Just a little personal motivation for myself, merely for my memories
*note to self: set coffee pot alarm so it's ready and impossible to waste.
"If you can sit up, you can get up"
"I'd like to share my techniques for rising early (4:45 am) to run in the mornings and hear how others manage to get themselves up early.
First of all, let me say that when the alarm goes off I NEVER feel like getting up. But once I'm done with my coffee and out on the road, I NEVER regret it! (And after 3 years, running is still the only sport I'll do it for.)
1. Learn to go to bed early. I know how many hours of sleep I need and I try to make sure I get them. You're going to sacrifice time for your running no matter when you do it, but don't try to get that time back by staying up late to get work done, watch tv, read, etc.
2. My foolproof ritual: the alarm goes off (a "Zen Alarm" --they are great), and I turn if off and force myself to just sit up, cross-legged. "If you can sit up, you can get up" is my mantra.
3. After sitting a minute, the idea of coffee starts to sound better than the idea of going back to sleep. By then the cats are usually after me for breakfast too.
4. Emergency tiredness-- if I know I've had my minimum sleep requirements and I also am sure I'm not coming down with something, but I still feel glued to the pillow... I take out the secret weapon: I promise myself I can have a nap later in the day. I never need it though!
The mantra "If you can sit up you can get up" is the most helpful part of this whole procedure for me. Not "ok, wake up and go run 5 miles" but "just sit up, that's all." The rest flows from there.
Let's hear how others do it! I'm going to refer this page to all my friends who say they want to run but cannot get themselves up..."
" How I up early for runs to do short AM double runs..
1) 3 alarms, 5 minutes apart. I'm a heavy sleeper, so I have a CD alarm clock that has 1 or 2 songs on the CD, it plays light to get me half-awake, the next alarm is my cell-phone on half-volume which will wake me up if I'm not to tired, and the last resort is a blaring beeper...
2) Go to bed already dressed, just need to drag on the shoes and go, AM runs really don't need to be measured in time IMO, just give yourself adaquate time to get it in is all.
3) Do all the other stuff afterwards. My room is directly connected to outside, just a door to walk out of. I stagger out still asleep pretty much and go. Only on long (15mi or so) runs do I wake up and grab my fuel-belt, eat sometime, and then go.. I eat, and get ready for my day after I run... "
"I like the "if you can sit up you can get up" plan! My mantra is "I have to get up eventually, so I may as well get on with it!."
Personally, I love my morning runs so much that on my non- running days (I usually do take a walk though), I have a harder time getting going than the days I'm planning a run.
Oh yeah, my other secret weapon is to not let the dog out past about 8pm... that ensures a German Shepherd in my face right about alarm time!
Carrie"
"I know this sounds a little crazy but I've quit using the alarm clock. I found when I use a clock, I'll shut the alarm off in my sleep and go back to sleep. Now when I go to bed I'll look at the clock and just think to myself what time I want to wake up, and I'll wake up within 5 min of that time, usually it's at 3:45. Over the four or five years, I've only overslept a few times, and that's been after a night of moderate drinking."
"Usually the idea of putting on some coffee helps get me out of bed to run. The other morning though, in a moment of runners' solidarity I guess you could say, it occurred to me how many other people are getting up at the same time, same minute, to run as well. Sounds a bit corny, but the idea that lots of other folks were dragging their butt out of bed too struck a chord with me of "if they can do it, I can do it."
Whatever works! "
"In preparation for the hot humid summer, I'm training myself to get back into the early a.m. run...actually made it out 2x this week at 4am!
I lay everything out the night before.
I'm in bed by 9/read till my eyes roll to the back of my head [usually about 10 min]
Wake up at least once between 11-1 to pee
Eyes open around 2am when the college age son rolls in
Half-awake thoughout the night to kick snoring DH
Finally just say F*CK IT and get up at 3:45 to go run by 4.
no wonder I'm comatose by 9:01 every night
Seriously, I enjoy the 4am dark quiet cool runs in the summer months. (I run at noon during the winter)"
"When my alarm goes off at 4:50am I try to remind myself how much better my days are when I run first thing.To make it easier I get my things ready the night before.I get up, get dressed,drink water and out the door."
"This time of year it's actually quite easy for me - my alarm is set for 6, but it's so light out that I'm generally awake before that! I know it only lasts a couple of months, but I love it! Winter is a different story here in VT...
I make a deal with myself that I only have to go the 2.7 mile loop from my house and around the university, but I usually end up going further once I'm moving.
I think about how great it will be to get out of work and be able to lounge around, read, cook, quilt, watch baseball, etc. since my workout is out of the way.
I think about how I'll have a better day at work because I'll be more awake after a run.
I try to stay as groggy as possible. That way by the time I'm awake I'm at least a mile from home thinking, "how the &%*$ did I get here?"
There's something about seeing my little city before it's fully awake, just a few cars and pedestrians and other runners. The air smells sweet and new before it gets muddled up with car exhaust and the warmth of the sunshine. My usual route takes me up a hill where I can see the morning sun hanging over the Green Mountains. I know this sounds hokey, but you just don't get this experience any other time of day and it's what makes me really enjoy running. "
"I always wake up naturally between 5 and 5:30, and have never used an alarm clock in my life. I don't think I've ever slept in past 8 o'clock! But still, waking up at 5 is one thing, going for a run is another. I usually just peel myself off my bed, throw on any running stuff I can find, don't even brush my hair or anything, and just get out the door within a few minutes of waking up. About half way through the run I finally wake up and think about how much better it feels to have gone running already and how happy I am that I don't have to go this afternoon! When I get home I eat breakfast in front of the tv for about half an hour, take a shower, and then I'm off to school! The day always feels so much better!"
"posted May-31-2005 06:17 AM Click Here to See the Profile for Bird Dog Click Here to Email Bird Dog Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote The only reason I stay up, at all after work is if I need to take care of something with the secular world. Well....if I really don't feel like sleeping, I'll stay up. Otherwise... I go to sleep as early as I can. Nothing interesting out there in the world I want to experience in the evenings. I allow myself to wake up when I feel like it. That's usually about 8 to 9 hours of sleep. I absolutely love mornings. 4 am is the most beautiful time of day. So peacefull....serene... I just love being up then....and out to run...
I will turn the alarm on to make sure I never sleep too much to go to work. Might miss a run. But rarely happens. And I know I needed the sleep. Also....the sleeping and waking up when I feel like it... That is something I enjoy immensly.... I let my body get enough rest until it feels like waking up. I think I get better rest that way also."
"This is a great topic. I used to be an early morning runner, and like many, did not need an alarm clock, but set one just in case.
Presently, I am in the process of getting back to that routine. Today was my first time in 4 years to get up early and go for a run. It was great. I used the "if you can sit up you can get up" mantra, and it worked!
FWIW, you *can* change your internal clock. I was a night owl from birth to post-college, and used to believe that it couldn't be changed. That's hogwash. It only takes a few days to get used to it. The early a.m. runs lead to earlier bed times, which makes getting up that much easier.
I loved getting up at 5, running, coming back and leisurely getting ready for work, eating breakfast while reading the paper or watching the news, and all of it without feeling rushed. I am close to getting back to that schedule and looking forward to it. "
"It's great to know there are so many other morning lovers out there. My biggest motivator in getting out of bed is knowing how quiet and peaceful it will be out there. Especially here near Boston where the rest of the day is so crowded. There is a bit of an early morning club that develops in those early morning hours - mostly the same runners, dog walkers, and bread-newspaper-milk delivery people out each morning. It really gets the blood circulating, too, and gives you quite a jump on those other people stumbling into work blearily looking for their first coffee of the day."
"I absolutly LOVE running in the AM!!! Although, there are mornings where it's an absolute battle to get out of bed.....Last week I found that even though I woke up, sat up, and got up....My morning run didn't start off well.....I must have slept wierd because for the first time in my runnign career I had back spasms....Very wierd....I have implemented the if you can sit up you can get up Mantra since starting to read this thread...It really works....
Here in the desert southwest, running in the AM during the summer is a necessity. Yesterday, since it was a holiday and day off from work, I didn't start my run until 9am....the entire family went on thier bikes and I ran....It was one of the toughest runs I have done because it was 90 degrees already....
As for eating....no can do here....The most I can stomach is a glass of ice cold water or possibly some coffee....anything else in my stomach would come right back up somewhere on my run my stomach....I am ready to eat after my hour run....
As for the essentials, NEVER leave the house without a little weight loss session (if you know what I mean).....If you don't, you will find yourself an open field and a soft furry bunny rabbit.....And in the desert, those fields always have cactus....YOUCH!!!"
"Oh, this cracks me up, because I've found that after running consistently in the early am, my body's pretty prepped for that 'early morning session.' . Plus, I think I'm waking up at 4:00ish automatically anyway, wondering if it's going running or not.
I like knowing that I'm not sacrificing time to run, so I'll set out clothes for the kids first (ages 6 & 8) so I feel 'ahead' of the game. I'll also often have my clothes ready.
This is also my first spring running, so I'm also amazed by how light it is at 5:00 a.m. now. Yee ha! "
"I had my stuff all layed out for my 4am run today, but was hit BROADSIDE at 1 am by a killer headache....out of the blue....no idea what triggered it....probably sinuses/allergies
[I don't get migraines]
When the alarm went off at 3:50, I was wiped out and still feeling it, so bagged the run.
*sigh* Now I'll have "missed-run-guilt-complex" for the rest of the day. "
"LOL!
I was feeling so horrid at 5am that I called in sick.
But at 7am I was angry and feeling guilty, so I forced myself downstairs and lifted UB weights...then felt energized and hopped on the TM for a relaxed easy 4. Go figure.
My head is not quite as achy, and the drippy/full/sinusy feeling didn't interfere with the run.
I'm glad I didn't force the run at 4am, glad I didn't go into work, and VERY glad that I *did* manage a workout in spite of everything. OY!
I'll get that 4am run in tomorrow for sure. "
"Great Topic. This will sound strange, but having a baby helped me to get up early for my runs. My son was born 4-20-04 and during the past 14 months (since his birth) I have been up and running by 5:30 a.m. on most mornings. My wife and I lay in bed to help put the baby to sleep and then it just makes sense to go ahead and "turn in for the night" once he falls asleep around 9:15 p.m. So . . . I would say HAVE A BABY AND START GETTING TO BED EARLIER IN THE EVENING!! I would like to add that I used to primarily run in the evenings and have found that running in the mornings is MUCH BETTER. THERE IS NOTHING QUITE LIKE RUNNING IN THE PRE-DAWN DARKNESS AND THEN SEEING THE SUN RISE DURING THE RUN."
"posted Jun-02-2005 03:41 PM Click Here to See the Profile for MGinNYC Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
quote:Originally posted by okierunner:
Great Topic. This will sound strange, but having a baby helped me to get up early for my runs. My son was born 4-20-04 and during the past 14 months (since his birth) I have been up and running by 5:30 a.m. on most mornings. My wife and I lay in bed to help put the baby to sleep and then it just makes sense to go ahead and "turn in for the night" once he falls asleep around 9:15 p.m. So . . . I would say HAVE A BABY AND START GETTING TO BED EARLIER IN THE EVENING!! I would like to add that I used to primarily run in the evenings and have found that running in the mornings is MUCH BETTER. THERE IS NOTHING QUITE LIKE RUNNING IN THE PRE-DAWN DARKNESS AND THEN SEEING THE SUN RISE DURING THE RUN.
Okierunner is right regarding the sunrise. The NYRRC used to have a 6:00 AM race in July, and the sight of the sun coming up in Central Park was awesome.
Anyway, my key to getting up early is to lay out all of my stuff (including the Power Bar I eat while getting dressed) the night before. Especially in the winter, when I want to stay in bed, I get dressed much faster to get warm again. If I had to go looking for things I’d NEVER get out the door."
"I forgot to mention, I found the best way to set my personal alarm is to have a glass of water right before bed. When nature calls at 5am, it's hard to ignore it."
getting up early to run
Another CR early rising thread, recent