Morning Training Motivation

Do you have any groups you could train with - group ride/group run/Masters class?  That helps me with accountability.

If you don't get a bunch of responses here, try to the Search feature.  There are plenty of threads discussing this.  One really good one is have all your stuff laid out ready to go before you go to bed.

move your alarm clock across the room, so you have to get out of bed to turn it off

orrrr

drink a big glass of water right before bed, then when you have to pee, you just stay up and get to training

I'm also a night owl by nature, but have learned over the last couple years that I do better when I get my training done before work.  I'm also setting the alarm for 4:45am 5x/week and 5:45am on Saturdays.  I've been using Sunday as an excuse to sleep in lately, so this helps me "catch up" a bit.

I have had a lot of success with the accountability of a group atmosphere.  3x/week is masters at the pool and 2x/week is a group cycling class.  We've all joked that the only thing keeping us coming back to the cycling class is the fact that we watch one episode per day of Homeland (which, by the way, is EXCELLENT trainer material!).  Find a "hook", something that you'll look forward to and will be mad if you miss and it's a lot easier to just force yourself out of bed at that ungodly hour.

Going to bed earlier has helped too.  I'm trying to be in my bed trying to fall asleep by 9:45 at the latest.  I know that's easier for those of us who are kid-less, but just a thought.

This year, I made the same commitment.  Not to myself, but for my family.  No workouts will interfere with home life.  As soon as I looked at it that way, it just seemed to click.  I know what workout needs to be done that day and set the alarm accordingly.  So some days I get up at 5 and some days 5:30.  I have a treadmill and trainer in basement so travel time is only needed for 1 swim day. 

I give myself exactly 15 minutes of buffer time. When alarm goes off,  I have a routine to check my resting heart rate, hit the bathroom and scale, to make sure I hydrate properly for each workout. 

I prepare lunches and snacks for the day right before bed, set out water bottle and clothes. I try to be in bed by 9:30 latest.  If I can't work out at lunch, and I was up later the night before, i will schedule a 25min nap at lunch in car.  Anymore than that it makes me more tired. 

They say that only 21 days to make it a habit. 

Hope it helps.  You can do it!!!

Do it for them!!

thanks for the responses...I have thought about the alarm clock on the other side of the room...might try that.  I did laugh at the "drink a big glass of water before bed...", only because that is genious.  This morning was really bad...I set my bike up on the trainer, had a training DVD in the player, water bottle alreldy filled and bike shorts laid out all before i went to bed...just really did not fell like getting out of bed...talked myself out of it.

There are local groups that I can join with but unfortunately they are a little later in the morning that I can do.  I have to be at work by 7:30am and it takes me 25 minutes to get to work.  I have to be showered, clothed, and out the door by 7:00am and most the groups I could join usually start at 6:00am.

My wife has offered to help, she said when the alarm goes off she is more than willing to put her feet in the middle of my back and shove me out of bed...haha.  If worse comes to worse she may get her wish but I am using that as a last resort

I don't have a problem getting up in the morning, but my wife does.  When she started babysitting in the early AM we ended up getting an alarm clock that is used for the hearing impaired.  It has a "shaker" that vibrates like crazy.  It also has an extra loud alarm you can use if you don't mind the rest of the house waking up.   The one we picked up is made by Sonic Alert, but I'm sure there are plenty of companies out there with similar products.

I was also going to suggest laying everything out the night before, but it sounds like you're already doing that.  Maybe sleep in your workout clothes.  One less thing you have to do that you might talk yourself out of in the morning.

BAD Slowbuthappy!!! Bad!!!

I agree that it's hard when it's dark this time of year when you get up and I agree with the goosedog about accountability x 100.  If you have someone to give you carp for missing the workout, you'll get up.  If not, you're relying on your own mental toughness.

Me, I use a song I hate on my cell phone alarm and put it on the other end of the room.  If I have to get out of bed to get it, I'll be more likely to stay up and get moving.  This morning it was Chubawumba...

You will sleep plenty when you're dead... Get up!!! Get moving!!! Report back that you did tomorrow morning or I'll find you and make fun of you...

(now I guess I need to update my logs to show my workouts so I don't seem like a total db)

I never liked morning workouts in the past but with a job change my lunch time workouts ended so I had no choice.

It comes down to how badly you want to get the workouts in...If sleeping in is more important than that day's workout you'll probably continue to have challenges..

Convince yourself you want the workout more than sleep and you'll figure out a way..Sleep is critical though so you'll need to try and get to bed earlier than 9:30 or 10:00pm.  Some nights I will shut the light off at 8:00pm and it feels awesome.  That may not be possible with young kids but mine are older now. 

I once read that sleep should be treated and logged like a workout and I believe it to be true..

Good luck.

I understand the thought, but sleep is rather important. I'm able to get up more easily when I can fall asleep sooner and sleep better. It's also a vital part of recovery.

This is very creative

True, yeah, I go to sleep pretty early myself (8:45 some nights, 9:30 some nights).

I guess one other way to motivate youself is to realize that you burn 100% more calories working out when you don't want to you do when you go back to sleep. 

So, OP, did you stay up and get the workout done?  I see that it was a struggle not to go back to the bed.  Did you win or did the Rack Monster win?

If you're trying to get up before sunrise, this might help.  Or if you don't need the ease-in, get a plug timer from your local hardware store and set up a light to come on (across the room) at the time you need to get up.

If you go with the wake-up light, just make sure anyone sharing a bed with you doesn't have a blaring alarm set to go off 10 minutes before the light even starts to fade in.

I'm generally a morning person and usually am up early, even on weekends or when I'm not working out.  Even so, it still takes a making a commitment until getting up becomes a habit.

I enjoy the quiet and solitude of running in the morning and watching the sunrise.  It's also much cooler than running in the afternoons here in FL.

I'm generally in bed no later than 10PM.  I'll set the alarm on my sports watch for 5AM, but usually wake up on my own.

I lay out my shorts and shirt by the bed, but put my shoes and any other gear in the study at the other end of the house so I don't disturb my wife (who most definitely is not a morning person).

I like to take 30-60 minutes to wake up with a cup of coffee, scan the newspaper, check my overnight email (& BT) and just move around a bit before heading off for my run or to the gym.

Mark

The rack monster won but only for a little while...I think it did not help that i actually did not have a workout planned for this morning...the true test is going to be monday morning when I am scheduled to get up and go swim before work, then have a 5 mile run at lunch...This weekend is going to be easy because my daughter has a cheerleading competition out of town on Saturday so we have to be on the road by 6am...if I HAVE to be somewhere it is easy to get up, usually I am up before the alarm goes off.

This used to not be that hard....