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Early morning training?

Tino4444Tino4444 Posts: 281
edited August 2009 in Training, fitness and health
Hi all,

I feel I need to put more hours in both running and on my bike but due to family (two young kids and wife) and work commitments I cannot really afford to be out most evenings after work cycling and running.

I suppose I am more of a weekend warrior at the moment. I am toying with the idea of getting my censored out of bed at say 5am and getting some early morning training in before work.....

How many of you do early morning training, and how do you find the inner strength to drag your self out of bed? How long do you spend training before work?

Cheers,

Tino
Speciallized Allez 09...great bike shame about the wheels!!

Posts

  • xraymtbxraymtb Posts: 121
    Could you commute to work?

    My normal commute is 7.5 miles on the flat but I can change my route to take in steep hills, long climbs and as many miles as I want, and get in my training that way. I also get a 7.5 mile ride home.
    exercise.png
  • DaSyDaSy Posts: 599
    I do 1.5 to 2 hours before work on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I'm on the road by 06:00, out of bed by 05:00. You don't need to eat before you ride, so just an espreso and I'm fit to go.

    My motivation is that I want to maintain and increase my fitness, and having a full time job and a wife who demands my time, this is the only way I can guarantee proper training time in the week.
    Complicating matters since 1965
  • stevenmhstevenmh Posts: 180
    I am a morning person and wake around 5 (normally) for a 5:30 / 6am start. At the beginning you will find it hard until you begin to fall into a rhythm and get used to it. Once you start you will quickly start to see there are many benefits to waking early. The air tends to be cleaner, fresher and less polluted. It is much quieter and you get to see the sun rise (depending where you live).

    I also find exercise in the morning gives you a great kick start to the day, and gets rid of any cobwebs, which helps you to think more clearly. It also gives me a better shave - must have to do with so much sweating, as my shaves are always the cleanest and best after hard exercise.

    One tip is to be forceful about your wake up time. If you decide to wake at 5am then do it, do not be tempted to wake in say "another 5 minutes". Good luck.
  • Tino4444Tino4444 Posts: 281
    Hi,

    Thanks for your replies. I can commute to work some days but I also need my car to travell up and down the country as well and there is no pattern to my site visits etc.

    I am thinking about early starts before work so that I can get into a pattern with my training by training on set days per week. I am thinking Tuesday run, Thursday cycle, Friday run and then a long(ish) cycle and run session sunday morning.

    I am going to get to it tomorrow morning with 4/5 mile run which should take me about half an hour, and as per your advice no snoozing.

    Thanks all,

    I will let you know how I get on.

    Tino
    Speciallized Allez 09...great bike shame about the wheels!!
  • smithy1.0smithy1.0 Posts: 439
    I've started getting up early twice a week for an early morning run, in addition to my usual after work cycling training. As said, it is nice to see the sun rise, and you have the roads etc to yourself as it tends to be quiet. Also definately kick starts your day, I feel energised for whole day after running in the morning.
    XC/RR'ing + Training Blog
  • nolfnolf Posts: 1,287
    I think to do it succesfully you have to be really really organised.

    I was lucky that I had showers at work, on Monday I could get a bus and dump a pile of clothes at work for almost a weeks worth, then get up 6:30, eat loads and leave by 7. 1hr 30 mins before getting to work, quick shower and snack then at the desk by 9.

    Did get a terrible mid afternoon low though. I much prefer riding after work but in winter...
    "I hold it true, what'er befall;
    I feel it, when I sorrow most;
    'Tis better to have loved and lost;
    Than never to have loved at all."

    Alfred Tennyson
  • Tino4444Tino4444 Posts: 281
    Hi All,

    This morning at 5:30am alarm went off.......and I got straight out of bed, began to walk around the bedroom in a daze thinking what am I doing and was in two minds whether or not to get back in bed!!

    Anyway I didnt get back in bed, instead I got changed into my cycling gear, had a bananna and a quick coffee and was out on the road by 6am!! As in the posts above the air felt really fresh and the roads were nice and quiet which was great!!

    Spent just 30 mins on the bike this morning and rode a steady 7/8 miles.

    Tomorrow (depending on tropical storm thats forecast) I am planning a 4/5 mile run before work, I think I could get use to this!! :shock:

    Tino
    Speciallized Allez 09...great bike shame about the wheels!!
  • stevenmhstevenmh Posts: 180
    Well done Tino, glad it went well. It only gets better from here!! :lol: It is tough at the beginning but as your body adjusts you will be fine. Good luck.
  • DaSyDaSy Posts: 599
    Good work Tino, it's the best part of the day.

    I'm lucky I work only 15 minutes from home, so can get a 30 to 40 mile ride in, be back home for 08:00, eat, shower and change, and still be early for work.

    It gets easier, as it ends up as just routine. I hate the winter though, when the mornings are too dark to ride. Turbo or rollers are much harder to get motivated for at that time in the morning, but the combination of dark and half asleep drivers makes me very reluctant to hit the streets of a winters morning.
    Complicating matters since 1965
  • Tino4444Tino4444 Posts: 281
    DaSy wrote:
    Good work Tino, it's the best part of the day.

    I'm lucky I work only 15 minutes from home, so can get a 30 to 40 mile ride in, be back home for 08:00, eat, shower and change, and still be early for work.

    It gets easier, as it ends up as just routine. I hate the winter though, when the mornings are too dark to ride. Turbo or rollers are much harder to get motivated for at that time in the morning, but the combination of dark and half asleep drivers makes me very reluctant to hit the streets of a winters morning.

    Yes I know what you mean, I am planning on purchasing a turbo trainer later this year for when the dark mornings start for the safety reasons that you mention above. The running should not be too much of a problem though unless its really iced up on the paths.

    Tino
    Speciallized Allez 09...great bike shame about the wheels!!
  • andy162andy162 Posts: 634
    Hi

    I have a 22mile commute to work most mornings. I leave at 6.30ish & find it takes me till nearly the 10 mile mark before I get properly going. I usually don't eat prior to setting off just start on the energy drink as soon as I set off. Allsports winter training formula is great fo the job.

    I find hard to be motivated for proper training this early, I just ride to work as quickly as possible...somedays I can get going & fly, others I'm fed up from the start & drag the pedals round all the way there.

    Regardless of how I feel when I'm on the ride, I feel better for doing it.

    Andy.
  • nmcgannnmcgann Posts: 1,780
    I do pre-breakfast turbo sessions @ 6am from time to time when I need to get more hours in (Jan/Feb/Mar usually). Usually 40-45mins of tempo plus 5 mins warmup/cooldown.

    Neil
    --
    "Because the cycling is pain. The cycling is soul crushing pain."
  • MettanMettan Posts: 2,103
    I've been out at 3:45 - 4:00 some mornings this summer for a quick 25 miler - others, at 4:30-4:45 ish - awesome riding at this time as there's no traffic - well, a few taxis, that's about it. Slightly darker mornings now, so the rides are starting later. For traffic free riding, you can't beat very early mornings.
  • Takis61Takis61 Posts: 239
    Wow, really can't see me doing 3:45 a.m. starts !
    I haven't really gone for it midweek as I travel all over the pace, and the roads down on the South Coast are murderous even at 6 a.m.
    But Sunday is my early morning ride - in winter usually aim to leave the house around 7 a.m. so it starts getting light not long into the ride (also a little warmer, hopefully).
    In the summer I have been pulling the start time back earlier & earlier as I have increased the rides from 20/25 miles up to 40, then 50/60+
    Aim to leave the house around 6 or after, back by 9:30/9:45 to give me the rest of the day for family etc. - usually pass the local club just getting ready to go out, which is another reason I haven't joined - I am away from home every week for either 1 to 3 or 4 nights, so need the weekends really.
    My knees hurt !
  • leehellcatleehellcat Posts: 37
    I love the early mornings. I get up about 5-5:30, and hit the road about 15 minutes later. I try to put in about 40 - 45 miles, getting to the office between 07:30 and 8:00, depending on hills, traffic etc. It is quite cool at the minute, as it is dark in the mornings until about 05:45ish, so I get to see the sun rising above whichever town/city I am heading towards at that time.
    Once at work I have a shower and cook up some porridge and toast, and sit down and have 15 minutes to myself before starting work at 08:30.
    I try that twice a week, 3 times if I don't need to have my car with me and I feel so much more energetic and up for the day when I have cycled, its actually quite scary.
    The evenings, I try to hang out for 25-30 miles, but it depends on what else I have on, twice a week I have to head home the shortest route (17 miles) as I go swimming with my wife, so I try to only cycle on one of those days if I can help it.
    I found the key was being organised, having everything by the door ready to go, so I didn't have to search for anything first thing in the morning.
  • gazza_d1gazza_d1 Posts: 53
    I've started going out between 6 and 7am on weekends - really cool. Soo much better than trying to squeeze in an hour between helping with the housework, shoppping, dog walking playing taxi driver etc...

    The rest of the house, including the dog, don't normally surface until 10ish on a weekend, so for me it was just dead time, watching tv from the PVR.

    Midweek is not much of a goer, as I leave for work at about 7am. I have been toying with the idea of shipping a bike to work for lunchtime rides of about an hour. Evenings are just a no-no, although I'l be back on the turbo shortly....
  • DaSyDaSy Posts: 599
    After me saying I didn't fancy 06:00hrs starts on the turbo through the winter, I was up for a ride yesterday, and the rain and mist made me decide to do a pre-breakfast 2x20 turbo session.
    That was hard work, I kept to my wattage okay, but mentally much tougher to keep it up.
    Still, I proved I can do early morning turbo sessions, so the winter can do it's worst, I'm ready....
    Complicating matters since 1965
  • nmcgannnmcgann Posts: 1,780
    DaSy wrote:
    After me saying I didn't fancy 06:00hrs starts on the turbo through the winter, I was up for a ride yesterday, and the rain and mist made me decide to do a pre-breakfast 2x20 turbo session.
    That was hard work, I kept to my wattage okay, but mentally much tougher to keep it up.
    Still, I proved I can do early morning turbo sessions, so the winter can do it's worst, I'm ready....

    That is hard work pre-breakfast. I'm OK with tempo wattages, but anything more intense would be very grim for me :?

    Neil
    --
    "Because the cycling is pain. The cycling is soul crushing pain."
  • BhimaBhima Posts: 2,145
    Been trying the early morning thing. Don't like it one bit. :(

    Any time before 11am, it's freezing. In the evenings, even if it's pouring it down, it's still warm, so going out in the mornings totally defeats the point of enjoying "summer" for me. I'm sure you've all gone outside before 11 in blazing sunshine, in shorts and everything, only to find it's about 5 degrees. Terrible.

    In fact, me and a couple of guys were chain-ganging it back from a TT the other night at a ridiculously late time and it was still quite warm.
  • EscargotEscargot Posts: 361
    gazza_d1 wrote:
    I've started going out between 6 and 7am on weekends - really cool. Soo much better than trying to squeeze in an hour between helping with the housework, shoppping, dog walking playing taxi driver etc...

    The rest of the house, including the dog, don't normally surface until 10ish on a weekend, so for me it was just dead time, watching tv from the PVR.

    Midweek is not much of a goer, as I leave for work at about 7am. I have been toying with the idea of shipping a bike to work for lunchtime rides of about an hour. Evenings are just a no-no, although I'l be back on the turbo shortly....

    +1 for the early morning ride

    7:00am is about right for me and I can get back, bathe and chill out for the rest of the day. I'm not averse to the heat but going out at midday (like I see most guys round here doing) is too much for me if it's blazing hot (ok we're in the UK :lol: )

    Don't really worry about the cold. IMHO it's like playing footie in the winter. It's cold for a bit but once warmed up no probs. Plus it's great not to have loads of cars on the roads
  • freehubfreehub Posts: 4,257
    I'd like to do early morning training, especially before college but when I wake up I just feel like censored and don't have energy to be able to push the bike. I struggle on my 3 mile commute to college even though I am going really slow :?
  • SlimbodsSlimbods Posts: 321
    Freehub: go to bed earlier?


    I do 7am too, it's the only way to get out of the house before the wife gives me something to do!

    Can't beat the smug feeling of getting back after an 85 miler to find the family still in their pajamas.
  • freehubfreehub Posts: 4,257
    9pm is too early for me, try to go to sleep then, just won't work.
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