You have every intention to squeeze in that run before work. But then the alarm buzzes, you crack one eye open and turn off that familiar chime.
As for that run? You'll get it in later...or will you? Sure, we'd all love to knock out our workouts first thing, but not all of us are that motivated in the mornings.
We asked regular pre-dawn runner Dorothy Beal, a 26-time marathoner and author of the popular blog Mile Posts to fill us in on her tips for logging miles in the morning.
More: 5 Reasons to Work Out in the Morning
Lay it Out
Before you go to bed, prep everything you'll need for your run: From your hat to your shoes to your watch, lay it out on your bedroom floor so everything's ready to go as soon as you step out of bed.
"It's hard enough getting up early," says Beal. "Fumbling around in the dark trying to find what you need wastes time and makes you more likely to skip your run."
Stop Snoozing
You may want just five more minutes to sleep, but avoid the temptation to smack that snooze button.
"Hitting snooze means you are more likely to oversleep, leaving less time for your run," says Beal. "Or you may accidentally turn off your alarm and miss your run all together. Besides, once your alarm has gone off, the time you sleep in between each snooze isn't fully restful."
Her advice for waking up right? Set your alarm for the precise time you need to wake—not too early, not too late. When it goes off, get up.
More: 6 Running Safety Tips
