Running early: Avoiding the gravitational pull of the bed on early AM runs...

Running early can be tough...impossible even.  That being said, I have a couple of tips that have helped me get up and about for my sometimes insane running times.  We have to get up early here in Florida in order to beat the heat during the summer months.  If your long run is not complete before the sun comes up, you can risk issues with the heat.  I sometimes go for long runs as early as 3:00 AM in the summer.  Lucky for me, it is NOT the summer.  In a normal week I get up around 5:00-5:15 AM for my morning runs during the week and may get up a touch earlier for my long run.  That can still feel pretty early though, especially after racking up some mileage and working a normal job.  Add in any extra curricular events during the week, and it can be downright hard to get out from under the covers.

To me, the keys for getting awake enough to go an run are:

1. Light:  I need to be exposed to light in order to get my body reved up to run.  There is scientific evidence that supports this.  Light helps to cause your body to slow melatonin production and as a result you start to wake up.
2. Getting ready:  The act of putting on my running cloths kind of sets my mind up for the run.  Even when I am not feeling it, I say to myself "Just gut it out, Just gut it out".  Nine times out of ten if I can make it out the door, then I won't come back until my run is over.  Also, make sure you lay your gear out the night before.  It is too easy to make up an excuse if you cannot find something.
3. Walk-the-run:  I have about a 100 yard walk from my house to the front gate of my neighborhood.  I walk to the gate to get the juices flowing and then, once through the gate, I jog slowly at first.  After about .25 miles I am usually 100% feeling good.
4. Coffee:  Sometimes, although I have not been doing this lately, I will have a half-cup of coffee just to get some caffeine in my system.  This always helps too. I have been trying to avoid using caffeine too much lately.  Our bodies are highly efficient at providing biofeedback and if my body tells me I am sleepy, I want to know that so I get more sleep.

Some people aren't wired to run early.  I can tell you this....I have gone on some morning runs and not had fun and I have gone on others and felt on top of the world.  This much is for sure....I have NEVER gone on a run where at the end I felt, "Wow, I sure wish I had not done that".  I have really been pushing myself to get plenty of sleep though, and I think it is paying off.  I get anywhere from 7-7.5 hours of sleep each night.  During the weekends I try to take naps when I can.  Anyone that has run for a while knows how important the rest is.  That is when you recover and your body heals itself.  The most important advice that I follow is LISTEN TO YOUR BODY....if you are tired, rest PERIOD.

Training for today consisted of 4 mile easy run at 5:15 AM.  Looking forward to my 18 mile run in the AM tomorrow.