The recipient of a doctor of dental surgery from Columbia University, Mark Moynier draws upon more than a decade of experience as a full-time general dentist with Colorado's BrightNow! Dental. Beyond his professional pursuits, Mark Moynier is an avid runner who likes to go for runs early in the morning to start his day.
Running early in the morning isn't always easy, especially for those who aren't morning people. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to better prepare yourself for a morning run.
1. Establish good sleeping habits. Before you start thinking about waking up early for a run, you should practice good sleep habits. Instead of watching TV or looking at electronic devices late at night, consider a more meditative nightly routine to help you wind down after a busy day. You should also plan to sleep at the same time every night and avoid alcohol or caffeine three hours prior to bedtime.
2. Wake up early, consistently. Sure, there will be days where you can, and should, sleep in, but especially if you are not a morning person, this will make the pre-dawn wake up feel routine. This will also help the body be awake and physiologically prepared to run at the earlier hour.
3. Sleep in your running clothes. As strange as it might seem, simply wearing your running clothes to bed can give you extra motivation to wake up and go for an early morning run. This is truly an odd habit for most, so lay out your clothes the night before. This will reduce the number of decisions needed at that hour will helps you get out the door on time.
4. Eat a small snack. You don't want to eat too much before a run, however, a small snack to help fuel your run is essential. Kick-start your blood sugar by eating a banana, energy bar, or crackers and peanut butter. Unless it's a race, make that snack about 100 calories. On race days, you will be up much earlier and will have time to eat a larger meal. Make sure to also drink a glass of water before your run as well.
