time to digest before the heat of the day sinks in... Is there a way I could just have a snack or something and then eat a proper breakfast after? What kinds of pre-jog snacks would you all recommend?
I usually have a cheese stick or a small cup of yogurt. I admire your commitment! I have been trying to get my runs done in the AM, so far I have done it 4/7 days. :yawn:0 -
As for eating before the run, that's something I haven't been doing because that would require me getting up even earlier to have time to digest before the heat of the day sinks in... Is there a way I could just have a snack or something and then eat a proper breakfast after? What kinds of pre-jog snacks would you all recommend?
I usually have a cheese stick or a small cup of yogurt. I admire your commitment! I have been trying to get my runs done in the AM, so far I have done it 4/7 days. :yawn:
Ohh! Good call! If there's one thing that'll get me out of bed, it;s the promise of cheese!0 -
All my runs are morning runs. I don't have another window that works. Here's my mostly standard routine
1) Wake up
2) Drink a glass of water
3) Brush teeth
4) Make / drink coffee
5) Foam roller session
6) Head out the door.
7) Walk the 750m to run starting point (all my runs start from the bottom of my street).
8) Start running
My first 1-2 miles ALWAYS SUCK. My opinion at that point is that I'm not going to be able to finish my run. My brain says I should just stop now. This is usually gone by mile 3 and by the time later miles arrive, I'm in a groove and having a great time. By the end of the run, I feel like a champion and that I can conquer the world.
Yeah!0 -
All my runs are morning runs. I don't have another window that works. Here's my mostly standard routine
1) Wake up
2) Drink a glass of water
3) Brush teeth
4) Make / drink coffee
5) Foam roller session
6) Head out the door.
7) Walk the 750m to run starting point (all my runs start from the bottom of my street).
8) Start running
My first 1-2 miles ALWAYS SUCK. My opinion at that point is that I'm not going to be able to finish my run. My brain says I should just stop now. This is usually gone by mile 3 and by the time later miles arrive, I'm in a groove and having a great time. By the end of the run, I feel like a champion and that I can conquer the world.
Yeah!
Awesome tips! Thank you!0 -
false. it's only a total of 6 miles.Running twice a day is not giving yourself enough time to recover. Rest is important as that's when the muscles repair and energy stores replenish. How about running just once a day, making it longer than 3 miles if you feel you need to get more road time in. This way you'll have a lot longer between runs to recover.
as far as energy: i wake up super early so i can have coffee and breakie before running. i usually feel good.
No, not false. Recovery is extremely important. That's the one constant everybody needs to adhere to and yet some people seem to be overly ignorant of. 6 miles a day may be too much for one person's body or not enough for someone else, but proper recovery for healing is one thing that won't be 'overdone'. Stretching, icing, heating, sleeping, resting; all this needs to be planned as stringently as your runs are. Its like overhauling a car for restoration, you wouldn't hot-rod the engine without improving brakes to compensate.
fhunter91, I think you're doing something wrong here. If your goal is to have energy in the morning, you shouldn't be eating at night especially not carbs and protein. Your body spends all night metabolizing the calories, which is most likely why you wake up feeling so tired. Eating before going to bed is a bad idea for that reason, digesting the food while you sleep will make you tired in the morning.
If running twice a day isn't causing any injuries for you, muscular or joint, then continue to do it. It all depends on your physicality. If distance and endurance is your thing, maybe that works then. If speed and calories are your thing, then you should probably just do strength training in the morning and run in the afternoon for speed instead of distance. Try doing interval running or race training where you can measure specific improvements instead of just a basic jog. The main idea is you want to define the goal of what you're trying to get out of these runs. If its a better run time, lower maximum heart rate, general calorie burning and weight loss, endurance building, you need to understand the point of it all. That way solutions are more easily found to any issues.
Final note, consumables don't give you direct energy. Some caffeine prior to a run will give you some energy. Fat from a good source is the best long-term energy provider per kilocalorie. But all of these things mean nothing if you don't rest/recover/warm up properly/and get enough sleep.
Utter nonsense. Please cite a credible source to backup a nonsensical assertion.0 -
Source for this? I've never heard that (and based on my own experience disagree as I eat at night and train in a morning and am a far better trainer in the am than the pm)
Wow, would've thought this was very nearly common sense. Besides hearing this from various flight physicians I've had (i'm an aviator), a nutritionist who trained me to be a fitness instructor, and countless doctors you can find this knowledge on the web too.
When you eat during the day, you are relatively active, and your metabolism is functioning at a rapid rate. In contrast, during sleep, your metabolism has slowed quite a bit—and because of this, the food that you have recently eaten will be metabolized and digested at a much slower rate. This contributes to increases in body weight, and possible obesity. Another important reason why you may want to avoid eating late is due to the effect it can have on your sleep cycle. Having to metabolize large amounts of food during sleep can lead to feeling tired or lethargic in the morning. It doesn't guarantee that it will, but the odds are high. Everybody's body is different.
Scientists have found that when mice ate at unusual hours, they put on twice as much weight, despite exercising and eating as much as others.
The study, in the journal Obesity, is said to be the first to show directly that there is a “wrong” time to eat.
Keep in mind, I am not a doctor or a nutritionist or sleep specialist. I am just someone with a well-informed opinion and experience around how my own body responds to things.
First of all, the OP didn't say they're eating a ton of food right before they go to bed or whatever (they might just be eating a substantial dinner), so I'm not sure how much your "advice" even really applies. Second, just because a lot of people say something doesn't mean it's true, and doctors are notoriously uninformed when it comes to nutrition. Third, if it's the study I'm thinking of, that study was about messing with your circadian rhythms (including exposure to light, etc.). I don't think the results can be validly extrapolated to the context of someone eating a big meal and then going to bed.
OP, I agree that there probably isn't any benefit to splitting the runs up and that 1 6-mile run would help you improve more. But if you just like doing it twice a day or whatever, I think what you're experiencing is normal. The more you run in the morning, the better your body will get at it. I find hat a cup of coffee helps me (since I don't like eating before).0 -
I'm running every second day. Every second workout, I feel this way too. I'm chalking it up to my body needing to adjust to me taxing it more. Some runs will be better than others. Just how it is while you're learning (actually, probably forever since you will make your runs harder/longer so that you always keep improving).
ETA: I'm just starting out - using a couch to 10k/12 week program...0 -
Two 3 mile runs a day may not sound like a lot but how many days a week are you running?
If you're running every day, that's 42 miles a week and that's a lot of mileage. Heck, that's a lot of weekly mileage for some marathon training plans I've seen.
I love to run but I've learned I need to take a rest day every now and then to recover. I typically put in 25 -30 miles a week and rest 1 or 2 days a week. It keeps me fresh and helps me stay motivated.
You might also consider skipping the morning run a couple of days a week and go longer in the evening (or skip the evening run and go longer the following morning).0 -
In the winter, when it is dark and hard, I will run to the coffee store. I will drink a cup of coffee and run back.
Other than that tip, I think we need to know more about your running plan in general (how many days to you run, do you cross train, miles per week, training goals) to provide more insightful advice.0 -
It has taken me about a month to train my body to be able to run in the morning. I have a cup of coffee first, use the bathroom, do some stretching (very important!) then head out the door. Sometimes it still feels like my joints don't want to move at first, but it gets better after a mile or so.
You just have to stick with the schedule for a bit, and you'll get used to it!0 -
I run in the morning and usually fasted except coffee. 3 miles should not be a big deal if you don't eat any breakfast. In fact, on longer runs it would be good idea to run fasted since you will be working on depleating your glycogen stores which trains your body to build bigger glycogen stores and rely more on fat during your runs. If you must eat something, a bannana like a half hour before will curb you until you get done with your run.0
-
I agree u should leave the carbs alone at night and if u have to eat go with protein.
false. it's only a total of 6 miles.Running twice a day is not giving yourself enough time to recover. Rest is important as that's when the muscles repair and energy stores replenish. How about running just once a day, making it longer than 3 miles if you feel you need to get more road time in. This way you'll have a lot longer between runs to recover.
as far as energy: i wake up super early so i can have coffee and breakie before running. i usually feel good.
No, not false. Recovery is extremely important. That's the one constant everybody needs to adhere to and yet some people seem to be overly ignorant of. 6 miles a day may be too much for one person's body or not enough for someone else, but proper recovery for healing is one thing that won't be 'overdone'. Stretching, icing, heating, sleeping, resting; all this needs to be planned as stringently as your runs are. Its like overhauling a car for restoration, you wouldn't hot-rod the engine without improving brakes to compensate.
fhunter91, I think you're doing something wrong here. If your goal is to have energy in the morning, you shouldn't be eating at night especially not carbs and protein. Your body spends all night metabolizing the calories, which is most likely why you wake up feeling so tired. Eating before going to bed is a bad idea for that reason, digesting the food while you sleep will make you tired in the morning.
If running twice a day isn't causing any injuries for you, muscular or joint, then continue to do it. It all depends on your physicality. If distance and endurance is your thing, maybe that works then. If speed and calories are your thing, then you should probably just do strength training in the morning and run in the afternoon for speed instead of distance. Try doing interval running or race training where you can measure specific improvements instead of just a basic jog. The main idea is you want to define the goal of what you're trying to get out of these runs. If its a better run time, lower maximum heart rate, general calorie burning and weight loss, endurance building, you need to understand the point of it all. That way solutions are more easily found to any issues.
Final note, consumables don't give you direct energy. Some caffeine prior to a run will give you some energy. Fat from a good source is the best long-term energy provider per kilocalorie. But all of these things mean nothing if you don't rest/recover/warm up properly/and get enough sleep.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.9K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.8K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.7K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 399 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.8K Motivation and Support
- 7.9K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.4K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 979 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.4K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions