I suppose I’m lucky- For the most part, I’m a
morning person. My alarm goes off, I have a bummed out moment or two when I
wish I could continue cuddling with my pillow pet, and then I get up and start
my day. I’m not a crazy peppy morning person or anything, but I’m also not
super cranky.
As a general rule, I always prefer working out in
the morning. People who live for their 9 p.m. gym sessions baffle me a little,
but to each their own. It’s a total personal preference, but for me, starting
off the day with a healthy dose of endorphins helps me feel more energized and
keeps me from thinking about or dreading an end of the day workout when all I
want to do is cook dinner and crawl into bed.
While training for the marathon, I often got my runs
done before work- setting alarms for ungodly hours like 4:45 a.m. I’ve never regretted a sweaty morning. Plus, it makes breakfast that much better (even though breakfast is already the best meal of
the day, obviously).
So what’s the point of this post? Basically, to tell
you that I’m awesome and motivated and have no prob waking up for exercise
while the rest of you sleep, suckers.
HA just kidding.
I’ve been seriously struggling since the marathon to
get my booty up and out. At first I told myself I deserved the rest- but now I
continually find myself hitting snooze and eventually saying, “Eh, I’ll do it
later.” This is very unlike me and I
have a few guesses as to why it’s happening.
1) My
body actually does need some rest after training for and running a marathon.
(Someone needs to shut me up!)
2) The
seasons are changing and its dark outside in the mornings. I don’t like the
dark. And I really don’t like the
cold. But seriously- it’s harder to get up when it’s dark and your body still
thinks it should be enjoying your bed.
(Changing seasons = pretty runs but chilly weather, which I do not like!)
3) Not
having a schedule or goals now that the marathon is over is proving difficult
to handle. I was so determined to run my first marathon that when I set an
alarm for 5:00 a.m. to run 8 miles, it wasn’t really a choice. It was just a
fact. I was getting up and doing it because that was how I was going to reach
my goal. Also, Tiffanie was usually out there waiting fr me.
4) I’m
trying to take a step back. Yes, exercise makes me happy. Yes my health is a
priority. But I’m trying to embrace a new attitude for winter. Where I indulge
in life a little more than I have been for the past year. I’m trying to
convince myself that abs are overrated. And froyo is most definitely not. It’s
like the sign I just saw outside of DTUT- “Bikini season is over. Get whipped
cream.” So bring on the winter layer of warmth. Maybe 4 days of exercise a week
instead of 7 won’t kill me. We’ll see.
(This is what $10 of froyo looks like. I have serious self-control problems at the toppings bar...)
That being said- I am still trying to find some tips and tricks for getting back to my normal morning workout self!
I’ve found a few things that work for me.
1) It
may seem silly, but label your alarm so that when you go to turn it off (or hit
snooze) in the morning, you have a motivational message staring you in the face! Along the same
lines- screw alarms that are peaceful waterfalls or mellow piano music. Is that
really going to make you want to lace up your sneakers for a spin class? Where’s
your Stronger Better Faster?
2) Accountability in the form of friends. When Tiffanie and I planned to meet on our street corner for a run- I knew I could count on her to be there and she knew she could count on me. For some reason- we usually treat the people we care about better than we treat ourselves. I’m far more likely to let myself down by staying in bed that to let a friend down. Fitness friends are super dependable! Jessica had told me she would bring “Gone Girl” to the next November Project workout for me, but when I woke up Wednesday morning to lots of rain- I figured I would have to wait a few more days. Wrong. True to her word, Jessica showed up with “Gone Girl” – wrapped in 3 plastic bags. #Weatherproof!
2) Accountability in the form of friends. When Tiffanie and I planned to meet on our street corner for a run- I knew I could count on her to be there and she knew she could count on me. For some reason- we usually treat the people we care about better than we treat ourselves. I’m far more likely to let myself down by staying in bed that to let a friend down. Fitness friends are super dependable! Jessica had told me she would bring “Gone Girl” to the next November Project workout for me, but when I woke up Wednesday morning to lots of rain- I figured I would have to wait a few more days. Wrong. True to her word, Jessica showed up with “Gone Girl” – wrapped in 3 plastic bags. #Weatherproof!
Similarly- I had NOT wanted to go out in the rain for that workout. I am a hugeee baby when it comes to rain. And cold rain? Whyy? But I had baked cookies and posted on Facebook that I would bring them. I couldn’t be THAT person that didn’t show up with the cookies promised oh so publicly on social media! And so, I went. So Tip #3 is: Bake the night before your workout. Ok, not really- but find some way to hold yourself accountable – even if it means doing it for other people instead of yourself.
(Oh yeah, cookies yeah!)
3) Sleep in your workout clothes! Really, this makes so much sense. They’re comfy and this way you have one less excuse in the morning. Again, I hate the cold, so the thought of taking my PJs off to change into workout clothes can make me mentally shiver. But if I’m already dressed – no problem! Roll outta bed and go!
4) Along
the same lines, be prepared. You don’t want to feel overwhelmed by the thought
of packing things first thing in the morning. If I plan on going to the gym
before work- I have my work outfit, makeup, toiletries, gym lock, etc. all
packed and ready to go. All I have to do in the morning is get out of bed, put
my sneakers on, brush my teeth, grab my bag and head out the door!
5) This
one’s very specific to me- but maybe it can help someone else out there!
Typically, I sleep on top of a loft. When I anticipate a difficult wake up, I’ll
sleep on the futon down below- just another way of eliminating an extra excuse
to stay in bed in the a.m. My loft ladder is no joke people! It takes a lot of
energy getting down from there…
I’m sure there are some other things I could come up
with, like drink a lot of water before bed so you have to go the bathroom early
in the morning anyway? One that I know would work but I never actually do is
don’t bring your cell phone to bed! Set your alarm and put it across the room
so you have to get up and turn it off.
Does anyone else have any tips?
At the end of the day – know your body. Some days,
you can tell you’re just being a boob and you need to suck it up and get the
hell out from under the covers (no matter how damn comfy they are). But other
days, at least for me, I can tell that I legitimately could benefit from the
extra z’s. If my schedule allows for a later in the day workout, every once in a
while it’s OK to hit the pillow for a little extra rest. As long as you haven’t
dropped a #verbal and as long as no one’s waiting for you (or your baked
goods)!
