5 Reasons You Should Become a Morning Runner

© Nastassia Yakushevich | Dreamstime

I am not a morning runner.

I don’t like running in the dark if I have a choice. I don’t like making myself go to bed early. I don’t like how grumpy I feel before sunrise.

I have been a morning runner out of necessity in the past, but I would go through a training block and then allow myself to back off after a goal race.

But recently, I found myself joining friends for morning runs and it reminded me why morning runners are often the most consistent.

No excuses

The biggest reason runners who get it done in the morning are most consistent is because there is never any excuse except their own keeping them from going. Between work, kids, and the billion other things people have on their plate, running later in the day is often relegated to “less important.”

Better attitude

Once I get past the initial grumpiness, I do inherently feel better about everything else that day. Even if I get nothing else accomplished and everything else goes wrong, at least I finished my run.

Race preparation

Most races are held in the morning and training at that time makes race mornings feel a little more normal. Practicing everything from time management to nutrition strategies is easier when your body is used to a routine.

Better sleep

Unless I am burning the candle at both ends, falling asleep and staying asleep is easier as a morning runner. Everyone has different circadian rhythms, but an evening workout can disrupt even a night owl’s sleep.

Coffee tastes better

Whether it is to caffeinate the run or acts as a reward for completing a workout, coffee just tastes better with a little sweat equity.

Carissa Liebowitz has run the Boston Marathon as well as dozens of marathons and half marathons. You can follow her running adventures on Instagram and her blog.

2 comments… add one
  • Sam B. July 19, 2017, 4:23 pm

    Starbucks generally taste better at 5:30am, doesn’t it!? 😉

  • Connie Allen July 12, 2017, 12:32 pm

    Number 6, and the most (in my opinion) important for runners over 50…during the hotter months, we older runners simply cannot regulate our body temperatures as well as when we were younger. I am finding temperatures greater than the high-70s make for “unenjoyable” runs!

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