How to Stay Energized After an Early Morning Workout

One of the biggest challenges as a mother runner is balancing running and sleeping. That’s why I asked the athletes I coach and other fellow mother runners this question (asked of me): how to stay energized after an early morning workout?

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This has been my biggest battle, and it honestly broke me. Most moms, to ensure they get their time to run, must wake up super early to run or workout. That’s great. But then they have a long day ahead of them because truly the run is just the warm-up for the day.

I see these moms on Instagram getting up at 3:30 am or so to workout, and I get almost PTSD. And, I wonder—how they do it? What are they doing differently because getting up that early to run was so very hard and it made me not the best mother or runner (or wife or human).

My story with early morning workouts and energy

Back in 2019 when I wanted to try to qualify for the Olympic Trials marathon, my coach doubled my mileage so I was running 80-100 miles per week, starting over the summer. During this time, my kids were young (2 and 5) and home full-time. I also worked full-time from home, while building The Mother Runners on the side. Cal (2) was still up a lot and my sleep was very broken up. To say I was stretched thin was an understatement.

But I wanted the goal so badly. And those I trained with were running that mileage no problem. So, I gave it my all, ignoring the fact that their lives and bodies were not the same as mine. They could handle high mileage; got to bed earlier than me; probably weren’t woken up a hundred times a night; and they also had more time to recover.

Those days of the early morning wake-ups to train at 5am on the track left me feeling so tired, drained, and depleted. Many afternoons I would hand my kids iPads so I could lay down. I would say to my husband I felt like my body was eating itself. I also just never felt satiated.

Not surprising, that August, I tripped and tweaked—and then tore—my hamstring, plunging me into what would be a 5+ year injury cycle. Hindsight is 20/20 and I see now why. My body wasn’t getting what it needed to do the demands placed upon it. It wasn’t sleeping enough, eating enough, and it was all so unsustainable. And, it finally broke.

I am now in the enviable position that early morning wake-ups to run are few and far between. If I had to do it again, I would do it so differently—thanks to lessons I have learned and the advice you are about to read from fellow mother runners.

If you are waking up early to run and want to maintain your energy throughout the day—not be a zombie (or a witch)—the little things truly matter. I feel certain the tips below to maintain your energy after early morning runs will help.

Let’s go!

9 Tips to Stay Energized After an Early Morning Workout

1. Get enough sleep consistently.

As someone who preaches that sleep is the best recovery tool you can have, I am not going to be telling you hacks on how to get by with less. You need to do what you can to sleep 7-8 hours a night (or more, but that is an anomaly for most moms of young kids). If you do not do this, you are at great risk for injury or illness or burnout.

I know that as moms we are often not in control of the amount of sleep we get (it is so frustrating), so if you are finding that you are getting less than that most nights, it is time to reassess your goals until your kids are better sleepers or you are on a better sleep schedule. The one-off early morning runs that cut into your night’s sleep are okay to do (maybe 1-2 times a week) but only if you are not chronically over-tired and in a sleep deficit.

2. Move your kids’ bedtime to earlier.

I know the biggest difference between me and the moms who wake up at zero dark thirty are their kids’ bedtimes. Their kids go to bed much earlier than mine. That was a battle I did not fight as the rest of my family likes to go to sleep late and so it felt selfish and uphill to try to shift everyone earlier.

BUT, if you are able—do it! If they go to bed earlier, you can go to bed earlier ensuring that shuteye. If that’s not an option, consider having your partner handle bedtime so you can hit the hay at a reasonable hour.

3. Prep your breakfasts.

Making sure you have a good breakfast—or two—is crucial staying energized after early morning workouts and recovering well! Make sure you eat a little something before you workout and then have breakfast ready to quickly re-fuel within that 30 minute window when you are done.

Personally, I would hit a huge afternoon slump after early morning runs because I didn’t eat enough in the morning. Make sure your breakfast includes protein and carbohydrates. Many moms also re-fuel with coffee. Here are some breakfast ideas to get you ready.

4. Fuel well.

In addition to pre-run and post-run fuel, be sure to fuel your runs if they are over 75 minutes. This can help with both recovery and staying energized after early morning workouts as your body isn’t working over time on empty or trying to play catch up.

5. Coffee, please.

Many moms shared they loved to drink copious amounts of coffee to keep their energy up after early morning runs. Some drink it before running, after running, and around 3 p.m. when that afternoon slump hits. Personally, I have found drinking coffee before a run and after helps get me energized for the run and keeps that energy up after when it’s time to get into the day with my kids.

6. Get outside.

Several mother runners say getting outside in the sunshine energizes them which makes total biological sense. Sunshine helps set your circadian rhythm and produce serotonin which is key for mood regulation and well-being. It also suppresses the hormone melatonin which makes you sleepy. If you’re with your kids, get out with them. If you are at work, aim to do a 10-15 minute walk,  particularly around the time where the urge to doze is strong.

7. Don’t stop moving.

“If you stop moving, you’re dead.” That’s what one mom wrote me about staying energized after early morning workouts. And it’s so true. How many times have you been go go go—but the moment you sit down, those eyes start to close and you’re done for. Keeping busy helps you stay energized. And if you’re doing this, than also do whatever you can to get to bed early so you can get the recovery your body needs.

8. Power nap.

If you have the space to take a 15-30 minute power nap, or even rest, go for it. This can help rejuvenate you so you can get going the rest of the day. Now, for some people, this may make them more tired or mess up their sleep at night (this is definitely if that power nap turns into a full-on hour-plus nap), so stay vigilant on how it makes you feel.

9. Get to bed early.

If you are waking up early every morning, or any morning, it is paramount that you get to bed early (and shift the kids’ bedtimes early if necessary). Count backwards and add a 30 minute buffer to ensure that you are getting at least 7 hours. Personally, I need 7 hours and 20 minutes to feel good (more if I had a tough workout that day)! Sleep deprivation is dangerous and is robbing your body of what it needs to recover.

I truly believe had I take these steps to control what I could control when training so intensely in 2019, I would have felt better—and maybe even side-stepped injury. It’s not rocket science—sleep, eat, get some sunshine—but for moms who can so easily pour from an empty cup, these are game-changers.

I hope these tips help you survive those early morning wake-ups! What tips do you have to add?