Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a lovely weekend and you’re now ready to kick off this week in the best possible way with my five tips and tricks that will help you get your butt out the door too!

I love Mondays! :) And YES, I do love Mondays thanks to my ‘pretty new’ morning running routine. Just so you get the idea, I said ‘pretty new’ as I wasn’t ALWAYS a morning person. Oh, not even a bit! :)

As a busy-bee (that’s how I like to call myself), squeezing in my summer running routine (at least 4 times a week) can sometimes be tough. Therefore, a few months ago I decided to embark on this ‘impossible-mission-to-me’ and master my morning running routine.

After a few months of running early in the morning, I have come to the conclusion that by running in the morning, you’re more likely to develop better running habits, keep yourself in a ‘fit shape’, and an overall positive attitude.

So here are my five practical tips & tricks you can work on, beginning as early as tomorrow morning.

1. Set more than 2 alarms

In the first couple of days, you should try to set up multiple alarms – I mean at least two or three, starting with half an hour before you want to get up.

I know how tempting can be to hit the snooze, but when you bombard yourself with a few noisy-as-hell alarms (try even the music you HATE), you’re very likely to get pissed off and wake up. :)) Not to worry, you’ll thank yourself later (hopefully, you won’t think of me in that miserable moment). :)))

Bottom line: I also found this one very challenging!!! If I did it, you can do it too! :)

2. Lay out your gear the night before

Only a few weeks ago I realized that laying out everything (shorts, t-shirt, sports bra, etc.) the night before is a constant visual reminder of my goal.

So take a few minutes the night before you run and check your gear in this order (don’t get out there half naked and scare away the other runners or make them ‘chase’ you,LOL): 1. shorts, check; 2. sports bra, check (if you are a girl, you DO need one); 3. t-shirt, check; 4. running shoes, check. And so on.

Bottom line: This one saves on hassle and is a visual reminder of the contract you’ve formed with yourself regarding your morning run. It reduces the friction to get you started.

3. Crash relatively early

Relatively??? :)) You got me here – this one is my weakness and I’m still working on it. I’m a night person and my body decides it’s ready for sleep, usually after 12 am.

However, after 9 pm I try to turn off the TV (this one is actually pretty easy to do as I am not into TV that much), close my laptop a few hours before going to bed, shut off all the devices around me (phone, watch, iPad) and grab a book or kindle (it depends on what I read). OK, I admit it – it works most of the time, but not always! :)

Bottom line: Find your own schedule that will help you go to bed earlier than normal.

4. The fuel before running (eating and drinking)

I know this is controversial, but I for one can’t actually run without something in my stomach.

I usually get up around 6-ish (after I hit the snooze at least two times), have a cup of still water at room temperature (sometimes I add a Vitamin C in it), have a small bowl of granola – my fav recipe here – with 1/2 banana and Greek yoghurt, and head out of the door at 6.45 am.

When I ran out of granola, I basically have a banana with yogurt or even mozzarella.

Regardless of whether you’re in the eating/non-eating camp before the run, a glass of water is ALWAYS welcomed as you’ll be dehydrated from the night before.

Bottom line: Try it both ways and see what works for you best!

5. Keep in mind the results

I never expected that by switching my running routine from after work to before work it would affect my mood throughout the day, but I SWEAR it has!!! And my boyfriend can confirm it! :) Not kidding!

So how it works in my case: Before getting out the door I feel sluggish, but once I’ve sweat out all the weariness and I am back at home, I seriously feel HAPPY, energized and refreshed.

Maybe it’s the endorphins, or maybe it’s the fact that my day ahead looks full of positive possibilities – whatever it is, makes me feel good about myself!

Bottom line: If you’re struggling to find the motivation, just remember the ENERGY and HAPPINESS you will feel afterwards.

So running is many good things—it’s fulfilling, satisfying, challenging. Of course, running is pretty hard, but setting out to do something hard and following through can be immensely satisfying. And that’s the point, right?! Anyway, I really hope that my tips & tricks will help you get started!

If you have any further insights, please leave a comment. I’m ALWAYS open to improving my morning running routine.

As a note: I ALWAYS spice up my running routine by including speed intervals, hills, sand, long runs, and short runs, and run on different surfaces and in new places to keep my muscles guessing and continuously strengthening. I also include other forms of cardio as well as strength training (I love the body-pump class from HealthCity and TRX ) since muscle mass burns more calories and speeds up my metabolism. As it’s another topic, I will leave it for next time.

Be healthy and happy!

