Yeah, I've found the exact same thing when I do my early morning workouts. More so on the bike than swim or run though so I get up a little earlier and take down 2 cups of coffee on that one day a week. Not sluggish after that.

I agree with this. It seems "harder" in the morning. I think the training benefit is greater though. As I write this I am suited up to go out for an easy 1 hour spin on my new Yaqui Carbo. My legs feel like unmitigated pooh.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

My method for overcoming AM inertia problems is to wake at least 1 hr before the workout. This sucks, of course, because it often means getting up at 4:00-4:30. But I have time to enjoy a cup or two of coffee, and relax, as well as mentally prepare. The other key for me is to "soft start" the AM workout. I'll spend the first five minutes at a pace that is more about just moving the parts than actually even warming up, whether its a run, bike or swim. After that 5 minutes, THEN I start the workout, including the REAL warmup. Without this "soft start" AM workouts often feel like starting too fast on an interval, much like you describe.

I also notice that I need to stretch for a considerable time before embarking in the early morning. Even then, I usually feel tight. I like to wake up well in advance of my morning workout, when time permits.

I too work out in the morning and find myself a little more sluggish. I think it has something to do with the depleted energy storage in your body. According to some reading I have done it says that the coffee adds to this type of bonk training. This info is just something I read so take it with a grain of salt. I normally get up about an hour before I work out to get my child ready for school. I now nibble on some of the food I am making for my child and almost always drink a little juice at this time also. This has helped somewhat but it doesn't compare to working out after having eaten a good meal a few hours before the workout.

"I also notice that I need to stretch for a considerable time before embarking in the early"

Same here. I'm as stiff as a board on first morning rising. Also I'm near mentally non functional first thing in the morning. There are "morning people" and those of us who are more "night owls". I prefer my workouts much later in the day.

It takes at least 30 min for my body to feel like it's getting going. as a consequence I try to make my morning workouts 90 min or more since I feel the first 30 min are useless except for warming up.

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"My strategy is to start out slow and then peter-out altogether" Walt Stack

I'm glad someone else noticed this. I thought I was just being a wimp. I was talking to a friend about this who's a serious runner and he said that's why running events were always run in the afternoon and evening until recently when organizers started catering to morning "joggers" he said with disdain.

I've been doing 4 AM workouts for 2 years now and actually have better workouts than if I switch to the afternoon/evenings from time to time. I even train at 4 on weekends and take a long nap in the afternoon. It makes getting up for a race easy since I usually get to slep in.

After 15-20 minutes of stretching I can usually hammer right from the start (sometimes necessary in order to overcome the cooler mornings).

I think it has to do with what you are use to.

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Ross Hoopingarner

Most people do not reach peak energy levels until after noon. I ahve always hated morning workouts. When a swimmer in college, I often skipped morning swims and concentrated on the afternoon workouts. As my Master's team works out at 0530, I don't make many of those either. One of my favorite local 5K races was a "Sunset" run--this year they changed it to a morning run and ruined a good thing. Let's all try to get more evening tris/runs/swims going and improve our times!

"Most people do not reach peak energy levels until after noon"

What do yuo base this on? From the research I've done you have two major hormone release periods, one upon rising and one in the afternoon. Either of these times are good times for a workout, ecspecially if the afternoon workout is after a nap.

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Ross Hoopingarner

I am so accustomed to morning workouts that I have the opposite problem. If I try and work out at night or in the evening then I find it much more difficult. One swim club I trained with in highschool worked out 6 mornings a week 5-7 and weights two nights a week. I loved that schedule and I now find that if I don't do something in the morning that the day doesn't get started off well.

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"which is like watching one of your buddies announce that he's quitting booze and cigarettes, switching to a Vegan diet and training for triathalons ... but he's going to keep snorting heroin." Bill Simmons, ESPN

I just went through all the postings on this topic and have a few thoughts. I've been doing the early morning thing since my son was born almost 7 years ago. Here are my thoughts:

If you want high value early morning workouts, STOP any evening workouts. It is too hard to do an evening workout, shovel food in your stomach, go to sleep and get up for another early morning workout. You need to get your metabolism and daily cycles set up to have a peak in the early morning and be ramping down for the rest of the day

Go to sleep 8 hours before you plan to wake up. Try to go to sleep the same time and wake up the same time every day (+/- 30 min). This makes the morning easy. As others mentioned, if you can take a half hour powerknap on weekend.

Try to wake up 45-60 min before you start working out, and eat a complete breakfast. Not just a couple of coffees and a toast. A complete bowl of cereal. You need to top up before the workout.



Start your workout slow. If you can make the workout 2 hours. You will find that the last 90 min are awesome. Don't push the pace for at least 30 min. Example workout is 30 min warmup ride on the rollers followed by 90 min run, 120 min bike ride with 30 min sub 24 kph at the beginning, ride 30 min easy to the pool, swim 60 min, ride 30 min to work. I have the advantage that my wife gets my son ready for school and takes him there, so I have the full morning to train (up to 9 am when I get to work).

If you can, incorporate the workout into your commute to work. For example, if you live 20K from work, drive in Mon and leave all your stuff there for Tue including your bike, then run in on Tue morning and spin home really easy on Tue afternoon (don't hammer Tue after work, or you will be toast for Wed morning workout).



Don't stretch first thing in the morning on cold muscles. If you have to spend the first 15 min of your workout time walking. Then stretch a bit and start you real workout.



Working out in the morning is not about cramming a workout in before work. To get max benefit, you have to go into a new paradigm shift and become an "early morning person" effectively changing your entire lifestyle.



Hope this helps