I just want to know how you guys get up so early in the morning (be at the pool at 5:30) to swim. Are there any tips you can give me? I'm interested in joining the Masters Swim program but the only thing is that it is so dang early in the morning. And let me tell you, I am NOT a morning person. Any way to get use to this, especially if I do decide to swim early, early in the morning? Plus, getting in the water makes me feel good, and even after I have done a workout. I have those days where I absolutely do not want to swim, (and I'm sure most of us have had that) but once I get in the water and swim, I'm fine. If you could please share some tips with me I would greatly appreciate it.
Former Member
If you should wake up, let's say, 20-30 minutes before your alarm is scheduled to go off, GET UP. You're awake and it isn't that hard. However, if you go back to sleep the alarm will go off when you are in a deep sleep (or at least it seems so to me), and it is then VERY HARD to get up. My alarm is set for 5:10, but for some reason I will usually wake up around 4:30 or 4:45, so I just get up and then I have more time to eat a little something, read some of the paper, and watch the weather on TV.
I find some good tips from those who have already responded. I think once you make this a routine, you will have much less of a problem (but there will be those days!!!). I know for me, that as soon as my feet hit the floor I am awake and ready to go. But if I put off getting my feet out of the covers and onto the floor, I can easily talk myself in to not doing it! You might intially promise yourself something good for after the workout (a latte, a nice breakfas out, or something else special to you). Eventually you will hopefully not need that promise as a motivator.
Nancy
I've noticed that *some* of my morning sluggishness is due to dehydration. So having a glass of water right away (along with a snack/breakfast soon after for the blood sugar) helps wake me up.
I also know that it is partly mental. If I tell myself that I *have* to get up (right away), it helps. If I decide I can hit the snooze bar once or twice, sometimes I never get out of bed. :D
I can't think of any easy method other than sheer will. The short term gain of staying warm in bed spooning with the wife (or dog) is a long term loss. You did mentioned the only thing that gets me going...I know how good I will feel after I swim...and how rotten I will feel if I don't.
The "devil" is always on my shoulder when that alarm clock goes off...ignore it.
well, workout not as many days in the morning. Workout on your own maybe a couple days a week if there is open swim. I decided to have open swim periods because I can't function gettring up very early on days when I work. So, I swim twice a week at nites. I swicthed the 600 a.m. workout on my days off to 10:00 am be ause now the weather is cooler, I lived the Desert. Many of the master swimmers that workout on teams do some swimming during open laps.
For what it's worth, I started early morning workouts at the Rose Bowl last March. There are a few things that kept/keep me going:
1. Planning on swimming in a competition that provides extra motivation to train;
2. Setting specific weight loss and racing goals that force me to keep with the program;
3. Making new friends on the team who will give me grief if I don't show up;
4. After getting into better shape, realizing that I feel better all day if I've gotten in my swim;
5. Getting to bed earlier at night so I still get 7-8 hours of sleep while getting up at 5 or a little after;
6. Getting up early every morning regardless of whether it is a workout day (sometimes I'll splurge and sleep to 6:30) so that I stay in the right habit.
For what it's worth,
carl botterud
7.
Always have EVERYTHING packed the night before, and lay out your go-to-workout clothes, too. I even put my suit on before I go to the pool - no getting out of it once the suit is on. Make getting out of the house completely brainless. I workout every day at 5:30am (3x/wk is at the pool on my own), and I put everything (computer bag, gym bag, keys, granola bar) right by the front door...I can't miss it. I vote for the roll out of bed and into the car method, and I've discovered that having a remote start on my new car does really help this effort!
LJS
