Heading out the door to run while the sun is just beginning to peak over the horizon can be the best 鈥� or sometimes, the only 鈥� time for many runners to pound out a training run. However, balancing proper fueling with getting out the door for a morning run in a timely fashion can be a constant struggle.

Finding the early morning fueling strategy that works best for you can be like discovering a diamond in the rough, and Claire Shorenstein, a running coach and New York University clinical nutrition student, said this is because nutrition needs are different for each and every athlete.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a very personal thing,鈥� Shorenstein said of morning nutrition. A muffin might be a great mix of simple carbs for some runners but can wreak GI havoc for others. Practicing your nutrition and experimenting with different options is the best way to perfect your morning fueling routine. You are likely to have several workouts hampered by GI problems, but practice makes perfect, even if there are some unwelcome hiccups along the way.

When running in the morning first consider how far you plan to run, as your fuel needs will change depending on distance and intensity, said Eric Skelley, running coach and owner of Rock Hard Runner in Redondo Beach, Calif. For short, lower intensity runs the fueling strategy is pretty simple, he said.

鈥淭he rule of thumb is if you鈥檙e running up to an hour you don鈥檛 necessarily need anything,鈥� Skelley said.

Shorenstein agreed, adding she can run up to six miles without worrying about fueling in the morning. However, Skelley notes this is a rule of thumb that works for most runners, but not everyone, including himself.

鈥淢y friends don鈥檛 fuel up in the morning, but as soon as I am a half hour in I start to slow down and my heart rate [goes] up,鈥� Skelly explained. 鈥淚 have to have a gel or a half a banana to get me through the first 45 minutes or an hour.鈥�

If you have a longer morning run on the schedule or an intense speed workout, it’s important to take in a few hundred calories for fuel or you鈥檙e likely to feel tired, sluggish or nauseous during the workout. 鈥淵ou definitely want to eat something before a tough workout,鈥� Shorenstein said. However, choosing what kinds of food can provide you the right amount of energy without upsetting your stomach is key.

鈥淪tick to something easily digestible,鈥� Shorenstein said. 鈥淵ou want to shy away from high fiber foods, which take longer to digest.鈥�

Good options for effective, but easy-to-digest morning foods are toast with peanut butter and banana, oatmeal, or an energy bar. Regardless of which one you choose, select something that’s made up primarily of carbs and easily digestible.

Whole foods aren’t always an option, however, as some athletes with extremely sensitive stomachs will usually have to rely on gel or liquid calories to power them through a workout. 鈥淚 prefer to eat real food, but I need a full 2.5 hours to properly digest my food,鈥� Shorenstein said. 鈥淪o I rely on sports drinks, gel or juice.鈥�

Finding the right fuel for any runner is a trial and error process, and finding the right fuel first thing in the morning can be more error than trial. But once you find the right balance it will become just like your morning run itself: part of the daily routine.

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It鈥檚 the form of cross-training most runners ignore and turn their noses at. But it could also be the key to that personal best you haven鈥檛 been able to hit or the rehab your body needs to get over a nagging injury. Even so, most runners avoid water running like the plague. The thought of wet hair, swim caps, and skimpy swimsuits don鈥檛 exactly translate to fun for those used to sticking to dry land for a workout.

Dean Herbert, a Tempe, Ariz.-based running coach for more than 20 years, admits he was also skeptical about water running at first, but after relying on it several years ago to get through an injury he now says it is one of the best cross-training workouts for runners, injured or not. 鈥淎qua running is neuromuscular specific so it replicates running,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here is nothing better.鈥�

Water running can be an excellent substitute to running while rehabbing an injury since it replicates running, requiring the same muscles to fire without the harsh consequences of gravity. 鈥淲ater running is an ideal way to continue conditioning without the pounding,鈥� Herbert said.聽鈥淎s runners we have to accept that gravity is our enemy.鈥�

Herbert cautions that not all injuries require the same treatment, though, and water running is most beneficial for treating 鈥済ravity-oriented injuries such as shin splits, tendonitis and plantar fasciitis,鈥� he said. 鈥淲here you might have some issues is something like a hamstring injury. It can aggravate the injury.鈥�

Not just for injury prevention, water running can replace one or two weekly runs to maintain鈥攐r even gain鈥攔unning fitness while avoiding the risk of injury associated with high mileage.聽鈥淚t鈥檚 for those people who want to increase their training but not increase their chances for injury,鈥� Herbert explained.

There are two types of water running: shallow water running鈥攚here the runner is in waist-deep water, running across the bottom of the pool, and deep water running鈥攚here the runner is in deep enough water that his or her feet don鈥檛 touch the bottom of the pool. In deep water running, runners can replicate a running motion while staying in place or moving forward slowly. Both forms of water running work the body in a similar manner and require the same mechanics.

When water running, the body should remain as vertical in the water as possible, avoiding leaning forward at the chest, with the arms and legs pumping like pistons鈥攕imilar to the motion of running on land. Deepwater running can be completed with or without a floatation belt. Herbert recommends beginners use the belt until they feel comfortable in the water then move on to running without it, as it becomes increasingly more difficult to maintain proper form without the belt and it requires more effort.

Running coach Therese Iknoian of Grass Valley, Calif., also believes in the benefits of water running, but knows from experience the advantages of water running go beyond fitness and injury prevention鈥攊t also can be fun.

鈥淔or a few summers we’d meet at a friend’s who lived on a lake nearby, and we made it a social thing. We鈥檇 jump off the dock into the water for a easy workout or a second 鈥榬un鈥� of the day to cool off, puttering around the lake for an hour or so,鈥� the co-owner of聽聽said. “We’d laugh and talk, and it was really refreshing on a hot day鈥攚ith great scenery too.”

Water Running Interval Workout

5 minutes steady “running,” focusing on form to warm up the body.

20-minute intervals
鈥斅�1 minute high effort, 1 minute recovery (To increase intensity, reduce rest as you would on the track.

or

鈥� 1 minute on, 30 seconds off

or

鈥� 1.5 minutes on, 30 seconds off

or

鈥� 15 seconds at 8 on scale of 1 to 10
鈥� 15 seconds at 9
鈥斅�15 seconds at 10
鈥� 30 seconds recovery

5 minutes cool down

鈥� Gradually increase the interval 聽portion of the workout to 45 min or more. Perceived effort should be at least an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10 during the “hard” portion of the interval.

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