As I'm writing this now, it is 8:53am, and I am happy to report that the most difficult part of my day is now out of the way. 13 miles. Done. I now have the rest of my day to look forward to.
It's incredibly relieving getting these long runs over with early on weekend mornings. Sure, for most people there's a strong desire to take advantage of Saturday and Sunday to sleep in, which I can understand. But the benefits of getting up and getting it over with often outweigh the comforts of that extra hour or two in your bed. At least in my opinion.
Besides, if you're on the roads for a long run by 6:30am, chances are you'll be finished by 8:30am, and after a quick shower, you can hop right back in bed and grab those two extra hours you desire so strongly. Sometimes going back to bed is even better than choosing to stay in bed in the first place.
But back to the benefits. Running so early allows me to evade the stifling heat of the afternoon -- something that can hinder even the most accomplished runner's chances of chugging along at a good pace. Running so early limits my opportunities to ingest the wrong food or beverage. I'm a big, big food guy. I eat very healthy, but even so, the wrong blend of things in your stomach can become your worst enemy when you try and run through it later in the day. You know what I'm talking about. Today, all I had before my run was half a cup of water and a Flintstones vitamin.
If you're like me, your workout is arguably your most important priority each and every day. It has to get done, even if it's at the expense of some other activity you'd like to be doing. Well, getting such a long run over with early in the morning completely frees up your day to do whatever else it is you want to do. Your friends asked you to go to the beach? Now you can go. You don't have to have the daunting prospect of a 13-mile run hanging over you all day while you're trying to enjoy your time in the sand and the surf. You don't have to be that guy who keeps asking what time your friends plan on leaving because you know you have to be back at a decent hour because you still have a 13-mile run to take care of.
Waiting until the afternoon or evening allows for you to do more things earlier in the day. But, let's be honest, sometimes those other activities can be pretty exhausting. The beach is a great example, particularly if you live a fair distance away from one. Let's say you live approximately 45 minutes away from your favorite spot. That's a 45-minute car ride (not including traffic), a whole day at the beach, and another 45-minute car ride home (not including traffic). It can be a pretty tiring day, and most likely, all you'll want to really do when you get back home is jump in the shower, ditch the sand that made a new home in your trunks, and grab a bite to eat or sit down on the couch in front of the television. You probably won't have the energy or the mental fortitude needed to go out and conquer 13 miles.
But, if you were to get that long run over with before the beach, then you could go down worry-free, and when that strong sense of fatigue sets in mid-day, you can plop yourself down on a towel, throw the shades on to block out the sun, and drift off to sleep for a little bit. It'll feel great, believe me. Put sunscreen on, though, if you don't want to wake up looking like a lobster.
One thing that definitely helps: Commitment. It's much easier to wake up on Saturday morning if you've mentally and physically prepared yourself the night before. You're most likely going to have to sacrifice a Friday night (again, not necessarily something desirable for someone who works five days a week and cherishes the weekend) by staying in and doing something laid back, like watching a movie, before getting to bed at a decent hour. Last night I stayed in and watched Half Nelson, and I was in bed by 11:00pm. Not exactly a thrilling Friday night, but there have been plenty of times when I've told myself I'll wake up early Saturday morning and then went out Friday night and didn't get home until 2:30am. Waking up four hours later to run 13 miles isn't very inviting at that point, even for someone as intrinsically motivated and dedicated as me.
Tomorrow, or next weekend, give it a try. Your bed will still be there when you get back.
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