Test the waters: Start with one or two days per week. Knowing you have the other five mornings to snooze makes getting up early less painful. And make sure you can get to bed on time the night before a crack-of-dawn call, or you risk skimping on sleep.
Lay it out: Set out your clothes, shoes, water bottle, and reflective gear the night before to eliminate excuses and get out the door quickly. Set your coffeemaker on automatic so your brew is ready when you wake. And put your alarm across the room--jumping out of bed to turn it off makes it harder to hit the snooze button, Reichmann says.
Make a date: Nothing keeps you from going back to bed like knowing someone’s waiting for you. Good conversation with running friends almost makes you forget that you are running at zero dark thirty on a cold morning.
Give it time: All habits feel awkward at first. Since it requires resetting your body clock, morning running may require a little longer than most--at least three or four weeks--to sink in. Consider trying this habit in the spring, when weather and darkness are less likely to interfere. In addition, morning runs aren’t right for everyone, so re-evaluate after a month or two
Lay it out: Set out your clothes, shoes, water bottle, and reflective gear the night before to eliminate excuses and get out the door quickly. Set your coffeemaker on automatic so your brew is ready when you wake. And put your alarm across the room--jumping out of bed to turn it off makes it harder to hit the snooze button, Reichmann says.
Make a date: Nothing keeps you from going back to bed like knowing someone’s waiting for you. Good conversation with running friends almost makes you forget that you are running at zero dark thirty on a cold morning.
Give it time: All habits feel awkward at first. Since it requires resetting your body clock, morning running may require a little longer than most--at least three or four weeks--to sink in. Consider trying this habit in the spring, when weather and darkness are less likely to interfere. In addition, morning runs aren’t right for everyone, so re-evaluate after a month or two