Optimal way to double: shorter run in am or pm?

I always do:

AM RUN: 2-4 miles suuper easy

Then work or school or camp things

PM RUN: - workout - or longer run 5-11 miles

If I had unlimited free time like a professional athlete I would run the longer workout morning or mid-morning and the shorter workout in the afternoon/evening. I like getting the majority of the work done earlier in the day.

Real world: I do my shorter run before work and my longer run after work. I don't enjoy getting up super early to run.

I think it depends on the person. I hated running in the morning in high school but I went to college where our main workout was 7 am. After a while I realized I had to get up at 5, eat ,poop, get psyched up and then the workout wasn't as bad. Afforded me the opportunity to attend class knowing I had to go for a 30 minute jog at the end of the day and nothing more.

Since your body is warmed up and your bodily functions are working better in the afternoon, I usually do my longer runs in the PM. AM is just to get the blood moving and the metabolism revved. Idk just some thoughts..

I also think the shorter a.m. run, at least for me works best. I like running hard w/o's in the afternoon when it's warmer, muscles seem to respond better. The morning miles are more of a shake out/wake up run.

Which might not seem normal since most road races are in the a.m. However race day isn't training day. I've never felt I should change my training schedule for the time of day I'm racing. Actually I dislike very, very much p.m. races.

The longer run in the morning works best for me. Unfortunately, there is no way to get this in without cuting sleep due to work, on week days. If I can't eat breakfast beforehand as well, shorter run in the morning works better, but is not optimal.

I prefer the longer run in the morning. Something like 60-90min for an easy day then 30min after work at 6 or 8pm. For me, it's much easier to wakeup at 6am, have coffee and small breakfast then get out the door at 8am for an hour instead of doing it at 6pm in the dark. Sometimes conflicts arise so the optimal situation isn't available but the longer AM run means you're much more likely to get the mileage in instead of cutting the PM run short after a long day.

I suppose there is no direct evidence one way or the other. My morning runs are very easy and short (3-5mi) while the evening runs are a bit faster and longer 7mi+. I don't double on workout or LR days. In my case, an easy AM run makes the PM run go a lot smoother. I don't have a problem with AM runs. All my LRs are at 8am. However, lack of sleep absolutely destroys my day. I seem to be very sensitive to this.

good question. I'm doubling 12pm, 4pm and running better than ever. of course, it could be other factors because how do you rule out just better fitness over time.

I don't think timing of doubles matters, just as long as you do it.

LIke Wejo, I am not a morning person. Whenever I double, I struggle through my morning run and use my second run as my workout or 'main' run of the day.

Unless it is a race, I really have trouble running any kind of decent pace early in the morning. If I was a pro and time was not an issue, I would have to wake up and get at least an hour - 2 hours before I can do a decent run.

I go longer run or workout in the morning, easy/shorter run after work. My morning schedule is pretty fixed, so I know I always have time to get in whatever miles I need to before getting to work by 7:30-8:00ish, but I never really know what time I'll be able to leave at the end of the day, so I don't like to leave a longer run for afterwards in case it has to be super late.

Personally though, I don't really think it matters which order you do it in, more just what you prefer to do. I'm also a morning person, so that fits really well with my schedule.

Pretty sure Joe vigil spoke about the main run being in the morning in his book. I believe his reasoning was that your spine was the least compressed in the morning giving you better posture. Something like that. College always went short in am. Now that I'm out and don't have any responsibility I wake up eat and drink coffee and do my first and main run at 9-10. Second shorter run at 4.

Other options wrote:

Pretty sure Joe vigil spoke about the main run being in the morning in his book. I believe his reasoning was that your spine was the least compressed in the morning giving you better posture. Something like that.

This sounds suspicious. Wouldn't a bit of pre-run stretching solve it? In my experience, hamstrings, quads etc are tighter in the morning. Of course, I must say that I spend very little time sitting at work, so perhaps Vigil's observation does not apply to me.

One thing I can say for sure, in my case, recovery dictates overall fitness. More precisely, shorter the recover between doubles, the faster I get fit. Last year my doubles were at 8am and 4pm. This year, I've started 12pm, 4pm doubles. Yes, I am tired, but I feel very fresh on workout and LR days (no doubles). I must also say that I am in bed by 10pm and rise at 6am.

I've done both ways over the years. I enjoy getting the longer work finished in the morning and doing an easy, shorter run in the PM.

Kruppe wrote:

Other options wrote:

Pretty sure Joe vigil spoke about the main run being in the morning in his book. I believe his reasoning was that your spine was the least compressed in the morning giving you better posture. Something like that.

This sounds suspicious.

I was going to post that too about Vigil. I believe another reason is you are most rested in the morning and can do more volume of work.

I have always done the longer/harder run in the evening. If I run the exact pace, it is always easier in the evening for me.

Pro runners get to sleep in, run long in the late morning, sleep some more, run again in the afternoon, then go home to their families.

The rest of us have to get up early for work, earlier to squeeze in a short run if doing doubles (or squeeze it in at lunch), work all day, then do the most we can in the evenings/weekends and typically sacrifice family time and/or sleep to do so.

txRUNNERgirl wrote:

Pro runners get to sleep in, run long in the late morning, sleep some more, run again in the afternoon, then go home to their families.

The rest of us have to get up early for work, earlier to squeeze in a short run if doing doubles (or squeeze it in at lunch), work all day, then do the most we can in the evenings/weekends and typically sacrifice family time and/or sleep to do so.

Elite runners only spend 2-3 hours a day training. You can easily fit this in with a full-time job, and many do.

Even the ones who run full time don't sleep in because they aren't lazy like you.

AM easy run, to wake body up and to get that extra mileage. PM harder/longer/workout.

For me, I always do the short easy run in the morning. I figured if I did 8-13mi in the am, I'd be satisfied and I'd skip the 2nd run.