Morning vs. Evening Runs

Which time of day is better to run? The mornings? Or the evenings? Well it really comes down to personal preference, some people rather run in the morning, others prefer evening runs. Here I've listed the pros and cons of both; keep in mind these are just my opinion on them it really depends on you.

                                                                                   

Mornings

Pros:

©       It’s out of the way.

©       You get a jumpstart to your day.

©       Can help battle daytime fatigue.

©       Gives your metabolism a nice boost for the day.

©       It’s cooler- the sun hasn’t had a chance to warm the pavement yet.

©       Can be easier to work into schedule if it’s done first thing in the morning.

©       Watch the sunrise!

Cons:

©       For some people getting out of bed at 6:00am is a struggle enough without adding a run.

©       No sleeping in anymore.

©       Can be hard to adjust to earlier workouts.

©       Depending on what time your day starts you may not have a chance to get in a full run if you are running late.

Evenings

Pros:

©       Can be a great way to distress from the day.

©       Possibly easier to include family and friends in the evening than the crack of dawn.

©       Can be something to look forward to.

©       Allows you to sleep in a bit.

©       Might work better for people that have a hard time with morning runs.

©       Watch the sunset!

Cons:

©       Predators seem to prefer preying at night time, more attacks occur at night than in the morning.

©       Can be dangerous if not wearing the proper clothing (flashing lights, reflective strips on clothes, light colors) cars have a harder time seeing you if you stay out to late.

©       Can be harder to get out the door after a long day.

©       If done too late it can make it more difficult to fall asleep.  Rule of thumb: don’t work out within three hours of your normal bedtime. The activity raises your heart rate, and internal temp making it more difficult to relax in bed.

Whether you run in the mornings or in the evenings please make sure that you are being safe in doing so. Tell people where you are going and when you will be back. For the morning runners, leave a note somewhere visible like on the fridge handle or the coffee pot if the rest of the house is still asleep. For evening runners, make sure you are aware of your surroundings if you use music to keep you going keep the volume low and keep one headphone out to hear even better. Only you will know which one works out best for you, so experiment with both for a week or so to see which one works out better. Good luck!

QOTD: What time of day do you prefer to run?

Any other additional tips on morning or evening running?