Help me run late in the day
June 23, 2010 5:00 PM Subscribe
How can I defy my natural preferences and desires and learn to enjoy running in the afternoon or evening? Due to a recent move and career change, my schedule dictated that I switch from running in the late mornings (the time that I enjoy most and that feels most "natural") to running in the late afternoon or early evening (as early as 4:30). This is hard.
The thing is, I really like running. I find it enjoyable as well as worthwhile-for-fitness. But not after work, it would seem.
I still love my late-morning weekend runs, but going out at 5pm just feels gross. Sometimes it seems I don't have enough food in me, sometimes too much. I'm always tired and mentally unfresh. The whole actual process of running feels less fluid and just less... right.
So... how do I fix that?
Relevant facts: I eat a big breakfast (oatmeal and nuts) and a decent lunch (sandwich, big salad with protein, healthy but hearty leftovers) every day. I drink lots of coffee in the morning but don't really drink any at all from lunch on. Lots of water all day long. My job is not super-stressful. Sometimes I will eat an energy gel, but usually not. I've been running for about two years, currently about 20 miles/week, 3-4 days/week including the occasional steep trail run.
The thing is, I really like running. I find it enjoyable as well as worthwhile-for-fitness. But not after work, it would seem.
I still love my late-morning weekend runs, but going out at 5pm just feels gross. Sometimes it seems I don't have enough food in me, sometimes too much. I'm always tired and mentally unfresh. The whole actual process of running feels less fluid and just less... right.
So... how do I fix that?
Relevant facts: I eat a big breakfast (oatmeal and nuts) and a decent lunch (sandwich, big salad with protein, healthy but hearty leftovers) every day. I drink lots of coffee in the morning but don't really drink any at all from lunch on. Lots of water all day long. My job is not super-stressful. Sometimes I will eat an energy gel, but usually not. I've been running for about two years, currently about 20 miles/week, 3-4 days/week including the occasional steep trail run.
Response by poster: No, I can't seem to pull off the "light dinner" part of that scenario.
posted by Ignatius J. Reilly at 6:06 PM on June 23, 2010
posted by Ignatius J. Reilly at 6:06 PM on June 23, 2010
I'm not a great runner, but I too have to go after work, so maybe this will help - I find I do better if I have a slice of whole wheat bread and extra water at least an hour before I jog. Not really a meal if that helps.
posted by cestmoi15 at 6:16 PM on June 23, 2010
posted by cestmoi15 at 6:16 PM on June 23, 2010
Oh, and just stick with it and it will feel more natural - I have trouble switching from light after work to dark after work.
posted by cestmoi15 at 6:17 PM on June 23, 2010
posted by cestmoi15 at 6:17 PM on June 23, 2010
I agree that it's a tricky time. Are you actually making it out the door? Not snark: for me the hardest thing about the 5 pm run is tearing myself away e.g., right this moment.
What helps is to associate the run with the pleasure of being done with work and getting to blow off any stress or frustration of the day. That's the main thing. I've also known some people to eat a power bar of some sort at around 4 pm or so, so that all of a sudden they're bursting with energy and raring to go.
posted by salvia at 6:18 PM on June 23, 2010
What helps is to associate the run with the pleasure of being done with work and getting to blow off any stress or frustration of the day. That's the main thing. I've also known some people to eat a power bar of some sort at around 4 pm or so, so that all of a sudden they're bursting with energy and raring to go.
posted by salvia at 6:18 PM on June 23, 2010
Response by poster: salvia: I make it out the door a little more than half the time for the after-worker, which is actually fine because I reliably run on the weekends. And yeah, I think I need to look at the stress relief as more of a plus.
posted by Ignatius J. Reilly at 7:05 PM on June 23, 2010
posted by Ignatius J. Reilly at 7:05 PM on June 23, 2010
I love to run in the evenings; I find running while the sun is up during the summer to be unbearably hot where I live. A small amount of coffee 1-1.5 hours before starting the run often helps, no more than about a half-cup of or so. I usually have this with dinner or shortly afterward. I don't think it's the amount of caffeine as much as the association between the taste of coffee and wanting to wake up.
Routines are really important to me, so the whole process of finding my shoes, making sure that the mp3 player is charged, and changing clothes gets me in the right mindset--so do you do anything in the morning before a run that can be done in the evening?
Is there a running group or something nearby that you can join? Also, you may want to try a morning run on the weekend as a sort of break, if you find evening running really unbearable.
posted by _cave at 7:06 PM on June 23, 2010
Routines are really important to me, so the whole process of finding my shoes, making sure that the mp3 player is charged, and changing clothes gets me in the right mindset--so do you do anything in the morning before a run that can be done in the evening?
Is there a running group or something nearby that you can join? Also, you may want to try a morning run on the weekend as a sort of break, if you find evening running really unbearable.
posted by _cave at 7:06 PM on June 23, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by something something at 5:56 PM on June 23, 2010