I tried running in the morning, before work, years ago! Quite liked doing it once I got out, but felt it actually didnt really agree with me physically for some reason. Maybe it was psychosymatic!!
I tried running in the morning, before work, years ago! Quite liked doing it once I got out, but felt it actually didnt really agree with me physically for some reason. Maybe it was psychosymatic!!
I M Povey New Marske Harriers
http://manwithoutashed.blogspot.com
Morning runs are great but I always have my breakfast first. Likewise if I go for a run when I get home from work I will always have a jam sandwich or something first. I hate running on empty.
If you are targeting a morning race - for example a marathon that starts at 9 am or thereabouts - then morning runs are very important. Are they in general better than runs later in the day? Only if you feel good running at that time. If you feel sluggish/slow in the mornings but not later in the day, then run later in the day.
I have no "facts" to back this up - it is 100% opinion.
I'm a night owl and my body clock seems to be such that I find lunchtime/afternoon and evening runs easier. I tend to feel stiff and tired first thing but, having said that, over the last year I have done more morning runs (due to running in company or racing) and I often have to get up much earlier than normal to do them and I would say that it sets me up for the rest of the day really well. Its just the creaky plodding feeling that I get when I set off that tends to put me off.
You say you hate morning runs so you are already setting off thinking its going to be horrible...I know that feeling and am a big culprit myself but I've decided this year that I can change my enjoyment of things by changing my mindset and it really works. As fellrunners, I believe we already have strength of mind and willpower or we'd never get up those really steep hills, if you think you ought to run in the morning you need to find a way to think of it as a positive thing or you'll never enjoy it.
'The birds are the keepers of our secrets'
Couldn't agree more Hes, mindset must be right, hard to do, takes lots of practice but worth it in the long run.
Hills and Guinness!
I found early morning runs helped my training when i used to average 75 - 100 + mpw back in the late 1990s. They were all run at a easy pace and were 5 miles in distance, 5 - 6 times a week. These runs helped by refreshing the body from the previous nights hard session and adding a little extra mileage to improve endurance. On race days i would also do a 20 - 25 minutes run just to wake the body up and get the mind in focus for what was to come and also found this to help.
just warm up properly, by that I mean at least 10-15 minutes of fast walking. Then you can do anything. I just did a 45 min hill session with 4 sets of 3.5min fast running 3.5 min fast walking after 20 mins of all out fast steady climbing, on nothing but a small cup of coffee. I have no choice to do my runs in the morning due to family commitments and I guess my body has adapted fine. I do most of my training at low intensity normally though. If I do get the chance to run at another time I usually opt for pre-lunch runs. Even if you go out feeling hungry that feeling soon disappears.
In answer to the question I think pre-breakfast runs are extremely beneficial.
I do the odd morning run (before work 6am) 2-3 times a week as well as my after work runs. i do em on an empty stomach i only do 3-4 mile at easy pace on the fells just to help up the milage with a faster pace in the afternoon, tried upping the pace once and thought i was gona have a heart attack think its to much to push it after just waking up! so morning runs are just to loosen the legs off and get a few extra miles in for me, its also nice to be on the fells 1st thing.