Summer Running with Lianne: Morning Motivation

Week one down, seventeen more to go! This first week wasn’t much of a change from my usual mileage, but I am trying to be a little better behaved so early morning runs go well. Less wine, more sleep. Mileage total for the week was 32.57 miles. The training cycle I am using is the advanced Hanson’s Marathon Method plan, which is a higher mileage plan than I have done in the past. The longest run on the plan is only 16 miles, but it focuses on speed workouts and tempo runs. The long runs are done on fatigued legs to simulate the last miles of the marathon, as opposed to running long runs on fresh legs. I am a little apprehensive about 60 mile weeks and 10 mile tempo runs during August and September, but will get there.

This first week I struggled with getting up earlier than usual on a regular schedule. I took it easy the past couple months, sleeping in when I wanted and skipping more than one or two early morning runs. Because of the heat and summer thunderstorms it is important to get my runs done early. Unfortunately, I can sleep through an alarm with the best of them. My M.O. has been hitting the snooze button on my phone until my husband gets angry (I think I even annoy the dog some mornings) and then rationalizing that I can run in the afternoon. Then I give myself another hour of sleep. No bueno.

Obviously, this is not going to work in the upcoming months. (Unless I want to run hundreds of miles dodging thunderstorms in 90 degree heat or hang out for hours on the treadmill) Instead I have moved my phone so I have to physically get out of bed to turn off the highly obnoxious alarm. Once I get moving, the run is so worth it. I love running through the silent, dark streets. Everything is peaceful and calm. I love running near the beach at sunrise and smelling the salty air, hearing the birds, and watching the sky go from dark to brilliant. We are so lucky to get to watch that gorgeous scene most mornings. And if you really think about it, most people totally miss out on that. If nothing else, it is the calm before the storm of the day. That is worth getting up for.

What training plans are you all using? Are you a morning or evening runner? Secrets for getting out of bed on those early morning workout days? Let’s hear about it in the comments!

By: Lianne Martin
To read more about the author, follow her on Twitter @sunshine_runner