How do you get up and cycle in the morning?

[ViaPagliano]

I don't have the energy in the morning to get in a simple 15-20 mile ride before I have to get to work. I try to sleep early (10-11PM) and wake up around 5:45AM for a ride.

However...I just find my legs to feel weak and feel a general lack of energy. Today I literally got up, put on my clothes...sat back down...got undressed, and went back to bed for another hour.

I figure it must be what I eat, or what I don't eat.

FYI - last night, I had a relatively healthy dinner of brown rice, veggies and small portion of meat.


How do the rest of you do it?

 

[STODRR]

I don't have the energy in the morning to get in a simple 15-20 mile ride before I have to get to work. I try to sleep early (10-11PM) and wake up around 5:45AM for a ride.

However...I just find my legs to feel weak and feel a general lack of energy. Today I literally got up, put on my clothes...sat back down...got undressed, and went back to bed for another hour.

I figure it must be what I eat, or what I don't eat.

FYI - last night, I had a relatively healthy dinner of brown rice, veggies and small portion of meat.


How do the rest of you do it?

First I would say get more sleep. I get to bed around 8-8:30 get up at 0400 drink coffee and get on the bike at 5 ride for 1.5 normally during the week. Legs don't feel great when first get on. Takes about 20-25 minutes to start to feel really good.

Some days I hate doing it but I love it when I get off work and don't have to worry about getting a workout in.

 

[Boeing]

it is a hard road. Change your internal clock as mentioned get to sleep earlier and wake up earlier. It will take a few weeks for your morning growler to adjust to schedule which is important before a ride. Eating early gets me going


But cold, dark or overcast is difficult regardless

 

[mewmewmew13]

My secret is an espresso...or any caffeine....
And yes there is a 20 minute rule...you can't quit until you have gone that time..then you will be warmed up.

Oh yea, food too...feed the engine!

 

[Boeing]

for what it is worth I cant spin a high cadence in the morning until I m warm. the opposite of just about all my riding mates who spin out at a snails pace.

 

[mewmewmew13]

Also if it's cold put all your cozy warm cycling gear next to your bed so you can slip right into it...I can't wake up until I jump into a shower though

 

[Tapeworm]

I have a morning "Mojo" to get me going. Mojo = 400mls of milk, 2x tablespoon of Milo, 1x tablespoon of protein powder, 2x espresso. Shake, gulp, ride.

 

[AngusW]

It's the middle of winter here right now and doesn't get light until around 7am. My alarm goes at 5:00am, I get out of bed, get dressed, do whatever chores I need to do and go. I have good lights and I finally have the right clothes to keep warm. Admittedly, I have only 6km to commute to work which is good if it's pouring with rain.

I'd recommend getting up at 6:30am and combining your rider with a commute to work (if possible - it doesn't always work) and have breakfast at work. That way, you're killing two birds with one stone and you'll get a little bit more sleep which might help your energy levels. You also have an added incentive to ride - you have to go to work.

Personally, I've come to like biking in the early hours. There's less traffic, I get more work done starting at that time and I get to ride under the stars (when it's clear) or in moonlight or in summer, watch the sun rise. That's just me, though, and I wasn't always a morning person.

But it sounds like it's more of an energy problem than a motivational one.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

I have to get to bed as early as 8:30 or 9:00 for a 3:45 get up. But other than what others have already said here, I only got up that early to ride 3 out of 5 work days. I found if I did it every day of the week I would be too worn out. Two get ups back to back are okay, but no more than that. So my schedule for early get up rides is either M-W-F, or M-W-Th, or M-Tu-Th.

 

[Raul Ramaya]

I'm a morning person and it still took awhile to get in the rhythm of doing early (5am) rides. So first off expect to struggle for the first few times. Like the some other posters mentioned, I find it works well to space them out. Going back to back will burn you out quickly - especially if you have a family (I can usually stick to the plan in spite of night spent assuring my daughter there are no vampires in her closet... but two is impossible).

For fuel, I used to worry about that alot. Now I just stick to fig bars - varying the quantity by anticipated effort/time - and eat breakfast at work. I also combine the ride with the commute. Always makes me feel a bit like Superman as I enter my garage in full kit and leave with my beaten down commuter / t-shirt flapping in the wind

 

[Polyarmour]

You're going to bed too late.
Get into bed by 8.30.
Wake up naturally.
No alarm clocks.
Get a full night's sleep.

 

[Boeing]

If it's an early mountain bike ride I have to have the bike loaded on the rack and camelback full in car with shoes helmet etc. Shorts socks and jersey next to bed. coffee and a bagel and into the car. otherwise it is a real struggle to organize all that before dusk...

 

[Doofus]

I get to bed by 8:30-9:00

get up at 4AM

on the rollers by 4:15

you just do it and your body gets used to it after a couple of weeks

 

[Boeing]

getting up at 4 am to ride and getting up at 4 am to ride the rollers aint the same thing not even the same ball park.

one you need to grab a cup of Joe and a banana

the other you need a crack pipe

especially if all you leave is a 15 min window

 

[avanti]

First I would say get more sleep. ...................

That was my first thought after reading the first post.

 

[vorsprung]

I used to have a 15 mile each way commute. This is a commute, not a "training ride" but it did have opportunities for training if I felt like it. I did this ride every day, come snow, high wind etc etc out of the house at 7:30am

More recently I have been working from home. Getting out to fit in a ride is mentally difficult. I did manage it this morning. I ate museli at 6:15am and then got off on the bike at just after 7am

 

[LauraLyn]

I used to have a 15 mile each way commute. This is a commute, not a "training ride" but it did have opportunities for training if I felt like it. I did this ride every day, come snow, high wind etc etc out of the house at 7:30am

More recently I have been working from home. Getting out to fit in a ride is mentally difficult. I did manage it this morning. I ate museli at 6:15am and then got off on the bike at just after 7am

Same here. I find the museli really helps.

 

[LauraLyn]

Not so much for rollers

I get to bed by 8:30-9:00

get up at 4AM

on the rollers by 4:15

I prefer riding outdoors, even before the sun comes up.

 

[mherm79]

i make sure i have my bag and gear ready the night before. up at 6am, toilet, drink of water, get dressed and out the door. my commute is 25km which is ok on an empty stomach.
if i'm feeling hungry i'll eat a musli bar while changing.

if i'm planning a longer harder ride i'll have toast and take a bannana

 

[Doofus]

I prefer riding outdoors, even before the sun comes up.

I used to get out with a good stella light, but too many dogs, trucks, and too much road debris on a few descents to be comfortable in the dark around here, for me.

I'd rather have the controlled, higher kj, higher TSS two-hour roller session. But, everyone has their own preference....

 

[Lamont]

Hi VP,
To get energy in the morning take protein shake before morning cycling. Create your sleeping schedule and go to bed early to wake up early. I sleep before 9:00 pm and woke up 4:00 am for morning workouts.

 

[durianrider]

Hi VP,
To get energy in the morning take protein shake before morning cycling. Create your sleeping schedule and go to bed early to wake up early. I sleep before 9:00 pm and woke up 4:00 am for morning workouts.

Protein shake gives on energy to train? lol!

I wonder why all those guys in the gym on protein shakes are guzzling red bull and DMAA powders etc?

To the OP, going to bed at 10-11pm is fine if you are getting up at 10-11am.
Otherwise you need to get yo self in bed earlier and you will find you bounce out of bed for sure.

 

[Oldman]

Slowly and with some motivational TV.

 

[leftover pie]

How do the rest of you do it?

my tips:

-make it a habit, do it every day for a month without fail and it will become part of your morning routine

-get your bike/bottles/clothes ready the night before so it's an easier process to get ready in the morning

-if possible find someone to ride with, it's easier to get up and go if you have someone to go with (harder to cancel on a ride when you know you're going to be disappointing someone)

-remind yourself constantly how good you'll feel at the end of your ride, make that your reason to go

-constantly buy new cycling gear which then needs you to ride daily to make sure all of it gets used

 

[LongSprint]

I figure it must be what I eat, or what I don't eat.

Not necessarily.

Are you getting good quality sleep?

I used to wake up tired no matter how long I slept. I went to a sleep centre and had a study done. Turns out I had sleep apnoea and I was waking up on average every two minutes, though not wake enough to remember it. Had a deviated septum fixed and generally speaking I am now raring to go in the morning.