Last night, I was true to my post, and I went for a 3 miler, and then, this morning I actually got up early and went for another 3 miler. Neither run was very speedy, but they both felt pretty good and I got them done, which is the most important thing to me right now.
Now, I know that some of you didn't even read that last sentence because you were still reeling from the revelation that I got up early this morning and ran, so if you need a moment to let that sink in, go ahead and take it. There. Ready to move forward again? Okay, so I decided yesterday that morning runs are gonna have to become a regular part of my running.
Yes, I am in my right mind.
No, I am not drunk.
I have decided to switch to the dark side (to the best of my limited, early rising abilities) and try to become a morning runner. Simply because lately the runs haven't been getting done when I leave them for the evening -- something comes up or I feel tired and un-motivated or whatever the excuse of the day is -- so I know that if I get up early they will at least get done. I don't like the idea of morning running, but I dislike the idea of missing runs even more.
Also, I'm in the process of developing "A Plan," or "Schedule" if you will, that will start my preparation for the Army 10 Miler and carry me through my planned fall race calendar. My main goal with this "Plan" is to assign every run a purpose, whether it is speedwork, a long run, or a recovery run; I figure that this will make each run seem important and meaningful, and thus, I'm less likely to skip them.
As always, I know that plans mean more structure, but ultimately, they are not made of concrete so I understand that flexibility is always a key element to any "Plan"; however, I really need something to unify my running (lately, I feel as though it has dissolved into chaos) and help motivate me. Right now, I'm just in need of some consistency and that only seems to happen when I have that little planned grid in front of me -- running without the necessary rows and columns just isn't the same.
25 comments:
Awwwwhhhhh yeah! 4:30am here you come! LMAO I'm kidding! You'll TOTALLY be fine as long as you have a pot o coffee waiting for you when you get home ;-)
Uh, I hate running too early in the morning. I've been going at about 9 all summer, that's early enough for me :)
Good luck with your plan!
Thank you for pausing in your post to allow the whole early morning runs idea to sink it. I indeed needed the break to take it all in. :)
I think you might enjoy early morning running. I know I do, and like you said, if I run in the morning, I have no excuse not to get it done.
I just think you're drunk.
Morning runs ROCK! Except for the runs that you squirt into the toilet...
Has hell frozen over?
Way to go with the switch to AM running. You'll see how nice it is to get it done with and know that you are finished for the day. It leaves the evenings open for the fun stuff !
If you need any help with your plan/schedule, let me know...I'd be happy to help.
See you at 4:30 AM every morning !
wow man you'll run laps around me in the navy i can run 1 mile 1/2 in 10 mins and im done you can run 6 a day...whew you're a monster
let me know how you get yourself up...any particular "tricks?" i'm still struggling with the AM running...
muwahahahahahahahaha! Welcome to the club. We have t-shirts.
ya know i find it easier to walk/jog in the mornings especially with the weather here. i'm walking tonight and am not looking forward to it.
Totally hear you with the consistency (or lack of). I enjoy getting out in the morning because sometimes the evening weather feels terrible! Good luck getting up for the morning runs!
WHOA! Thats practically a double session. You already made up for your weekend.
p.s. no relevance to this post BUT just saw your bowling pic and I never even considered that you'd have jerseys for those Thursday night shenanigans. That is STELLAR!!
jamesdavid@sbcglobal.netStill reeling...
I think you may fall in love with running in the AM! It's just such a great feeling to get it out of the way first thing in the morning!
It'll help you beat the heat. Don't be too hard on yourself if it doesn't all start clicking right away. After all, it took you 21 days to start the running habit, right?
You can do it..you just may be a little more cranky while doing those morning runs. Just think about some Dunkin Donuts coffee and you will be done faster than you know it.
WHOA! That is some dedication! I love the vacation shots...looks like so much fun! I am so jealous!
Morning runs are the best. Now, granted, I usually don't hit the road 'til 8am or so, but it still counts as 'morning'.
Welcome to the dark side. Nice to have you here. :)
oh man I am TRYING to do the morning thing but it is HARD. Not sure if I have more excuses in the morning or the evening though. haha.
Jess:
Good luck with your new plan/schedule.
I wholeheartedly endorse the "schedule" you talk about, particularly the part about assigning each run a purpose. Since I did this, I find myself skipping runs far less frequently. I now know that I need to get my long run in on a Sunday, Tuesdays are for speedwork, Wednesdays are my hill days, and Thursday/Friday are for building weekly miles. If I skip running on Tuesday, I feel guilty for the next seven days that I've missed speedwork for the week.
Flexibility is important, but sometimes you need a plan from which you can deviate when your body says so.
Yes, I agree with having a schedule. I've had a lull recently for one reason or another (house move / holiday / lack of motivation) and I've found that going back to setting myself a weekly target again has really helped me get back into it and stick to it.
AM versus PM, I hate morning running also but we do what we have to do. Now I can have my evening BEvERage without any guilt.
Mornings are by far the best; they set up your day, put you in a good mood and get you workout done when you have fresh legs the problem for me is that time is actually the middle of the night!
Sounds like having a plan is the way forward, a little bit of accountability never hurt anyone.
We all become morning runners...eventually. I hated the idea of morning runs...I swore that things just worked better in the afternoon. But sure enough, I converted too.
A morning runner, more power to you. Does 9:30AM count as morning runner or do you have to be up at dawn to be a real morning runner.
A schedule I am a slave to those things. I know whatcha mean though about motivation seeing a plan.
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