Why do elites wake up early to train?

6AM is not early. I get up for work at 5AM every day.

You're awesome.

Most need to be at work around 8. Then at 5 another run or maybe not enough time. So the early run is necessary for some.

Gosh, reading some of these posts reminds me of my younger years. I obsessed about everything - sleeping, eating, long miles, fast miles - and I was just a hack runner trying to break my own PRs. When my wife and boss at work started complaining, I grudgingly cut back and settled into a more reasonable and sustainable lifestyle - and completely stopped racing.

But what if I'd have been an elite runner - or, worse, a nearly elite runner? How does one draw the line between OCD and normalcy, then?

I don't regret those years. But now, 25 years later, I can't imagine where I found the energy. Nor can I imagine running the paces I used to think were easy.

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TLW wrote:

Mark Nenow who held the 10k American Record for close to 20 years trained at 11pm at night.

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Billy Shakes wrote:

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TLW wrote:

Mark Nenow who held the 10k American Record for close to 20 years trained at 11pm at night.

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He also trained in the morning.

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I recall a couple articles where he listed his typical training times as 2 PM and 11 PM.

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Moen Brothers wrote:

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Blastocist wrote:

When you have things to do, you have to manage your time effectively. When I am training for an Ironman, I get up at 4 am to get my swimming done, with runs to and from the pool to my home. Go to work, go to a nearby gym at lucnhtime. Get home at 5.30, train until 8. Dinner, and then a nice bike ride from midnight to 1am.

It's exhausting but once you are commited to it, you will only think about your goals.

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Nice life dude. Nice life.

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txsrunner38882 wrote:

I have a morning ritual that I need to share. I call it "the terminator". First I crouch down in the shower in the classic "naked terminator traveling through time" pose.

With my eyes closed I crouch there for a minute, visualizing either Arnold or the guy from the second movie (not the chick in the third one because that one sucked) and I start to hum the terminator theme. Then I slowly rise to a standing position and open my eyes. It helps me to proceed through my day as an emotionless, cyborg badass. The only problem is if the shower curtain sticks to my terminator leg. It ruins the fantasy.

I found tonight that it is more successful to progressively humm it louder as you perform the ritual.

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Find out how many Olympic Marathon Qualifiers are getting up at 6am by reading their answers to the question "Take us through a typical day of your life" at

http://runnersfeed.com/olympic-trials-interviews-2012/

90+ INTERVIEWS SO FAR!

Elite runners are probably also the sort of people who get up early, even if they weren't training. They're disciplined people, so they tend to go to bed early and also are more attracted to dedication-high careers like prof. running.

11pm? That's prime beer drinking time and Leno & Letterman are on. No thanks.

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W. Mitty wrote:

If you're in it to win, you do what works best.

Malmo referenced a saying to live like a clock. Good advice.

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Breakwind Sam wrote:

This bit of good advice is usually attributed to Jumbo Elliott.

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There's something to be said about getting up before the rest of society begins their workday.