The One Piece of Advice I Give to Beginner Runners Is Stupid Simple, but Crazy Hard to Execute
January 1st is just around the corner.
You will lace up those too-clean Nikes and head out.
You’ve resolved to start a permanent running program again this year, but, as we know, you’ll likely blow it by January 15.
Or…
Maybe you’re a beginner runner again because although you were cruising along nicely, life got in the way again.
You ran your first race, but then all three of your kids got sick just before Thanksgiving, and then your mother-in-law decided to stay through Christmas, and before you knew it….here’s spring break and you haven’t run since that first fall 5k.
What went wrong?
You can’t be a runner without, well, running.
Consistency is key.
Of course, doing too much too soon will sabotage your goals. (I’ll address this in another post.)
One common piece of advice is to schedule your run on your calendar.
I agree. This is a great suggestion…if you actually honor it.
You’ve scheduled a run after work. On the drive home, the traffic is worse than usual. Your partner calls and says they need you to stop at the store for ingredients for dinner and project supplies for your kids.
No doubt, you have to stop. You can’t tell your family, “Too bad. I have to get home for my run. I’m not stopping anywhere.”
Well, you could, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Really.
You skip a run. The next afternoon, there’s another “crisis.” You manage to get two runs in for the week, but you can’t enjoy them.
You’re not making progress. We lose motivation when we don’t see progress.
It’s two steps forward and one step back.
Again, consistency is key.
Here’s the one piece of advice that won’t fail you: run first thing in the morning.
Sound easy? It’s not.
Sure, supposedly there are beings out there called “morning people,” but let’s face it, I’m not writing this for them. They have not only kept a running program, but also a meditation practice, journaling time, and a well-organized junk drawer.
For the rest of us, I hate to break it to you: You have to get out of bed and run first thing if you want to achieve consistency.
For those of you flexing your fingers to add a comment: “Wait! You’re wrong! I run every evening.”
I ask: Are you a beginner runner?
If you’re here to START a running program and stick to it, you have to run first thing in the morning, even if it means channeling your inner Mark Wahlberg.
Why’s it so hard to run first thing in the morning?
If this were a Family Feud question, survey would definitely say, “BED.”
Yes, the torture of getting out of a warm, comfy bed, especially on a cold morning, ranks high on the list of “miserable things life hands us.”
However, I’m going to argue that getting out of bed first thing in the morning is hard because you have to face the reality of your less-than-healthy life.
Are you staying up late doom-scrolling? You won’t get up.
Are you drinking enough to disrupt your sleep? You won’t get up.
Are you binge-watching TV? You won’t get up.
Are you eating crap that keeps you awake with heartburn? You won’t get up.
Are you answering emails or text messages into the night? You won’t get up.
Are you up with a newborn all night? Just stay up.
If you want to start a running program and stick to it, you have to run first thing in the morning and design a life that will support your new lifestyle choice.
A good morning run starts the night before with an intentional sleep routine, such as turning off screens an hour before bedtime, taking a warm shower, and getting your room to a cool temperature.
Here are a few more tricks to get you up:
- Move your phone/alarm clock across the room, so you have to get out of bed to turn it off. Your significant other will hate you, but hey, no pain, no gain.
- Have your coffee ready to brew. Buy your favorite creamer. Bonus points if your coffee is set to brew, and you smell it when the alarm goes off. Don’t drink coffee? I got nothing for you. How is that possible?
- Keep a sweatshirt or robe on the floor next to your bed and put it on after you turn off the alarm, assuming you didn’t put the clock across the room. Warm up a bit before getting up.
- Try the 5-Second Rule. Mel Robbins recommends you count down 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and then move. The key is you have to physically move or your brain will squash the feeble attempt.
- Have a great book, podcast, or prayer app*, ready to go for the run. Knowing you’re doing some learning and self-development at the same time doubles the motivation.
- Take a minute to visualize a goal that running will make happen, such as running a race or losing weight.
- Find an accountability person. If you know someone is waiting for you to run, you’ll get up.
The way to consistency is to run first thing in the morning. I’ll die on this hill. After, and only after, you have a well-established running addiction, then you can move to afternoon/evening runs. However, you’ll probably find you actually want to get up early to run.
*(Today’s recommendations: Book = Do Hard Things by Steve Magness and Prayer App = Hallow; I have yet to get into podcasts, so feel free to recommend some!)
Run and be brave, friends.
Ready to run your first race? Enjoy my free 5-day educational email course to get you ready. Start here!
