The value of mornings!

Tuesday, August 21, 2012 · Mike Davis

5:15 in the morning, brain says it’s time to wake up and prepare to workout. Body not really in sync with the brain, body wants to rest! Brain wins; up and out of bed, make coffee (K-cup) and get body in sync with the brain.

Yesterday was a pretty aggressive run of 7 miles, today will be strength training and later a 35 minute run with the half marathon training group. Back into the routine of balancing my running and strength training while training the half marathon group. Not always easy, but my fall race schedule requires some discipline. A few weeks from now I will be once again running Reach the Beach Relay followed by an early October Half marathon in Boston. Training the beginner half marathon group means a low mileage beginning with steady increases, but for me I have to make sure I get additional time on the road. To go along with time on the road, I realize more than every I can’t neglect my core and so my personal training plan consist of 5 days of running and 2 days of strength training, maybe even a sixth day of running.

Somewhere along the way I have gained the required discipline that has helped me get up on rough mornings, put on those running shoes in the worst of weather, get to my gym (my basement) despite a sore body or push through a tough run. My theory is not to lay, sit or think too much, but just move! Some days are harder than others, but I know when I lay in bed and give myself that extra few minutes, I’m most likely not going to get to my workout. Thinking that a few more minutes will make it easier to get up is a losing strategy. Yes, I am probably considered a morning person, but not at 5AM! At 5AM, I want to be in bed, not lifting weights or even running.

However, I work with many clients that struggle to find time to train as they should because they can’t fit it all in. Mornings allows me to fit in all my daily goals and stay on track with my personal training plan. In the past week alone I built a pretty nice bookshelf, spent some time at the driving range, hung out with my wife, ran 3 times with the half marathon training group, ran 3 times by myself, strength trained twice and worked a fulltime job! Somehow I was in bed each night by 10:00 as well. Mornings are the secret! It’s not whether you’re a morning person or not; it’s about just getting up!