I’m a morning runner.   Now when I say morning, I do not mean jump out of bed and run at 5:45 like some people I know.   I’ll be honest, I will only wake up at the crack of DAWN for a medal or a trail run!   That being said, I do like to get my run in by noon.   When the kids are in school (yeah school!!!), I will go right after drop off.   This will still give me time after my run to do the things around the house that needs to be done (darn those household chores that won’t take care of themselves).  When they are not in school, I try to go before they wake up which is somewhat easy with two teens and a younger one who tries to keep up.

Running a few hours after I wake up  gives me time to have breakfast before my run AKA fuel for my run.   I am slow to wake up and need some coffee and quiet time in the morning.   I don’t always get it, but it’s nice when I do.  This is why early morning runs are not best for me because I don’t know how to properly fuel for them.   Ok, it’s not that I don’t know how.   It’s that I can’t force myself to eat a bagel with peanut butter or a banana that early in the morning.   I’m great with my post workout fuel just not my pre work out which maybe even more important.

So what to do with those mornings where I need to run early or even on just regular days where I haven’t been able to eat?  It’s a work in progress.   I’ve been trying to have a Fig Bar or something small.   For a long run, I might take an extra GU during the run.   I’m not sure if this is the “correct” way to do it, but it seems to be working for me until I can find another alternative and, as always, I’m on the search….

How do you fuel for an early morning run?