Running in the morning is simple right? Sure maybe for some:Set your alarm, wake up, get dressed (the most important part) and run. 

For others, there is both a mental and physical battle to contend with. 

Read on to learn more about ASICS FrontRunner Harry Corfield's experiment with morning running:

Since I started running I knew running straight out of bed wasn’t for me. Now, I get some people can do it without any effort at all. That is no me. It wasn’t because I physically couldn’t, it was just the morning mental battle before work.

TYPE OF RUNNING 
I'm talking about the kind where you wake up and throw your running gear on and go get it, there’s no time for coffee or breakfast here, you could almost call it a fasted workout; well not almost… it is let's not beat around the bush here. Before we go any further it's worth checking in on yourself to make sure you should be doing a fasted workout, our bodies all work differently so it's always key to be mindful so you're not overdoing it and destroying yourself. For me this was just a temporary “thing” and whilst experimenting with it, I learnt a few things.

ONE MONTH EXPERIMENT
My experiment lasted one month. I wasn’t setting my alarm for 4am, whether I woke at 4am or 6am it’d be the same battle, yet waking at 6am allowed me to get my 8hrs of sleep and also left plenty of time in the mornings to get ready for work and, most importantly, to have some chill time over a huge bowl of porridge and brew some mighty fine coffee. Remember the important thing here is simply waking and running. 

PHYSICAL BENEFITS 

Even in the first two weeks of fasted runs I could feel and see the benefits of training in this way. Whilst the science is there to support fasted training, what people tend to overlook in the science is that it's only sustainable for short periods. I don’t want to state the obvious but your body needs fuel, not only to survive but also to improve your performance and strength.

This is where I tell you where I went wrong. I thought I could fit fasted training in with what I was already doing. I was already in the process of ramping up my mileage for marathon training and also training pretty much every day in the gym, not forgetting having quite a labour-intensive job Monday to Friday.

I somehow thought squeezing a gentle morning run in would just work, after all, I was already up so I may as well stick a run in before my morning coffee, Right? Up until the end of the third week of doing so, everything felt completely fine. I was reaping all the benefits. Then the Monday after a mammoth Twenty-mile long run my right shins said nope, all hail shin splints… Tuesday, try again a little slower, nope... My body finally gave in to overtraining. At first, I was hard on myself as I've been in this overtraining position more. The positive is that I listened right away and have stopped running completely for the time being and taking a good solid 3 weeks off from running.

Also, was I properly fuelled?  I thought an extra protein shake and a few extra pieces of fruit would cut it. That's not enough and into the third week, I could tell from previous experiences of this that my body was screaming for fuel. Which again is probably another factor that caused my shin splints, the body didn't have enough nutrients throughout the day to do the vital repairs its needs for your muscles and bones.

Whilst running early or training fasted, whatever you want to call it. You have to be mindful of what you are already doing, whether it be work or training-wise. This is where I went wrong. It's fine to run every day yet don't forget, just because a run is slower doesn't mean its rest. Keep the balance between what your Head wants in line with what your body needs. 

For me personally, morning running doesn't sit with me. I much prefer a run that I'm fuelled for; or more so a morning gym session. if I was to run in the morning again quite simply to chase that amazing winning feeling you get all day, I'd simply miss the evening run and savour that energy for the morning run.

*This article originally appeared on the ASICS FrontRunner blog.