P^2 says that I'm going to need to do lots of doubles this summer.

Over the past few days, I've cut back on caffeine, gotten to bed early, and still failed miserably at going out for an A.M. run.  I'll get up, feed the cat, lie back down for "a couple minutes", and then just stay in bed until I have to get ready for work.

My plan doesn't actually start until the end of the month, but the absolute lack of motivation in the morning is a concern.

I'm with you on this one. I do more morning runs in the summer when it gets light earlier, and temps are better, but I've never been a natural morning person.

Honestly, I just have to will myself to get up and out the door. The motivating part comes in how I feel when I'm done.

The only thing that will get me up early for a morning run is a race. Otherwise the earliest I'll be out for a run is 9:00 am but more likely not until the afternoon.

The only thing that will get me up early for a morning run is a race. Otherwise the earliest I'll be out for a run is 9:00 am but more likely not until the afternoon.

That's me exactly. I often go to bed at midnight, and I need a minimum of 6 to 7 hours of sleep to run well. So 3 or 4 a.m. is the middle of the night for me. And I start work at 7:30 a.m.

I have however no problem running at lunch time and then again in the evening, after work. Well, physically, I have no problem. Mentally, it sucks. I'm not crazy about doubles. they make running feel like a chore to me.

I've always been a morning person, so it's not that hard for me. I am normally up anywhere between 3 AM and 4: AM for my runs, and between 6 AM and 7 AM on days I don't run.

This is me now but for a billion years I didn't get up until I absolutely had to, and even then I was behind!

Then a strange thing happened; I realized I was out of shape and wanted to get fit, the problem with that was it was during my kids middle school years which are some of the most hectic a parent has to deal with.  Couple that with what was also a busy point for my career and the only way I could guarantee that I could get my workout in was to do it in the morning before my crazy day started.  Now it's 15 years later and I still wake the birds up!

So I guess it comes down to if you really want to do it, or have to do it, you will make the adjustment.  There are other benefits such as running on an empty stomach and getting your caloric furnace blasting first thing as incentives blah, blah, blah.

Regarding getting to sleep and wanting to wake up early, if you do it long enough your body will eventually balance itself...or maybe it won't and it will just suck for the duration.  I honestly cannot remember when I became comfortable with the switch from late to bed, late to rise to early to bed, early to rise.  I guess it just became a lifestyle change.

I do find it sort of odd though that I never went back to staying up late as Jay Leno's nightly monologue and Monday "Headlines" were must see TV in my house.

I set my alarm for 4:30 am today but decided to just lay in bed. It's like that pretty much everytime i have a double planned. Sometimes I don't even go back to sleep, I just lay in bed awake until it's really time to get up for work. lmk if you find out the secret.

  It's also nice to get out there before the rest of the world is waking up, especially the assholes. It's extremely nice to have the trails all to myself with Rocky, as I don't keep him on a leash when running trails. My incentives to getting up EARLY:

1. Nobody else is out
2. Nobody else on the trails
3. Getting it done and out of the way
4. Running on an empty stomach
5. It starts my day off pretty good..... though having a run to look forward to at the end of the day is nice too

 

This is me now but for a billion years I didn't get up until I absolutely had to, and even then I was behind!

 

Then a strange thing happened; I realized I was out of shape and wanted to get fit, the problem with that was it was during my kids middle school years which are some of the most hectic a parent has to deal with.  Couple that with what was also a busy point for my career and the only way I could guarantee that I could get my workout in was to do it in the morning before my crazy day started.  Now it's 15 years later and I still wake the birds up!

 

So I guess it comes down to if you really want to do it, or have to do it, you will make the adjustment.  There are other benefits such as running on an empty stomach and getting your caloric furnace blasting first thing as incentives blah, blah, blah.

 

Regarding getting to sleep and wanting to wake up early, if you do it long enough your body will eventually balance itself...or maybe it won't and it will just suck for the duration.  I honestly cannot remember when I became comfortable with the switch from late to bed, late to rise to early to bed, early to rise.  I guess it just became a lifestyle change.

 

I do find it sort of odd though that I never went back to staying up late as Jay Leno's nightly monologue and Monday "Headlines" were must see TV in my house.

Usually, the drunks and partiers are still leaving South Beach between 3-6am so it is not necessarily the safest hour down here either, as people tend to drive more erratically at that hour.

Also, my weather is better in the afternoon/evening.  It is still hot and humid in the mornings (we never cool down) but the humidity is sometimes too high to make me comfortable.  I tend to be a better runner (and more consistent) when I run in the afternoons.  Now please take away the sun from me after 7pm, please.