Like the majority of us on here, I generally have two workouts a day. I used to wake up at 4 and knock out both workouts from 5 until around 7:30. However, training at 5 makes me get up at 4 to make sure I’ve had my coffee, etc.
However, I’ve noticed that when I only focus on one session before work, it’s a higher quality session. Tha leads me to n pushing the second workout to after work (7 or 7:30 pm start time). That puts me at a 8:30 finish.
I try to sleep at 9:30 to be able to wake up at 4. But my biggest problem is that I am normally drained after work and it takes an insane amount of mental gymnastics to get a session in after work. I’m a lawyer, so fire drills can happen at any moment and work is pretty stressful sometimes. Working out at lunch is hit and miss, and even if I could, it would be only a run of the treadmill. Is that completely brain dead tired something you get over after you get into the habit of one morning session and one evening session? Should I just suck it up and do both in the morning?
If I did only a morning session, I would be able to sleep until 5.
The reason this sport has a high turnover is that is a hard puzzle to solve. In your line of work is seems your only consistent option is the morning one.
Everybody is different… I wake at 5:00 AM and do my workout from 5:15 AM - 6:15 AM. Another friend of mine can do a similar schedule. But, to others need at least 30 minutes to wake and warm up in the morning.
ive tried to do one before shift and one after shift. i found that its close to impossible. when im at work i always brick multiple workouts now.
from what ive heard on a health podcast it makes sense.
early in the morning when you first wake up your cortosol levels are at their highest, and high cortosol is associated with stronger will power. as the day progresses cortosol drops. theres a little science behind why its easier for those of us that are early to rise types tend to get more done early in the morning and dont give a damn later in the day.
when im home and not working i tend to get a workout earlyish, then ill try and get one a littler later in the day. typically if i dont get the 2nd one in right after lunch it wont get done.
A quality workout in the morning, either a shorter intensive one which allows waking up at 5, or a longer endurance one needing to wake up at 4. Treat workouts at work as a bonus, and workouts after work as B-type workouts.
Also, get more efficient in waking up. When I wake up at 7, I’m usually starting my run at 7:10. I often do these workouts in the morning fasted though, so rarely with a lot of intensity. But even some coffee, light breakfast and a dump doesn’t need to take a full hour.
I would have no issue starting my sessions earlier, but I hate training without first having a bm. Takes me a good hour at least to get my stomach going.
This is my biggest problem with morning workouts. By the time i have my coffee, wait for activation and evacuate i could’ve finished my workout. I refer to it as completing my poop cycle, my wife hates it. Can you try to make your first workout in the morning indoors? Instead of waiting around for an hour to get your stomach moving, get on the indoor trainer for an hour as soon as you get up. By then you should be able to quickly complete your cycle and head out for your second workout.
Like the majority of us on here, I generally have two workouts a day. I used to wake up at 4 and knock out both workouts from 5 until around 7:30. However, training at 5 makes me get up at 4 to make sure I’ve had my coffee, etc.
However, I’ve noticed that when I only focus on one session before work, it’s a higher quality session. Tha leads me to n pushing the second workout to after work (7 or 7:30 pm start time). That puts me at a 8:30 finish.
I try to sleep at 9:30 to be able to wake up at 4. But my biggest problem is that I am normally drained after work and it takes an insane amount of mental gymnastics to get a session in after work. I’m a lawyer, so fire drills can happen at any moment and work is pretty stressful sometimes. Working out at lunch is hit and miss, and even if I could, it would be only a run of the treadmill. Is that completely brain dead tired something you get over after you get into the habit of one morning session and one evening session? Should I just suck it up and do both in the morning?
If I did only a morning session, I would be able to sleep until 5.
Thoughts?
Maybe your current life situation is not tailored for high end triathlon performance? Just trowing it out ther. Very long work with lots of mental gymnastics an a hard sport on the side.
But my input would be to look into the 1 hour from wake up to training, that is way too much! I used to wake up, and be hitting the go button on the garmin for a run in 6 minutes and 10-20 seconds! Once done you could get something to drink/eat while getting ready for workout nr. 2 in the morning.
Or ea while driving to he pool in the morning and get going then etc.
What time do you have to be at work and what time do you leave work? How long is your commute?
The key is time management and eliminating waste. That hour you spend in the morning before working out is wasted time. You need to get that down to under 30 minutes as that could be 30+ minutes of more sleep. What about after work? Can you workout any earlier than 7pm? What if you brought your workout stuff with you to work so you could train immediately after?
I’m personally not a fan of the 2 workouts back to back everyday. Both workouts almost always suffer and it makes the recovery even harder for the next days workouts.
Sounds like we have similar jobs: I’m a Management Consultant and face all of late nights, fire drills and stress
I do “1+?” as my training pattern.
I am training for HIM, looking to get 1.5-2 hours per day (with a lighter Monday of 45 mins). So 9ish hours in the week, 4-5 at weekend. Solid 13+hrs per week.
Morning: 6:30-7:30 ish. This is always the main session of the day (T,T = Bike, W,F = Swim)
Evening becomes a rotating feast depending on my day. I do a combo of the following (not sure which work for you)
Just run when I finish (I will often do this from the office, then head home after - leaving an hour later can cut 10mins out of commute which means “free” workout time)
Take a mini break around 5-7, run, then finish work (i have a shower in office)
Run commute home
Lunch break
My evening session is always 40-60 mins running (Barry P adapted), and I give myself one “pass” per week: so I run 6 out of 7 days (If I get all 7 its a bonus, or I might cheat on Sunday and take it easy)
I am not a triathlete and often think big kudos for those who can manage to put S, B, R into a training week. That said I do experience some of this with split training and have been doing it since 2004 when I picked up cycling after retiring from powerlifting. What makes it easier for me is that my strength training can be done fairly fast and on an empty stomach. I do structured cycling training after work. Each day is down to minutes though from the time I wake up and I get by with close to 6 hours of sleep and often a little less. We can have flex hours at work and if I don’t have a deadline I am good with the schedule and can hit the cycling training. My 24/7 gym is on my commute to work. Sometimes I am the only one there, which is nice.
Last night I did not fall asleep until after 10:30 and I woke up at 3:30.
4:00 take a 200 mg caffeine pill
4:45 at the gym for structured strength training
6:00 at work
4:00 leave work
4:45 start cycling training (currently a 70 minute steady state effort in sweet spot), shower, get bags packed, meals packed for the next day, pitch in on cooking dinner.
6:45 eat dinner and then try to wind down*.
9:45 Get to bed and hope to fall asleep.
I cannot train beyond 7 pm. It takes me too long to wind down after a workout. Very grateful to my wife that helps me through most of this with support and washing a lot of sweaty clothes. While I was training yesterday she was ironing my work shirts.
same boat - lawyer who lives in NJ and commutes into NYC everyday.
Up by 4 am (today was 3:45). Need to poop, so brush teeth and shave first, makes it just about ready. On bike 25 minutes after wake up. One hour on trainer, two miles on treadmill, five minutes of whatever core crap was in my TP, shower in five minutes (bald, so that helps), and make the 6:18 bus into NYC.
If I have a longer run scheduled, will do it at night when I get home. Not sure what I am going to do when have 2.5-3 hour bike rides during the week - maybe break them in half?
I used to go to bed at 11-1130, now starting to get to sleep earlier - I do enjoy the 30-40 minute cat nap on the bus!
I am up most morning some time between 3:45 and 5:00 - partially depends on my wife who does the early workout M, W & F. Three mornings a week I do a brick workout, knocking out a bike, then a run on the treadmill. Run is generally 20-45’ in length. Bike is anywhere from 30’ (followed by the 45’ run on Friday) to a longer Sat ride that is up to around 2:15 at this time of the year. Any second workout of the day is always easy in nature and I treat it more as recovery. I’m currently getting in 11-13 hours a week, and plan to max out around 15 hours this year as I’m focusing on the 70.3 distance.
This morning was 1:40 with Vo2 intervals followed by a 3 mile run on the TM. I’ve gotten used to it after many years of getting up early. I find that if I try to ‘sleep in’ by body just wakes up because I’m so accustomed to be up early. I generally aim for 7-8 hours of sleep. One thing I haven’t done for years is watch an TV - it’s wasted time in my mind.
Once you accept that you do not “need” two workouts per day it will be much easier.
Like you I’m a lawyer. I also had three kids ranging from 3-13 years when I started doing IM’s. For me working out at night was non-negotiable. I just didn’t do it unless I was traveling or the family wasn’t around for some reason.
I did my key workout of the day in the morning and if I was able to get out during lunch or some other time during the day for a short run, swim or spin bike, that was just a bonus. Honestly, it was more of a mental break than a fitness enhancer for me.
Btw, I’m like you and want at least an hour between waking up and starting my workout. Coffee and oatmeal time is sacred.
I’m in a similar boat. I’m a consultant as well and I travel quite a bit. Fortunately I travel to the same city and stay at the same hotel for the project duration (typically 10-20+ weeks).
To get in 2 workouts per day, I would wake at 4:30 or 5am to start my morning session, conclude between 6-6:30am. At the office at 7:15am then deal with work til 6:30-7pm. When I get back to the hotel I take a 15min power nap then move right into the second workout. So I’m done between 8-8:30pm. Grab a quick bite and off to bed.
I find the power naps to be a great way to get over the motivation hump for the second workout.
I am guessing OP might have other things to do when he wakes - like deal with overnight emails/suss out relevant news coverage before training?
In similar circumstances, I have found it best to do morning workouts. Unfortunately, I can’t swim after a run or cycle, so on days when I swim, I start later (pool opens at 0600).
On other days, I am up around 0445, on the bike at 5-15 and then sneak in a run (either to work or at the gym on the way to work).
So:
M: rest
T: cycle plus 20-30 minute jog
W: swim plus tempo run or quality intervals
T: cycle plus 20-30 minute jog
F: swim plus quality run
S: swim plus long cycle
S: swim plus long run
I’m in the same boat as you - lawyer at a corporate firm. Fortunately I’m now at a level where I can dictate my own work schedule and hours (to some extent), but I’ve found that with our line of work and family commitments, evening workouts just don’t get done (too mentally tired). I now never plan to train in the evenings, and rather spend this time winding down with my wife and family after work (or catching up on work after the kids go to bed if needed).
I do all my most important workouts from 5-6:30am, with a second workout at lunchtimes. I’m fortunate in having a gym at our office and a pool 5min away. Often work gets in the way of the second workout, but that’s life. I don’t force my self to catch up missed sessions in the evening. I’ll occasionally throw in a late Zwift ride, but its never planned so only do it if I feel like it.
Weekends - I make sure to get in my long bike and run (as early as possible so I have the rest of the days free), and may do an extra swim if I feel like I didn’t get enough in during the week.
I very much believe - especially for cycling - one 1.5 hr quality session early in the morning is far better for your fitness than doing 2x half baked sessions on top of each other.
As others have said, you need to make better use of time in the morning. I can be on my bike in 10minutes from wake-up (set up everything the night before - bottles, clothes, towels etc. so you can literally roll out of bed and get on the trainer).
Also - block out three lunchtimes a week in your diary. You’ll be amazed how you actually get to do those sessions if its in your diary and people aren’t setting up meetings or calls for that time.