I am soooo not a morning person.  Like on a scale of 1 to 10, I give early morning wake ups a ZERO. When I was younger, I got my mom a shirt that said I don’t do mornings… or maybe it was a coffee mug? Either way, I lived by that motto most of my life. I’d rather stay in bed & have the sun naturally wake me, unless my little ones wake me first, which is common these days. I’m usually up too late the night before trying to “get it all done,” which is the main reason I hit snooze about half the time that 5AM GO RUN alarm goes off. Then the cycle repeats itself the next day.

—> BUT <—

I am trying hard to become more of a morning person.

Like really hard.

I’ve started with a goal of one 5AM wake-up-and-workout session per week. I’ve been doing this since October with the help of a friend (thanks Jen!) and have been *mostly* successful. Soon, I’ll move onto two days per week. Who knows, maybe someday it will become the new me?!

Why on earth would a night owl of 30some years try to convert?

Three reasons why I’m trying to become a morning person

1. Family first. // My family’s schedule has gotten a little crazier as our littles have started activities (soccer, swimming, gymnastics… you know the drill), so some times fitting in a sweat session after work just isn’t possible. My mom-friends who had kids before me all said I’d have to become a morning person someday if I wanted to “fit it all in” and I hate to say it, but they were right! I also work full time as a high school teacher so since I’m gone all day, I get a little mom guilt if I leave several nights a week to go run, yoga, etc.  If I get it done in the morning before they wake, they don’t even know the difference! And then the evening is free to hang with them. 🙂

2. Military mindset. // “Start your day with a task completed.” This principle of success comes from the book, Make Your Bed – little things that can change your life… and maybe the world, by Admiral McRaven, U.S. Navy retired. My principal, or as you’d call him in the business world, “BOSS,” let me borrow this quick read and the first chapter is one of my favorites. A simple morning task like making my bed – or getting in a workout – gives me a feeling of accomplishment and helps get my head in the right place for the day.

3. Runner’s high. That rush of energy. A blast of endorphins. Whatever you want to call it, starting the day off on a healthy note often energizes me & wakes me up better than a venti latte. It also helps me think more mindfully about my nutrition and water intake that day. And the #afterburn that OTF always talks about is a nice little added bonus.

So now that I’ve stated the WHY, what about the HOW?

One of our runners and friends, Jen B, previously guest blogged about “how to fit it all in” by getting in those early AM sessions. Her tips are all spot-on and the ones that are helping me the most are scheduling/planning out my week, going to bed early & setting a fancy alarm. I also asked for some visibility gear for Christmas for those dark winter mornings & usually enlist the help of friends – Jen especially! – to meet up for early workouts as accountability partners. Got a minute? Read her full post, Five Ways to Conquer That Early Morning Workout.  She speaks from experience – she got in FIVE workouts at 5AM last week. My hero. 🙂

For our Living Fit Columbus Winter Challenge, one of the bonus options this week is to get in three workouts before the sun comes up. So 5AM, I’m hoping to see you three times before Sunday! Okay, its almost 10PM… off to bed!

What are your reasons for rising early?  How do you make yourself do it? We want to know!