How to start running in the morning with these useful tips

Many runners swear by their morning runs because the benefits of running in the morning are real.

Running in the morning can help you:

• Create a sense of accomplishment. (And might even inspire to do even more hard things.)
• Avoid the afternoon heat and humidity. Can’t avoid the heat? You’ll find running in hot weather tips and tricks here.
• Build a consistent running habit because fewer demands compete for your time.

Though you’ll find many benefits to running in the morning, keep in mind that the best time to run is the time that works with your schedule and your daily rhythms.

Let’s dive into the tips on how you can start running in the morning. And if you’re wondering what to eat before your morning runs, you’ll also find suggestions on what to eat before running in the morning.

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HOW TO START RUNNING IN THE MORNING

Make it easy

Mornings, especially if you’re not a morning person, are hard enough. And there’s no need pile on more hard things (like hunting for your running gear) before you even leave your home.

So you’ve got to make it easy to get up and out the door.

Running in the morning needs to be as easy and convenient as, say, online shopping.

Online shopping clears the obstacles—the traffic jams and packed stores—that stand in your way. What used to take an hour now takes a few minutes. 

In the same way, to build your habit of running in the morning, you’ve got to make it easy and convenient to go for a run.

Maybe it’s laying out your running gear the night before, or maybe it’s pre-planning for a lack of motivation. 

Whatever it is, make it easy to run in the morning. 

Make it short

If running for several miles seems overwhelming on any day, then commit to running for only 10-minutes. 

It’s a mental trick that can help you move through a lack of motivation.

You might feel great after 10 minutes and may want to continue running. Or you might have had enough after 10 minutes. Either way, it’s a success because you showed up.

It may be helpful for you to capture your running accomplishments in a running journal. So any time you doubt your progress or feel unmotivated, flip through your list of running successes for a dose of inspiration.

Your running planner doesn’t have to be fancy—a simple notebook will do the job. But if you want a dedicated running planner, this one can help.

Make it fun

Running doesn’t always have to be a serious endeavor, focused solely on pace and distance. 

It can be fun, or why do it at all? 

Maybe it’s doing a run you enjoy, or running on a favorite trail. Or, perhaps it’s the post-run reward that makes running in the morning enjoyable. 

Make it fun to stick with those morning runs.

Fuel your morning runs with food ¹

Running is never fun if you run out of energy. But, you can fuel your runs with a few suggestions.

First, consider whether you like to eat breakfast and what foods you enjoy consuming in the morning.

Then, practice what you’ll eat, when, and how much before running in the morning to fine-tune what works for you.

If you’re a female runner, then this book’s a great resource: ROAR: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Unique Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body for Life, Stacy T. Sims, Ph.D.

CONCLUSION

Running in the morning has its perks, though the best time to run is when it works for you.

If you decide running in the morning is for you, then remember these 4 tips. To begin running in the morning,

1. Make it easy.
2. Make it short.
3. Make it fun.
4. Fuel your run.

There you have it, the 4 tips on how you can get started running in the morning.

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