The Truth About Trying to Run in the Morning

I've never had any qualms about waking up on time. Sure, I don't like when my alarm goes off at 7:00 a.m., but I'll get up. Without snoozing.

But when my team asked me if I'd be willing to go running every morning (or close to every morning) for a week straight, I was hesitant. I work out just about every day, so it had nothing to do with the cardiovascular task; rather it was about the timing. Early hours are for coffee consumption, deadpan glares at fellow commuters, and general grogginess. There's no extra motivation to be found, despite what caffeine claims it can do for me. Even so, I agreed, because who would turn down an assignment that involved something they already love doing?

So off I went, for seven days straight, in search of energy despite the dawn. Below, check out all that I learned about my week-long journey of trying to tackle morning exercise.

01
So finding the time to shower was harder than I thought
POPSUGAR Photography | Ashley Batz

So finding the time to shower was harder than I thought

The first hurdle I faced dealt with what do with my filthy body after the run. Since my morning commute into the office clocks in at around 90 minutes, it was completely illogical to sneak in a run before I left my house. I would have had to wake up closer to 6:00 a.m. and run in the dark, which I didn't want to do, from both a safety and injury-prevention perspective.

So I ran at work. At 9:00 a.m. I laced up my running shoes, put on a sports bra and shorts, and hoofed it to the Embarcadero, which ended up being a huge bonus (more on that later). Following the run, I picked up some body cleansing wipes that were jam-packed with witch hazel and, well, wiped myself down. They did their job in that I didn't smell, but by the time I got home at 7:00 p.m., I felt disgusting. Not athlete disgusting. Like disgusting-disgusting.

(I later solved this by running at 7:00 a.m. and arriving at work later.)

02
Everything looked beautiful
POPSUGAR Photography | Ashley Batz

Everything looked beautiful

Maybe because I was running in a new locale, but something about starting my day off outside made me that much more aware of my surroundings. I paid attention to the skyline instead of the ground in front of me, which is typically where I look while running. I even stopped to take a photo, because Instagram.

03
I showed up at work hyperfocused
POPSUGAR Photography | Ashley Batz

I showed up at work hyperfocused

I always wake up with work on my mind (still on the fence as to whether or not that's a good thing) but chanelling all of that office-focused energy during the runs helped me organize my day and my thoughts. By the time I got to my desk, I had my entire morning mapped out.

04
I stretched way more than I usually would
POPSUGAR Photography | Ashley Batz

I stretched way more than I usually would

And then there's stretching. That long, slow, and arduous activity that I know is really good for me because my bones hurt when I don't do it, but still, I hate doing it.

By logging my workout early on, I was able to stretch way more. I stretched my calves out while standing on the Caltrain, and actually sat down on the floor at my desk to stretch out my hip flexors. Sure, I'd stopped running by then, but I walk 1.7 miles to the office so my body was loose and it made sense for me to still stretch.

05
I drank a lot of water and felt great
POPSUGAR Photography | Ashley Batz

I drank a lot of water and felt great

Because I was running early in the day, I was that much more thirsty at work. By 10:00 a.m. I'd consumed around 2-3 glasses of water each day, which meant I was drinking less coffee, too.

Final thoughts: while it's certainly difficult to wake up earlier to run, the benefits far outweigh the challenge. I'll definitely continue to do so when my work schedule allows. One thing is for sure: no more at-work running. Gross.

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Meet Hannah Bronfman. DJ, workout enthusiast, and founder of health, beauty, and fitness website HBFit.com. She's all about feeling great but thinking straight. Learn more and Shop @ adidas PureBOOST X.