10K Race in the Morning as an Evening Runner

I run three times a week and am currently training for a 10k. The race is in a month. My long run is up to 5 miles.

The issue I am having is that I usually run in the evenings usually around 9 pm. The race however is going to be in the morning.

I have tried to run in the morning, but every time I try I always have an extremely bad run.

I think I may have low blood sugar, so I don't really know what to eat or how early to eat before I go.

I'm just concerned because while I have great evening runs, I never feel like I have enough energy to finish the runs in the morning.

If that's the case how am I going to make it through a 10k on a Saturday morning?

Answer by Dominique:


Hi there,
Thanks for your 10k race question.

I know what you are saying, I am an evening runner as well. Running in the morning is tougher.

Most likely you will have pre-race jitters and the extra excitement will give you enough of a boost to do well.

Happens to me as well. So, keep the faith!

However, there are some things you can do to maximize your performance. Your best chance is to make sure you are as awake as possible for the race.

So make sure you go to bed early and rise early, have some breakfast at least two hours before the race. Eat something you know you can stomach, e.g. a few pieces of toast with jam or so.

Coffee is essential... :) Well, that's me. If you are coffee drinker, make sure you drink some.

Hydrate well.

Get to the place where the race is held in time. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time before the race to do a bit of a warming-up.

E.g. about 20-25 minutes before the race starts you start jogging gently for 5-10 minutes. Then do some strides (short bursts without wearing yourself out too much) and then get ready for the race.

Hope this helps.
Best of luck.
Kind regards,
Dominique