Becoming a Morning Person

What do I fear most in life? Well, most days it's the sound of my alarm going off in the morning. I, my friends, am not what you would call a "morning person". In fact, I'm nowhere close, but Pittsburgh is doing its best to change that.

Living and working in Cincinnati, I never really got a grip on what this "rush hour" concept was. Considering the farthest away from work that I ever lived was approximately eight miles, I could roll out of bed well after 8am, hop in my car, and be comfortably at my desk for my gruelling 9am start time (insert mocking laughs here).

Now, between my T2T runs (training to train, stay with me people), serious traffic on 376, and a start time at, preferably, 7:45am sharp, I laugh at my former self for dreading the sound of my alarm going off at a whopping 8:15am.

So, how am I coping? Every new schedule takes some getting used to - but a new schedule in a new place can be a particularly challenging adjustment. Here are a few things that have helped me along the way (recent college grads, listen up):

1. Learn your new route, and learn it quickly. The faster you can learn the traffic patterns and how long it's really going to take you to get there, the less panic-stricken you'll feel hearing that alarm screaming at you in the morning.

2. WAKE UP! Honestly, there were days at my old job where I probably wouldn't consider myself completely awake until lunchtime. I've found that eating breakfast (gasp) actually does help despite my years of avoiding it.

A staple for my on-the-move breakfasts - Cascadian Farm Organic Granola Bars

3. Don't push it. I'm not a morning person, and I'm totally ok with that. There are some mornings when I hit snooze, and resign myself to running after work. The bottom line is that I don't want to resent my runs or my morning routine, so sometimes something has to give!

4. Find something about your morning that makes you happy, and use that to get you out of bed. I love the fifteen minutes I give myself after my run to sit on my couch, eat breakfast, and watch the news (or Saved By The Bell) before I start getting ready for work.

5. Don't think about work! Yes, you may have a full plate for the day, and yes, you may have worked late last night, but make every second you can about you in the morning. Center yourself - there will be plenty of time to think about your job when you're on the clock.

If you're a morning person - kudos. I am too.. when my mornings start around 10am.

SJ