M-F, I wake up at 5:30 A.M. – either to get ready and catch a train to NYC, or get ready for my morning run. Working hybrid, I do have some leeway for taking time to workout, but I still need to plan ahead to allow myself time for either quality mileage and/or use the weekend to also get longer afternoon miles.
I used to not be a morning person, but not wanting to lose fitness when starting my job, I’ve adjusted my sleep schedule to support an AM workout routine, most of which consists of runs following the 80/20 training method. I’ve tried working out after closing my laptop but found myself feeling lethargic: rather, running during the sunrise helps me start my day.
Working out in the morning, I also like how I feel less restrictive eating during the day, where I’m less concerned with how my meals will affect my upcoming workout. While I wake up on the earlier side, I haven’t yet been able to drag myself out of bed to do a long run during the weekday before work. Hence, the reason why long runs fall on weekends, usually in the mid-afternoon.
Meal prep also helps, where I try to prepare everything the night before to save time as I rush out the door. I have yet to train for a marathon (though I hope to, perhaps later this year or by 2024), but I’m starting to understand how people say this is like a second job with the time commitment.
Still adjusting to my new working world, the marathon lifestyle seems light years away, but I enjoyed the half marathon distance where I was able to have more balance when training for my race in 2022. I just signed up for the Jersey City 2023 Half Marathon in April: definitely excited!
