3 tips to nail your morning run
Learn to start your day off on the right foot with these tips to maximize your morning run.
To some people, getting up early to run sounds like absolute torture. Especially during winter months, getting up when it’s dark AND cold seems like lunacy. But there’s a reason so many people run in the morning, it works. And there’s actually a science to back up those claims. Not only do you start your day with a notch in the win column. You are more relaxed and refreshed to take on the rigors of the day. For me, it’s a time to clear my head, ponder, think and prepare myself mentally for my busy daily schedule.
So now that you’ve at least verbally committed to morning running. Take advantage of all the advantages. Here are three basic tips for how to get started and have success:
1.Think ahead to your morning run
Part of the success of morning running is taking out some of the emotional decision-making. The fewer decisions you have to make while you’re in a groggy, early morning state, the better. This includes things like checking the weather before you retire. Then set out your clothes and shoes near your bed. To learn more about the proper running clothes, click here. If you don’t prepare you’ll be to be looking for your shoes in the dark. And the probability that you’ll just crawl back in bed is like 1000%. It’s just easier to get back in bed. Prepare the night before and you’ll at least remove some of the roadblocks to the early morning run.
2. Get your sleep
One of the reasons so many people fail to get up early is that they go to bed too late. I know that sounds super simple, but getting the right amount of sleep will help you when the alarm goes off in the morning. You know yourself best. Make sure to get to bed early enough to get fully rested. Set your alarm and be prepared to get up early. Sometimes going through some visualizations before you go to bed can help. Picture in your mind getting up early and how good you’ll feel to start your day off on the right foot. This will trigger your subconscious mind to be ready to wake up and get going.
3. Warm up for the morning run
When you wake up in the morning not only is your mind a little foggy, but your muscles will be a little stiff. So, to reduce the chance of pulling or straining something, make sure you do a great warm-up before you run. Do a full-body stretch, starting with your neck and paying special attention to your quads, hamstrings, and calves. Loosen up everything with a stretch and start with a brisk walk to warm up your legs before you hit the pavement with a full-on run.
Conclusion for nailing your morning run
Each of these tips will help you get closer to conquering the morning. Starting out the day with a training run will have lasting physical and mental benefits. A clear mind, getting to your Zen place, and beginning the day with a victory is well worth the sacrifice of a few more minutes of sleep. You can do it and you’ll thank me for it.
