Does anyone else have a tough time with running early in the morning just a few minutes after waking up?

I think it's everyone lol. We all go through that, i am the same way. There is no way of fixing it, just go out and run.

one word: coffe

OklahomaGuy wrote:

I run at like 5:40 in the morning after waking up at 5:10 and I cannot for the life of me figure out what my problem is. On easy runs in the afternoon or even slightly later in the morning (7 or 8 o clock) I can run easily at 7:50 pace, some days even faster, but when I run easy in the morning my pace is sometimes in the 8:45-9:00 minute mile range! WTF? My tempo runs that would normally be in the 6:15-6:30 range are suddenly up near 6:50! Does this happen to anyone else? Does anyone know how to fix this?

If your morning run is your easy run for the day and you are doubling then its okay to go as slow as you need to in order to be ready for your 2nd run for the day.

Most races are early in the morning so you better get through this issue. The more your train in the morning, the sooner your body will get used to it. It's similar to if you were trying to switch to the night shift at work. It'll take some getting used to, but you'll get there after some repetition. Keep in mind that your body just went from it's calmest moment of the day to its most strenuous moments of the day within about 30 minutes. That's tough on anyone. Try a longer warm-up.

Just run the first .5m or 1 mile without looking at pace. Just run as you feel, the pace will be slow. After 0.5m or 1m, hit lap reset the regular pace should come to you more easily.

OklahomaGuy wrote:

I run at like 5:40 in the morning after waking up at 5:10 and I cannot for the life of me figure out what my problem is. On easy runs in the afternoon or even slightly later in the morning (7 or 8 o clock) I can run easily at 7:50 pace, some days even faster, but when I run easy in the morning my pace is sometimes in the 8:45-9:00 minute mile range! WTF? My tempo runs that would normally be in the 6:15-6:30 range are suddenly up near 6:50! Does this happen to anyone else? Does anyone know how to fix this?

I have the exact same thing. I wake up at 6:30, OTD at 6:40, and my first mile is 8:45-9:00 when my evening runs are at 7:40 pace. I've been doing it for many months, and it hasn't gotten faster. Here's why it's okay: after laying without moving for 8 hours, your muscles become incredibly stiff and inelastic. It generally takes the first two to three hours of the day for your muscles to gain their elasticity back (assuming no running that morning in which case it would happen within 20 minutes of running). Also remember your endocrine system is still waking up, and hormones play a role in pace and effort.

A good way to regain the elasticity quickly is to take a hot shower, allowing hot water to run over your legs. When I have sore calves I always make sure to warm them under hot bath water before my morning runs.

For the tempo runs, expect them to always be a little slower, but you need to warm up with at least 20 minutes of running, 30 is better, and YOU NEED to have some quality in the warm up, like 3-4x1 minute quick at the end.

OklahomaGuy wrote:

I run at like 5:40 in the morning after waking up at 5:10 and I cannot for the life of me figure out what my problem is. On easy runs in the afternoon or even slightly later in the morning (7 or 8 o clock) I can run easily at 7:50 pace, some days even faster, but when I run easy in the morning my pace is sometimes in the 8:45-9:00 minute mile range! WTF? My tempo runs that would normally be in the 6:15-6:30 range are suddenly up near 6:50! Does this happen to anyone else? Does anyone know how to fix this?

My schedule is very similar to yours. I wake up at 5:20 and leave the house at 5:50. Another poster suggested coffee - I have coffee (and weed) every morning right before I leave and I still suck when I go that early. My first mile is typically 8:30 or so and I average 7:30-7:40 for the 11 mile loop. On the weekends, I wake up at 6:50 and leave my house at 7:20. I do the exact same routine - dump, toke, coffee. My first mile is in the 7:30-8:00 range and I average right around 7:00 for the same 11 mile loop.

420 … Mile? wrote: I do the exact same routine - dump, toke, coffee.

You poop BEFORE your coffee??? You sir, are a wizard.