Does anyone else struggle to run in the morning?

Stretching: NO!

I have fought this battle for decades. My best running is typically between 5-10PM, or even later.

What helps:

-Get up and run SOMETHING every AM, even if it's just a ten-minute jog in place during crap weather.

-Keep a consistent sleep sked, including weekends, especially wake-up time

-On AM race days, jog at least three miles before breakfast, with 5x short hill repeats followed by 20xpushups to engage the metabolism. Then do normal warmup for race.

-Race longer road races in the AM, allow the first miles to "wake up". So instead of that 5K, do the 10 or 20K, and go for negative splits.

Yeah a.m. shakeouts are crucial. And I guess if getting a strict and consistent morning routine is the only solution then I guess that's the way it's gotta be. I used to have morning practices all the time in college so I don't understand why it's so hard for me to adapt.

I'll just never forget that the best I've ever felt in a race was in an 800 at the NY Armory. It was at 9:00 at night and I never felt like I had so much pep in my stride before.

I have trouble with running in the morning too. I used to get up and run a five mile morning run 6 days a week for several years. Morning running felt better, sure, but even then it didn't feel anywhere even close to as good as running in the afternoon.

Do you eat breakfast? How big are your dinners usually?

2 things I've found to help me get going for early morning races:

(1) wake up really early and eat and drink something, then go back to bed for another couple hours if you can before actually getting up. For example, I'll wake up briefly at 5:00 or so to slam a bowl of cereal and chug a bunch of water for an 8:00 race. Usually feel less groggy come race time.

(2) Do the usual post-run static stretches again just before getting into bed the night before. I feel a lot smoother when I start my warm-up the next morning, and can just go through my usual drills and stuff to get loose. Lots less tightness and kinks to work out when I do this.

Unlike most things where if you just force yourself to do it for awhile your body gets used to it, I've never been able to just wake up and run and feel even close to good.

Struggle street on the am shuffle.

I keep trying to make myself run in the mornings to be better prepped for races, but I have the same problem of my legs being tight, and just feeling too tired. I get plenty of sleep.

I now run all my runs in the evening, and I have still done well racing. I just try to make sure I don't sleep in on the weekend so my body is used to getting up even if it's not running. I also try to wake up and eat before races even if that means eating and then taking a 20 minute nap before leaving. I try to walk around before warming up for a race, and I've found that drinking caffeinated tea helps me wake up without making me jittery like coffee.

I pretty much always have to poop within 20 minutes of starting a morning run. Anyone else have this issue? It's limiting me to 30 minute runs in the morning.

A huge part of why running in the morning sucks for a lot of people is they don't eat anything first. You wake up very carb depleted, if you can get some sugar in you you will feel much better.

It still won't feel amazing but 40g of carbs 30 minutes before your AM run will make a world of difference. I know a lot of people can't really stomach food before running, but a Gatorade or something is better than running with nothing in you at all.

I don't think that's true. I've done plenty of 15-18 mile long runs in the morning without eating, which wouldn't be possible if I were very carb depleted.

So, you crapped your pants 20 minutes into these long am runs? Sounds messy. Or did you stop off for a colon blow?

Have the same problem. Why can't the races be in the evening? Perhaps one should take a shower BEFORE the race?! I never tried that though.

Sadly it won't ever happen. Well hey I feel like dogsh*t every morning as well but that's because I live in SouthEast Texas and the humidity is f***ing insane like it's crazy in the summer. Wake up at 5am before the sun rise with 99% humidity and a heat index of 90 degrees by 7am.

No. Early morning is the best time for me to run. I like to get out the door 7:00 - 7:30AM. Some morning have been out at 6:30AM It is fantastic just having the city to myself where only other runners and walkers are about.

Try going to bed earlier.

Try the shower thing. I used to do it before every race. Felt great. Got out out of the habit maybe need to start again.

What I do now is get my coffee going and as it's brewing I'll do couple relaxed reps of 5 to 10 leg swings (side to side and front to back) some neck rolls and shoulder shrugs. Drink a cup. Then warmup jog for couple miles. A few strides and then I'm ready.

Don't fight your body, people are different.

Morning people, like myself:

Am Longer run / Workout

Pm shorter / easier run

Night guys like Newnow:

Midday/afternoon longer run/workout

Late evening easier run

Big single guys:

1 big run at lunch time

OP needs to get a job. He doesn’t have what it takes.

An eleven years old thread.....but always the same story. In that case our bodies reacts different. Some runs best in the morning and some at other times of the day. Once I trained with the silver medalist at 5000m in Olympics 1980 in Moscow, Suleiman Nyambui, Tanzania.He told me he didn't like to train in the early mornings, he told he was too tired in that time of the day...

This thread is from 11 years ago, and I'm sure the OP doesn't care how great you feel in the morning. Whoop-dee-doo!

His problem is likely hormonal. Cortisol (a stress hormone) levels tend to be elevated in the morning. And so no, going to bed earlier won't help. Light exercise, such as a 10 minute jog, shortly after waking can reduce cortisol levels and wake up your central nervous system.