Filip Kwiatkowski for The New York Times
Morning or evening running… which is better?
My running partner, Paul, sent me a link to this article earlier in the week. It’s kind of a typical NY Times exercise article — short and lacking in detail — but it’s still an interesting read. The gist of it centers around the question: Is it better to run in the morning or in the evening? Beginning runners that I coach often ask this question. I’ve traditionally blown it off saying something like, “it depends” or “do whatever works for you.” I thought the issue of “which is better” came down to a simple question? Do you like getting up at 5:30am to run before work? No, well then you’re an evening runner. Simple.
Turns out, the time of day you workout really may make a difference in the quality of your run and it’s effects on your body. The chronobiologist (a profession I’d never heard of) who was interviewed quoted evidence showing that late afternoon or early evening workouts are better (easier) for the body. He says that a workout done in the morning drives the heart rate up higher than the same workout done in the evening.
Greg Atkinson, also at Liverpool John Moores University, said that some researchers, noticing that heart rates during exercise were lower in the morning, reasoned the way I did — that people must be more efficient in the morning. It would mean that exercise was easier in the morning. Of course, it seemed harder to me, but I could have been deluding myself. Not really, Dr. Atkinson said. It actually is harder to exercise in the morning.
Running time and Lyme
I found this little-known insight interesting and potentially impactful to my training. In the past I’ve always been a morning runner. I like getting up at 5:30am to run with the sunrise. I enjoy how it wakes me up and starts my day off with a nice accomplishment. I also liked how I got it out of the way so that I wasn’t tempted by laziness or forced by work to skip or miss a evening workout.
In the last year this has changed. Mostly because I now work for myself and can run any damn time I please, but also because I found that running in the morning made the afternoons tough to manage. The post-lunch 3:00pm coma would set in and though I’d be awake, I’d be pretty much useless at work and occasionally had to nap. I’ve since changed this and actually schedule my runs for that point in the day when I feel my most tired — 3:00 to 6:00pm. This may seem counter-intuitive as most people would think to rest at this time, but I feel that this works in my favor.
How it works for me
Running when I feel low serves to perk me up, get me going and carry me through the evening chores of making dinner, playing with my daughter and putting her to bed. I also find that I sleep better; usually 5-6 uninterrupted hours with 2-3 additional hours after that. Pretty good.
Sleep use to be one of my biggest issues. Early on, I couldn’t sleep more that 2-3 hours without waking up and then it could take me anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours to get back to sleep. Now and again I still have nights that are bad, but nothing like before. I sleep soundly and wake up (mostly) refreshed. If I do wake up in the night I can rollover and just go right back. All of this is one of the biggest aspects of my recovery. I shudder when I think of the days I felt like I hadn’t slept for weeks. No matter how much I tried to sleep I couldn’t, and what I did get did nothing for me. Truly a horrible way to live.
I was considering trying to switch back to morning runs, but it sounds like my afternoon timing is the way to go for now. I don’t want to make it any harder on my body than it already is. The afternoons seems to be just what I need. This should probably be a consideration for anyone with Lyme who exercises.
I’d be curious to hear what my readers think. Post a comment below.
a chronobiologist? seriously? I need to makeup a catchy name for what I do. As far as when to train, for me, afternoon or early evening running has always been my best. And as I get older, when I do have to run in the morning, the aches and pains havent had time to go away, and the run tends to be slow and achey. When I have the entire day to work out the kinks, the run tends to go better. not to mention, after 35 years of running, I have never been a morning runner, so there is a comfort level with running later in the day.
Running for 35 years?! Man, you’re old
As Indiana Jones once said..its not the years..its the miles
I am the same, Chronic. I used to run in the morning and now I don’t. At first it was becasue the sleep was so bad. Now I sleep better, and could perhaps manage the 4:45 wakeup, but I fear the afternoon crash.
I am at the point where I prepared to give the mornings a go. Not just because I can, but because the chance of me missing an afternoon run is higher becasue I just do not have time in the afternoon.
AS you know it sucks to miss a run.
One of the many symptoms that I’ve noticed since dealing with this affliction is afternoon fatigue. The fatigue was so bad in the beginning, I would have to lay down. But I soon realized that trying to take a nap to correct the fatigue was not doing the trick. So I did exactly what you seem to be doing – exercising through it. Matter of fact, I’ve worked my way up to 1.5 hours on various machines at the gym and afterwards, 2 to 3 miles on a treadmill every other day – always in the early afternoon. I give myself a day off for recovery. It has been very effective. I still find myself yawning alot during the workout, which indicates something isn’t quiet right, but it’s better than the alternative. You would think that I’d be even more fatigued after the workout, but just the opposite – I feel much better overall. Still have lingering symptoms daily (stiff neck, tinnitus) but am much more physically fit than before all of this began. My one fear is that I might be overdoing the exercise a bit. Dragging my immune system down, over and over. But I can’t help but feel that it’s doing more good than harm. Exercise – good. No exercise – bad.
Appreciate your blog – always very informative and motivational.
Mike
I have the same symptoms as you do. i was also very active prior to the disease(semi professional Downhill Mountain Biker). i was very fit and mentally very sharp. now i don’t have a single day without brain fog and weird sensations in my body. it is very tough to go through this. but i try to keep myself busy buy riding bikes and running. i did this even in my acute phase and i do belive to this day, that it helped not to lose contact with exercise. i do have bad days when i can’t do much but i wait for a good one to run or ride or dig trails. i hope to get to a point where i will be 90% of what i have been once. till then i’ll train for this upcoming season and i hope i will have a good time. best of luck for everybody fighting this MONSTER
Mihai,
Thanks for your comment. Nice to see you not letting Lyme get you down.
Are you treating things? Are you on antibiotics?
I was on antibiotics for 3 months. i started them after aprox 3 weeks since the bite and still got down with it. now i am off them since 15th of October 2009. I am better somehow but i am not what i used to be. now i am on Colloidal Silver. i did had some Herxes on it but i will wait and see if some results come up. I am on supplements (fatty acids, vitamin B, Reishi mushroom, garlic, green tea capsules). lots of WATER and little to no sugar and gluten. my brain is somehow clearer but i still encounter the FOG trough the day occasionaly. i still experience some weakness in my body but i try to go trough.
I am frustrated at times and the question “Why me?” is popping often. I will write here from now on because i really find myself in your story and tell about my Colloidal Silver treatment. I will also take a test to reveal if the Bacterium is in the Blood(Dark Field Microscopy).Best of luck to you and everybody dealing with the MONSTER!
This is very inspirational to me. Hope someone else fids it the samehttp://www.vitalmtb.com/videos/member/Patrick-Male-at-Carlmont,1928/bturman,109
Mihai,
Thanks for the info. You’re luck you saw the tick and got treated so quickly.
Let me know how the Colloidal Silver works. I’ve heard good things about it.
That’s a great video. Brave dude to be out riding with one leg.
Regarding the Colloidal Silver i want to see how it works on myself before i encourage anyone to try it. I’ll keep you posted!
Wish you the best and lots of happy miles(running and biking).