Who else gets up at stupid O clock to run ??

At 05.30 this morning I was beginning my 8 miler - which was bloody good going as at 01.30 I was just getting back from the Tynedale Rugby Club Beer Festival.

I always get out early in the Summer months - but can't for the life of me run early mornings in the Winter 

I get up 4.15 and go out at 4.30. When I get up, I normally have a cuppa tea and
just get my body going. But when I go out, the world is dead. No cars, no people.
I live near to a country park which during the day is full of dogs and dimwits.
But early morning, the park is closed and I can run. Brilliant right now with the
extra daylight but its crap when its winter.

It can be hard getting out of bed, but if you want to run, then you have to force yourself out.

Yup up at 5.30am most mornings for a run. Nice in the summer not so nice in the winter.

But it get the day off to a good start.

Me!!

When I was training for the marathon I was getting up at 5am for a 10 miler. It really is a different world out there and love it.

At the moment I'm just maintaining fitness so make sure I'm out the door by 6am but will get up earlier when I want to up my mileage.

I really don't see how people can run after work. After the 9-5 I just want to chill out.

I was out at 6am this morning - beautiful way to start the day

Would love to run early moning but some of us commute to London which means getting up at 5am for work anyway letting alone get up earlier for a run.

 I have to do mine when I get home at 7pm.  As you say it can be difficult and only take a delay getting away at work or the trains to find the evening is ruined and no run.

Up at 5:30 this morning to drive partway to work and then started to run the rest at 6:30.

The only problem I have is spending the first couple of miles trying to remember if I locked the car.

Mornings work for me too   I'm usually up for 6am, which seems almost lazy compared to Dustin's & Becky's early starts. 

 I work flexi-time, so I've found that getting up at 6-6.30am every working day, sets my Body Clock, making it more of a routine, rather than a shock to the system. The alarm goes off & it's either a run or early start to work. 

For every cold/wet morning that I doubt my sanity, there will be another when I see a lovely sunrise etc.

 Plus, once I'm home & showered, the smug factor is worth it's weight in gold!

Can't get out after  3pm when off-spring at home, so all my runs, summer and winter done early - I have to be out of the door by 05 30, but luckily I'm an early morning person anyhow.  Great, no-one around, in the summer, nice and cool, just have to change the routes in the winter so that I'm sticking to well-lit areas as we're semi-rural and out of the village, street lights and pavements disappear.

Lots more wildlife around too, only downfall  - got hit by low-flying pheasant last autumn - not sure which was more alarmed by the incident.

great feedback from everybody -

Dustin & Becky you make me realise how lucky I am to be able to run early mornings

It is the best part of the day - the best early run I have done is an 8 miler which takes me along the coast over looking the sea beautiful at 5.30 in the morning -

I agree -  think the thing is to get straight out of bed & out straight away strong cup of coffee & OUT -  of course the other debate is should we be going out on an empty stomach ???

I always go out on an empty stomach and have never encountered any problems running up to and including 22 miles.  Even when I run mid-day I don't run until 3 hours have elapsed since my last meal. Oherwise I feel pukey.

I don't take water out unless I'm going over 16 miles

I don't get UP at stupid o'clock (6.10am on a week day) but running knocks all normal time out so breakfast  time is the only conventional one really...

6.10am - GET UP

7.00am - breakfast

3.00pm - lunch (i take it late so that when i get back the afternoon zooms by)

10.30 - 10.45pm - tea

11.30 - 12.30am - bed

no wonder i'm permanently exhausted. 

True Christy - but I'd argue that this doesn't matter.  Unless you're going to be very active between 17.00PM (Or in My case 19.30PM) and 05.30AM when you leave your pit behind, any energy you will have metabolised after your last meal will still be available to draw upon.  I normally glug a pint of pure orange juice and water (Half and half and a pinch of salt) before I go out (Any more and I'll have to stop for a slash)

 A sports nutritionist would probably throw their hands up in despair and tell me I'm wrong BTW, - but I rarely, if ever experience energy lags during long runs - I don't do jells because they taste like shite and make me feel really ill.

mmm  Corinthian night time activities aside I take your point and as my aim is to loose weight then I will stick with my strong coffee cause I'm with you too much liquid is no good on a run!!