How To Start A Morning Run Routine That Will Stick
Have you ever fantasized about the idea of starting your morning with a run? The concept of waking up (somehow entirely not groggy), drinking a cold glass of water as you look out the window on your blooming garden, and heading out for a near effortless morning run.
The reality is probably a lot less enticing than the vision. But you’ve probably heard of some of the benefits of running in the morning, and you want to experience them.
It’s not so easy to just start. Right?
If you’re wondering how to start a morning run routine, I’m here to help you devise a plan for success!
Early Morning Run Routine
You need to start with a solid plan. Follow these tips to keep yourself in check.
1. Lay out what you need the night before.
It’s so easy to avoid a morning run if you wake up drowsy and can convince yourself to go back to sleep because there’s too much to do to get ready.
Be prepared to battle your morning sleepiness by laying everything out the night before. This means your clothes should be set out on a chair or in your bathroom so all you need to do is pull them on.
In the kitchen, you should have some water and fuel ready to go too. This way you’ll be dressed and nourished before your body even figures out what you’re up to.
2. Have your game plan ready.
Before you lay down the night before your run you should already know what to expect in the morning. You shouldn’t wake up with any uncertainty about what happens next.
Have a set goal of how far or for how long you want to run. Know the route you plan to take.
Just by having the strategy in place, you’re more likely to be successful and follow through on your new routine.
3. Double and triple-check that your alarm is set for the morning.
Another way we often finagle our way out of following a new fitness routine is by conveniently forgetting to set an alarm.
Make good on your commitment to run by setting an alarm and ensuring that it’s really set. If you’re someone who can’t hop right out of bed, set your alarm to go off a little earlier to give yourself that time to wake up.
4. Start the morning with positive thinking.
Mindset really is everything.
By starting the day with positive thoughts, you’re more likely to follow through and stay motivated. Look up quotes to keep your mind positive. Ask a friend to text you something to cheer you on for your new morning run routine.
Whatever you do, make this new routine a source of positivity in your life right from the start.
5. Lace up and head out the door.
You should have planned well in order to get yourself on your way pretty quickly. You know the distance or amount of time you plan to run, now get to it!
Whatever you need for the run to make it more enjoyable, include it. A podcast or your favorite playlist, a friend, or a favorite route are all great ways to keep the run interesting so you won’t stop.
With a lot of great things to look forward to, your morning run routine is bound to stick!
6. Treat yourself to something simple but enjoyable.
In the time soon after your morning run, try to treat yourself to something you enjoy that’s also good for you.
One of my favorite things is cold post-run chocolate milk. Studies have shown that chocolate milk is great for recovery after running, and it’s a simple enough treat that I always feel I have something to look forward to once completing my run.
Maybe your treat is a cold shower. Perhaps you have a dance party to your favorite song.
Whatever you need, find one simple, good treat to keep you motivated to complete your morning run and get up to do it again the next day.
Morning Run Routine for Beginners
Are you a beginner runner? If you feel overwhelmed on your run journey and you’re trying to figure out how to create and stick to a morning run routine, there are a few tips you should follow.
✅ First, you’ll want to follow all of the above tips for an early morning run routine.
✅ Next, you need to give yourself time to adjust. Instead of planning to run in the morning five days a week, start with two days or even just one day.
✅ When you head out for your runs, don’t depend on a mileage number if it feels overwhelming. Instead, create a specified block of time that allows you to run based on how you feel instead of having to hit a specific number.
✅ Run a route that’s close to home. This could include loops around the block or through a local park. When you stay close to home you have the ability to cut the run short if you begin to feel worn out.
Before the Run
Consider any and everything you need to do before the run to include in your own routine.
Things you’ll want to think about adding include:
- Getting dressed
- Using the bathroom
- Brushing your teeth
- Fueling your body
- Checking your e-mail
- Preparing your post-run treat
- Caring for a child or pet
It’s useful to keep your routine as consistent as possible. When we create habits we’re more likely to continue them when we have regularity.
Common Questions
If you’ve never been a morning runner before you’ll likely have questions from the start. It’s also probable that as you continue to build your routine new questions will arise.
The following are some of the most common questions people have regarding a morning run routine.
Is the Morning the Best Time to Run?
Truthfully you might be wondering if the morning is a good time to run.
It can be. But it also might not be for you. Here are a few things to consider when identifying whether the morning is the best time for you to run.
👉🏼 Work Schedule
Making a plan of how to run in the morning before work might be your deciding factor of whether running in the morning is best for you or not.
What time does work begin for you? Do you have a long commute into an office? Do you get home very late in the evening?
If you have the time before work, it can really be beneficial to wake up just 30 minutes earlier to get a quick run in before getting ready for the day.
Does your commute eat into that available time? Then running in the morning might not be the best for you.
Getting home really late in the evenings might be a sign that getting up earlier and getting a run in during the morning is definitely the best time for you!
After working all day long, it’s pretty unlikely that you’d be any bit motivated to lace up your running shoes to head out for a run in the dark. Your best bet is to prepare by going to sleep a little earlier, waking up a little earlier, and heading out for even a short run to accomplish this goal.
👉🏼 Temperature and Climate
Do you live in an area that has a rather hot and humid climate? If so, you’re likely the perfect candidate for early morning running.
Instead of running in the middle of the day, risking heatstroke or other heat-related illnesses, instead, try running in the early morning. You can set your alarm to ensure you’re getting out of bed just in time for dawn. This way you’ll have some daylight while running, but you’ll also avoid excessive sunlight and heat.
Another option is to run later in the evening before the sun sets, but in my experience, the pavement seems to hold onto the heat from the sun baking on it all day. Sometimes the evenings are still rather hot.
👉🏼 Ability to See and Run Safely
If you wake up early to run before your daily tasks require attention, will you have enough daylight to see, ensuring that you can run safely?
If you find that you need to wake up so early that you’re running in the dark it’s important to utilize any tools that will help you to run safely. You want to run without worry of tripping on a sidewalk or going unnoticed by motor vehicles.
As long as you can safely run, then a morning run routine is best for you!
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👉🏼 Self-Discipline
You’ve promised yourself a million times you’d stick to it. Can you be trusted?
I know you’ve come to this post because you really want your morning run routine to become a habit. In order for my advice to help you, you must have at least a bit of self-discipline.
If you can’t trust yourself to set your alarm, wake up to that alarm, or follow all the other steps to get you out the door and on your run you’re not a lost cause.
But, you will require a bit more accountability.
Is it Best to Run on an Empty Stomach?
This is not ideal.
Some people find it really difficult to eat early in the morning. That could mean that they won’t be able to eat before a morning run, no matter what advice they’re given.
Eating in the morning before a run is important because your body has fasted for many hours. Putting fuel in will help your running strength.
Even something small like a banana, a piece of bread, or a scoop of peanut butter could help your body to have some nourishment before it works hard for you.
If you absolutely can’t eat, then skip it. But consider learning how to incorporate a little fuel as you continue your morning run routine.
Is it Okay to Run as Soon as You Wake Up?
If you’ve had some fuel after rolling out of bed and lacing up your running shoes, you’re ready to go.
It’s a great idea to give your body a little time to wake up while out on the run, so consider starting off a little bit slower than you feel ready for. A dynamic warm-up of slowly shuffling your feet is a great way to get your muscles warm for taking on the rest of your morning run.
How Long Should I Run in the Morning?
How long a morning run should be will depend on a few things.
One, what is your goal? Are you incorporating a morning run routine simply to benefit from the exercise? Or are you setting out to run a long-distance race like a half marathon or marathon in the future?
If your goal is to just get the benefits of the morning run routine, you’ll benefit from running for about 30 minutes. This could equate to about 3 miles for a person who runs a 10-minute mile average.
A 3-mile run before work makes for an excellent start to your day!
If you have a goal to run a race, you’ll need to adjust how long you run based on your training schedule.
This means that in one week, you might run 3 miles on Monday, 5 miles on Wednesday, and 2 miles on Thursday. Then you’ll have your weekend long run on Saturday, where you could run 8 miles.
The following week, those numbers would change depending on your training schedule.
As you can see, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to how far you should run in the morning.
What Should I Eat?
Although this answer will differ from one runner to the next, there are some great options for most runners.
You want to eat something simple that won’t get your stomach in a bind. Most people need to avoid foods with dairy, as this can be a major culprit of gastrointestinal distress on a run.
Some solid options of foods to eat before your morning run include:
- Bagel or toast
- Banana
- Oatmeal
- Muffin
- Honey Stinger Waffle
Anything that will fulfill your needs as a runner while not hurting your stomach is what you should eat. You’ll also want to consider how long your run will be, and how much fuel will be required to get you through it.
Remember that you can always bring fuel on your run, too! Stashing a Honey Stinger Waffle in my pocket is one way I ensure I won’t be on my morning run with a growling stomach.
What Should I Do the Morning of a Run?
To set yourself up for success, you’re going to want to create a solid running routine.
If you change up what you do each morning before a run, you’re a lot less likely to follow through on keeping the routine.
Although everyone might have a different morning routine before a run, staying consistent with what works best for you will help you stay motivated.
Morning Run Benefits
There are a lot of advantages and of course, some disadvantages of the morning run. You might have some that are unique to you depending on your lifestyle and abilities.
Weighing the good and bad by writing down your own advantages and disadvantages can be helpful in getting you to keep a morning run routine.
Advantages:
- Getting your exercise done early
- Taking away the ability to talk yourself out of running that day
- Beat the heat and sunlight in summer
- Have a natural flow of energy from working out early
- Boost in confidence from the endorphin release
- Creating a natural, healthy habit
- Train for a race confidently
- Prepare for what you’ll do on race morning
Disadvantages:
- Requires self-discipline
- Might require going to bed earlier
- Takes getting used to – you might be more tired at first
My Morning Run Routine
My own personal morning run routine looks something like this.
I have my clothes picked out the night before after I check the forecast.
I try to go to sleep earlier, but it doesn’t always happen.
When I wake up I try to get out of bed as quickly as possible. If I stay in bed for more than a few minutes I might talk myself out of the run.
This is followed by getting dressed, brushing my teeth, and heading downstairs to the kitchen to eat a Honey Stinger Waffle if it’s a shorter run or a piece of bread with peanut butter and banana if it’s a long run day.
I drink about 4 ounces of water with my fuel, lace up my running shoes, put on a podcast or playlist, and head out the door.
Once I return I make homemade chocolate milk, complete a quick post-run stretch, and finally shower.
Although I can’t always complete this exact routine, I try my best to stay as close to it as I can. It’s proven to be the best routine for me and is similar to what I can expect on any given race morning.
Final Thoughts: How to Start a Morning Run Routine
There you have it! Creating a great morning run routine can put you on track to succeed. Whether you’re a seasoned runner trying to commit to running in the morning or a beginner who only has time before work to complete your run, setting a routine and keeping with it can be the change you need to become a great runner.
