No, You Don't Have To Be An Early Bird To Be A Runner

Etiquette expert Lizzie Post, great-great-granddaughter of Emily Post, knows a thing or two about the rules of the road—and the descendant of the famous decorum diva is a runner too! 

Q: My training group meets at 7 a.m. on Sundays. I don’t understand why runners always want to head out so early. Is it okay to see if they can push the time back? I don’t want to seem lazy, but it’s the weekend!

It’s absolutely fine for you to ask your crew if an alternate time would work. Proposing ideas should always be welcome in any recreational group. Whether or not the others will take the suggestion is a different story—but it’s not rude or inappropriate to voice your thoughts.

You may discover that other members were hoping for a later start time as well. Or it may turn out that this group really loves those early a.m. runs. Either way, feel confident when expressing your ideas. If the group doesn’t choose later start times, you can always join or start another group.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to live life on your schedule when it comes to your free time.

Have a question for Lizzie? Email editorial@womensrunning.com or tweet @womensrunning with the hashtag #ProperForm.