For some, 4 a.m. is prime sleeping time. For Claire Holt, it's the perfect hour to break a sweat.
In the past five months, the Pretty Little Liars star has risen before dawn to ensure she could run in the neighborhood before her two kids James, 3, and Elle, 2, wake up to start their day.
And while Claire has been tempted to just stay in bed on some days, there's no stopping this 34-year-old from completing her mission to finish the TCS New York City Marathon on Nov. 6.
"I like to have a goal," Claire told E! News in an exclusive interview before race day. "I'd always wanted to run a marathon, but I've never had the guts to do it."
Now, you can just call Claire a complete stud.
After waking up before dawn, the actress has developed a routine that includes early morning runs in safe neighborhoods, a meal plan filled with carbs and maybe even some dessert before the sun goes down.
"I think I eat seven times as much," Claire joked when sharing her pre-marathon diet. "I think I go through at least two bagels a day, maybe three. It's all carb heavy because you have to have the energy to run. I'm eating the sugar, eating the bagels, eating every cake that comes across my plate and it's really helped."
That's not to say it's been an easy ride to the starting line. Claire's training cycle began in the summer with a sleep regression for her son. The actress later had to spend two weeks moving on a treadmill, including an 18-mile run she described as "horrendous." And just 10 days before race day, Claire experienced a minor cold.
But through every sore muscle or speed bump on her road to race day, Claire has envisioned the moment she can meet her husband Andrew Joblon and their kids at the finish line.
"I just want them to know that you can do anything no matter how hard it is if you put your mind to it," Claire said. "I want them to know that their mom said she was going to do something and she did it. It takes guts and it takes discipline, but anything is possible."
Another huge motivating factor for Claire is her promise to raise awareness for a deserving cause.
While she's already had respect for healthcare workers, including her cardiologist father, Claire was left in awe of the work Boston Children's Hospital does after close family friends had their son diagnosed with a rare heart condition. Now, she's hoping to raise $125,000 to provide lifesaving care to patients in need.
"He had five open heart surgeries and the care that he received there was like nothing else anywhere in the world," she said. "It's just an incredible place that is so dedicated to helping these children. There's no better place to raise money for and if those kids can fight for their lives in the hospital, I can run a few more steps."
Although Claire joked that her next race will likely be a 5K, she urges followers to take that first step in their own personal fitness journey. What comes next will leave you inspired to do even more.
"When the alarm goes off, you put your feet on the floor right away and you just don't give yourself a choice," she said. "It becomes a habit and you start to crave it and you start to enjoy it. You can't think about how much there is to do or how far away it seems. You just look at the next step, the next breath, the next day."