As an anxious person, I tend to worry about the smallest things that have no real impact on my life. That’s, perhaps, no more evident than when I’m figuring out when to run during the day. Do I go running in the morning? Do I go running at night? What about the middle of the day? It’s ironic that something so enjoyable can cause me unneeded stress. So, to help runners like me, I’m sharing my “expert” opinion on the best time to run. Why did I include random song references throughout the post? Why not!
When it’s dark out
In the very forgettable Kenny Chesney and Uncle Kracker 2004 collab that absolutely no one asked for, Kenny Chesney crooned:
“Cause when the sun goes down, we’ll be grooving. When the sun goes down, we’ll be feelin all right.”
Is he talking about sex? I think he’s talking about sex. Gross. Don’t listen to him; he has no idea what he’s talking about. Take it from Shakespeare when he said, “Nothing good goes down when the sun goes down.” Ok, he probably didn’t say that, but surely someone did at some point, right? It was likely a drunk, belligerent uncle, but it still has merit.
When you’re running in the dark, you’re invisible to cars and pedestrians, you can’t see the surface you’re running on, and the worst part — no one can see that killer outfit and sick pair of shoes you’re wearing! Oh, and despite what Corey Hart famously boasted about in his 1984 one-hit wonder 20 years before Kenny Chesney, please don’t wear your sunglasses at night.
When you wake up
Forget what George Michael pleaded in 1984 about waking him up “before you go-go.” There’s nothing worse than being awoken by someone else, especially when that “someone” is running. Your body just isn’t designed to move like that early in the morning. You’re half asleep and you’ll give a half-hearted performance on the run. But then again, you are half asleep, so you won’t fully realize what you’re doing to your body. Ah, but while you might have more energy in the tank in the morning, there’s a good chance your bowels won’t be completely empty either. Proceed with caution.
The biggest pro is also the biggest con: you get your run out of the way first thing in the morning, but then you don’t have your run to look forward to the rest of the day. At least you’ll start the day rejuvenated and in a good mood from the endorphins. Of course, that mood will quickly turn sour when you glance at your busy schedule filled with soul-sucking meetings and you realize you don’t have your greatest stress reliever available. Good things come to those who wait?
Before lunch
On his 2014 album, “ART OFFICIAL AGE” Prince sang all about how “BREAKFAST CAN WAIT.” (This one’s definitely about sex, but it’s Prince, so it’s ok.) You might as well be waiting for Godot because breakfast is never going to arrive. You skipped it because no one actually eats breakfast, so you’re absolutely ravenous and the only thing on your mind is food. But before you can enjoy your lactose-free fettuccine alfredo, you must suffer through a lactate threshold run of 10 miles, with 6 miles at 15k pace. Ouch. Hey, at least you don’t have to worry about GI distress from food. Ugh, but you’re not eating lactose, anyway. And food is still the only thing on your mind. Hmm, maybe a couple bites won’t hurt. Running with a side stitch isn’t that painful, right?
After lunch
In his 1985 parody of Cyndi Lauper’s hit song, Weird Al presciently sang (?) that “Girls just wanna have lunch.” While that same sentiment applies for boys, too, you’d be wise not to run shortly after satisfying your craving for lunch.
Simply put, you can’t enjoy a tasty lunch knowing you have to run afterwards. You’ll stress about the fiery hot Drunken Noodles you devoured and the bubble tea with tapioca balls you washed it down with. It sure seemed like a good idea at the time, and boy was it tasty going in, but the last thing you want to worry about is it coming out. Yes, your stomach is full, but that extra baggage and all those burps are enough to leave a bad taste in your mouth long after the spicy, mouth-watering last bite.
Plus, the postprandial somnolence, or, post-lunch food coma, is no joke. It doesn’t take a productivity consultant to determine why a business seems to be experiencing a decline in efficiency in the early afternoon. And no one enjoys inefficient running.
“After work, the only “moving” that interests you is from your desk to the couch to binge watch the latest trashy Netflix show. (I’m starting to think that’s every Netflix show.”)
After work/before dinner
In 1981, Loverboy foolishly belted out “everybody’s working for the weekend,” but many runners are working for the opportunity to go running after work (and to afford their next pair of shoes). You’ve either been sitting at a desk or on your feet all day, regardless, you’re in no immediate position (or mindset) to go running. The only “moving” that interests you is from your desk to the couch to binge watch the latest trashy Netflix show. (I’m starting to think that’s every Netflix show.) And for commuters, it would certainly help if the standstill rush hour traffic moved just a bit.
Plus, you’re exhausted from work, starving (again), and either your colleagues or friends made a happy hour reservation with your name on it. Decisions, decisions.
After dinner/before bed
See the “after lunch” section for a reminder about how tough it is to run after eating a heavy meal.
“I thought exercising before bed made it harder to fall asleep, but I learned it’s actually ok in a 30-second Google search. Wait, another sentence says to avoid vigorous activity at least one hour before bed. Never mind.”
You’ve been thinking about your obligation to go running all day, worriedly wondering when you would get a chance to put one foot in front of the other on the scorching hot or cold hard pavement. Yeah, a real treat. Congrats, you’ve put yourself in the worst possible position: you either go running now or take a rest day. There is no later.
The good news? I thought exercising before bed made it harder to fall asleep, but in my research (a 30-second Google search), I discovered that it’s actually ok. Oh wait, I just got to the sentence where it says to avoid vigorous activity for at least one hour before bedtime. Ok, never mind. Running is one of the most vigorous activities.
Rihanna made it clear in her 2010 song that she prefers a California King Bed over a standard king. It won’t matter what size bed you’re in if you can’t fall asleep!
No time like the present
So, when really is the best time to go running? Clearly there’s no right or wrong answer; it depends heavily on the weather, your training block, lifestyle, and schedule. You can easily find a dozen reasons to not go running at any time. But the hardest part is stepping foot outside the door. Once you do, you’ll end up having a good time regardless. Most of the time, anyway. Not every run can be enjoyable; especially for the nuts who run twice in one day. Can you imagine? It’s hard enough choosing one time to go running.
Great photo!!