Morning Training Motivation (Page 2)

Just remember this:  "That other guy is getting up at 4:40 am to start his workouts.  That other guy is getting in longer swim sets, bike sets, more miles in those shoes...  That other guy isn't going to get beat unless you get your' butt out of bed and make an effort to do a little extra."

I always try and remember "that other guy" when I'm not feeling an early workout or for that matter any workout.  I don't want "that other guy" to beat me because he put in the effort and hours when all I did was think "oh I don't feel like getting up"

Just my .02c

I struggle with this too - I got into a routine (group workouts had helped) but then if it gets broken very hard - ie this week

last weekend I had a long weekend with my kids in florida - it was a big training weekend for me but no dark o clock workouts.

so back home, set the alarm for 5 (or sometimes earlier) and though I woke up could not get myself to go swim (and swam later)

I need to get back to my early mornings - just was not happening this week

we could all text each other......

Put a baseball bat by the bed.  When you get up, if the Rack Monster starts drawing you in, start wailing on your bed with the baseball bat. 

It'll get your heart rate up, it'll beat the rack monster, it'll make you laugh. 

Note, do not do this if you have a spouse/SO in the bed...

HAHA, that is pretty funny...I think my wife who is not a morning person would not find it that funny though waking up to a guy with a baseball bat swinging near her, might make sure the guns are locked up first, HAHA.  Although we do have a temerpedic matress so technically she should not be able to feel it...

They should put that in the commercial...

That fact IS that if you are not a morning person, you'll have difficulties with the morning schedule.

Answer me these:

1. are you full of energy in the morning (right when you wake up)?

2. are you pumped up to do workout session right away or you just think about morning breakfast, making coffee to wake you up and prepare for work?

3. Are you feeling really good during early morning workouts?

My all answers to these questions are YES without thinking. But I am a morning person. I even find it easier to workout at 3 A.M. rather than 10 P.M.YOUR SITUATION IS A PROCESS THAT HAVE AFFECT ON YOUR COMPLETE BIORHYTHM. I suggest you don't struggle with the solution too long if you find it ineffective. You'll just torture your body.

But if you CAN change it, it will feel great. Human body is the most effective in the morning, after a good night sleep...

So how many hours per night do you optimally need to feel rested? Maybe your just not getting enough sleep. I'd suggest going to sleep one hour earlier and see if that makes a difference. 

Then drink some OJ. The acidic nature of orange juice helps with waking up. 

Just knowing that you're not getting out of bed in the morning, although you say that's what you want makes me wonder if you're fully committed to the early morning workout. I tell my clients it's easy to tell if your committed or not. If you're committed you'll do whatever is necessary and if you're only interested then you'll only do what's convenient. 

Neither stance is wrong. Just be brutally honest with yourself about your level of commitment. 

If you find yourself questioning whether or not you want to train early, just make that determination when you are wide awake, not when you are warm and snug under the covers.  If you decide it is something you want to do, then just do it. Start moving your body before your brain turns on an figures out what you are up to. 

That said, 10 to 4:45 is not even 7 hours.  You may just need more sleep.

It's taken me a while to do it, but I am finally a morning runner.

For me, it means:

1. Going to bed early - in bed by 9, tv off and phone away by 9:30
2. Clothes laid out the night before, shoes untied, water bottle in fridge
3. Something good on the DVR (I'm only running right now, and I don't run in the dark, so I've been mill-ing it a lot lately)
4. Think about how good I'll feel for the rest of the day!

ETA: get everything ready the night before for work, so I have time to run without worrying about making lunches, getting a suit together, etc.

My morning wakes are at different times always depending on my workout for the morning. I also do a workout at lunch time. But nothing in the evenings during the week since that is family time.  On the weekends, I attempt to be done with my workouts by noon but lately that hasn't been happening. 

I guess it is a matter of desire if you want to get up and workout or not. I'm lucky somewhat in that I am more morning than a night person for working out. It seems that anytime I skipped a morning or lunch workout saying I would do it in the evening it never happened.

So place your alarm clock in the bathroom, get the coffee brewing and force yourself to get up.

tomorrow morning is the another test.  Training schedule shows me to get up and go swimming in the morning.  The pool is near my work so it is a 25 minutes away.  I am supposed to be out of the house by no later than 5:30am.  Swim bag is packed, coffee maker is programmed to go off at 5:00am, alarm clock will be placed in bathroom. 

We shall see...I am going to use this as my accountability....

I WON!!!  RACK MONSTER LOST!!!  Of course it is because I am a coffee slut..haha.  I will do just about anything for a good cup of coffee.  Knowing that there was a cup of coffee waiting for me in my kitchen I think really helped.

Also I can't remember who it was that mentioned about turning the light on in the bathroom when I turn my alarm off...that definitly helped. 

So day 1 down...lets see how tomorrow goes.

Everything you said applies to myself word by word. That being said, I have found it extremely difficult making it to the 2x per week 7:00am swim workouts for about three months (I just missed it this morning).

This is what I do.

I have two separate alarms.  One is a "training" alarm, one is regular.  The regular alarm has one of those gentle awakening sounds that comes on the iphone.  Use this for naps or mornings where I dont have a planned workout.

On days with early morning workouts planned, I set my "training" alarm.  The alarm is Eminem's "Till I Collapse".  I'm not a big fan, but I saw a tri youtube video one time with that song and it has since always gotten me kinda pumped.  I also have a screensaver come up with the alarm goes off with the quote "If it's important, you'll find a way; If it's not, you'll find an excuse".  Lastly, if that's not enough motivation, the night before I put my phone in the bathroom right by the shower.  I have to get out of bed to get it and I immediately turn on and jump in the shower.  After that I'm good to go!

Now that I type it out, seems kinda ridiculous, but it works!  Hope it helps.

you shower before you workout?  I got a time saving tip for you.