On Wednesday, I did something very strange.
I RAN AFTER WORK.
I never run after work! The last
time I was probably two years ago. There are several reasons I do a morning
workout…
1. Some
nights I teach piano lessons, so the earliest I would be able to run is around
7:30pm. That is just too late for me.
2. I am tired after work. My legs feel very heavy.
3. Running
in the morning gives me the “me time” I need before I face the day.
What
caused me to change my routine? Well, my reasoning was twofold. First of all, I
was having quite a lot of trouble falling asleep on Tuesday night and was still
wide awake around 11pm. That was not going to bode well for a 5:45am alarm!
Second of all, Wednesday was going to be a big
night. The Survivor premiere was on at 8pm and the Big Brother Finale was
on right after and would not end until 11pm. That’s a long time for me to try
to stay awake! I figured if I slept in on Wednesday and ran after work it would
give me more energy to be able to stay up late on Wednesday night to watch the
BIGGEST NIGHT IN REALITY TV!
I do
not like changing my routine. I had some anxiety issues going on Wednesday
morning when I pretty much had to wake up and go straight to work without my “me
time”. As the day went on, the anxiety lifted, and it felt like a normal day…
except for the fact that my eating was completely thrown off and that messed
with my head!
When I got home, I changed right away and hit the asphalt around 4:20.
When I got home, I changed right away and hit the asphalt around 4:20.
The
good parts about my afternoon run:
1. I got
to work on my tan.
2. I
had an excellent pod cast.
3. My
pace was GREAT! I started at an 8:11 and gradually worked it down to a 7:31 for
a total of 5 miles @ 7:49 average pace. (If you follow my workouts, you will
note that is 10-15 seconds faster than my morning 5 milers.)
The
bad part about my run:
1. I
felt so slow. My legs were heavy.
Everything felt like slow motion. It was not enjoyable AT ALL.
I am
interested in seeing what you all think of what I am about to say. Even though
my pace was markedly faster in the afternoon, it does not trump the fact that I
felt slow and lethargic. In the
morning, even though I am a bit slower, it feels enjoyable and I feel ALIVE. I
will not be changing my running routine just because apparently my body is a
little bit faster in the afternoon.
Now
I know this is just one run. It is
totally possible that I could run in the afternoon again and be slow as molasses.
It’s not like I have a lot of data to draw on at this point. But running in the
afternoon is just so not enjoyable for me that I will not be testing out this
theory. I am going to stick to my morning runs except for the rare occasion
such as this one!
If
you were markedly faster at a different time of day, would you switch from your
normal routine… even if the run didn’t seem as enjoyable?
You gotta do what you gotta do for Survivor + Big Brother, right??! Great job on getting it done. I'm proud of you. Like you, I run first thing in my day--it's the best time for me. I like the quiet, the cool weather, the me-time and (believe it or not) the darkness. If I have to run later, I feel sluggish, too. And I don't enjoy that. Even if I found I ran faster in the afternoon I would not switch because running faster is just not that important to me. Enjoying my runs (and my swims, cycling, etc) is why I do it. If I am not enjoying it, then what's the point. It will only be another source of stress in my life and I am all about reducing as much stress that I can (i.e. what I have control over).
ReplyDeleteYou described it so well, and while I do care about getting better at running (which sometimes means faster), I think this situation proves that it is NOT all about that for me. I truly love running and that morning "me time". I like the dark, too!
DeleteThink of it this way....you train in the morning but you race later in the day. They always say (besides speed work) to slow your training down and you go into your races stronger! If you race later you will be faster (not to mention the adrenaline rush + crowd support). I think you are doing things perfectly and I always am very inspired by you! P.S. I did your weight routine 2 x this week so far (made the weights heavier and I am sore...in a good way!!)
DeleteOh good! It's nothing fancy but it is QUALITY stuff!
DeleteI'm the exact opposite of you. I almost always run at night because I feel slow and tired if I run in the mornings before work. I can crank out a morning run on the weekends as long as I get up super early and eat breakfast, sip coffee, read blogs, etc. but I find it sooooo hard to just pop out of bed and hit the road. The few times I've done that even though my pace has been about on par with what it is at night I felt like I was in a total haze. I've all but given up on the "i'm going to transition to being a morning runner" thing. I like the idea of getting home before 8pm but I just hate running before work!
ReplyDeleteI remember a longgggggggg time ago I read an article where someone asked the question, "When is the best time to exercise?" and the answer was whenever you are actually going to do it and you feel good doing it." I feel like there are am runners and pm runners and we are VERY set in our ways, but I wonder if their is a group that goes BOTH ways?
DeleteHi Megan - I always feel like I run better in the morning, even though I run two times every week after work. My runs on the weekend in the morning feel so much better, my legs feel great and awake. When I run after work, sometimes my legs feel really heavy as well - I sometimes wear compression socks to work, hoping that helps with my legs for my evening run. If I had the time, I would run in the morning all the time, of course, I do have to have coffee before I run. To answer your question, I would much rather run and feel good, even if it's a little slower. I do not really do any races anymore, I run for health and pleasure! : ) Kristen
ReplyDeleteThose are two very good reasons to run! I need coffee before a run too. I don't know if it's legitimate or psychosomatic but coffee is a must.
DeleteMy times are faster in the afternoon or evening, but my mental game isn't. It usually means I have had a longer time to procrastinate, which sometimes makes me dread going out there (especially if it is hot). If I had my way, I would go for a run when I first get up...but I am not willing to get up at 430am to fit it in, so I go later in the morning around 9am after taking the kids to school, and starting my workday. However, I can still procrastinate then--like, now, for example... :)
ReplyDeleteHaha I procrastinate too! I love the weekends when I don't have to get up at the butt crack of dawn and run late morning. Feels so good. 4:30 would be DANG early, but 9am is a happy medium.
DeleteI've actually read that we feel faster in the dark because of psychological reasons, but are faster in the afternoons because our muscles are warm. I like the mental aspect of morning runs, but I like being able to sleep in on the days I run in the evening.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about the muscles being warm thing. And this morning I was running and I thought, okay, I know why I feel like I am going fast. I was just laying horizontal for 7 hours straight. Of course running any pace after that would feel fast! I think I read the same thing about running in the dark makes you feel like you are going faster.
DeleteAhhh okay this makes a lot of sense! My pace is markedly slower in the morning but you're right... I DO feel more alive in the morning! Once I'm out there, anyway. My favourite time of day to run is at night when it's just getting dark. I FLY. It's the best feeling.
ReplyDeleteThat's cool you feel so good at night! You are prob out running while I'm in bed reading. :)
DeleteI watched Survivor last night. Looks like it will be a good season! I would have voted Abi ;)
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the evening run. Even though I'm slower in the morning, it just feels better. I'm actually looking forward to some dark morning runs... on my treadmill! I have a whole bunch of TV shows on my DVR just waiting for me.
Oh cool! we will have something (else) to talk about. Yeah Abi is SUPER ANNOYING. I never saw her original season...
DeleteI've noticed my weekend early morning runs are much faster than my weekday runs (which I do at 4pm). I can say I bet it's most likely because it's been so hot out in the afternoons still!
ReplyDeleteRelief is coming soon I am sure!
DeleteI know exactly how you feel about running in the evening. I can count on one hand how many times I have gone on a run in the evening... if that says anything. I have to get my running in during the morning hour when I feel fresh and energized. Plus, it sets the tone for the day. Coffee+morning run = happy Kristen.
ReplyDeleteWhat did you think about the BB finale? How about Survivor? I am in a character pool with a bunch of friends where you buy one of the characters for $20 and the winner at the end gets all the money ($400)!!! I have Terry and my husband has Kelly W (from season one). It makes it even more fun to watch because you root for your person the entire season. :)
I was soooooo happy Vanessa lost. I despised her. I actually wrote a post about it that I will publish next week. :)
DeleteI am very excited for Survivor! That sounds like a fun pool! I hosted one once and WON but no one paid up except Paul and that's like basically our money so it didn't count haha. I think it will be a great season. I really like Terry, don't know what to make of Kelly. I am having trouble looking at her as Kelly because she looks sooooo different. I am really loving Jeff Varner and Kelly Wentworth. :)