My training schedule has changed a bit over the new year, and one of the changes is my masters swim group now swims at 830pm. Today is my first day of working out that late. It’s 7:45, I’m just packing up to go, and I feel like if my head touched a pillow I’d be asleep in 5 seconds. I’m generally up at 5 for an early workout (usually bike), my job is rather physically demanding, and with the help of an afternoon coffee, I usually bust out a hard workout of some kind right after work, because if I don’t do it right after work I just lose my steam and can’t seem to get the intensity going. Generally my after work workouts will be masters swimming followed immediately by a run on the treadmill at the gym and weights, or running intervals outside and will take me from 6 - 8:30 or 9ish.
I know 8:30 isn’t late by any stretch, but it feels really hard to muster up the energy to do a hard swim workout after I’ve been home for a couple hours, made dinner and mentally wound down. I don’t want to have a coffee much later then 3 or 4 otherwise I’ll have trouble sleeping. How the hell does one give themselves a pick me up for a quality workout that come well after the adrenaline, caffeine and rush of their day has worn off?
I am strictly a morning person. If you are getting up at 5, swimming until 10 tonight… you are not going to get enough sleep.
My recommendation is to swim on your own. Have fun. I’m going to bed
A ten minute nap can be VERY rejuvenating. I do them all the time and especially just before I kit up and get ready to head out for a long ride. About a half cup of coffee upon waking up and it’s just the ticket.
I believe it was Albert Einstein who used to take a lot of little cat naps. He’d sit in a chair with a pie tin on the floor and a spoon in his hand dangling over the pie tin. When he’d fall asleep, the spoon would drop from his hand and hit the pie tin, waking him up. He claims that was a sufficient nap to feel refreshed. I go a bit longer, but I’m not quite as bright as Al was.
It was Salvador Dali, who got the idea from some monks, IIRC. But these naps actually don’t do anything to you physically, yet they are supposed to unlock your creative potential.
I am strictly a morning person. If you are getting up at 5, swimming until 10 tonight… you are not going to get enough sleep.
My recommendation is to swim on your own. Have fun. I’m going to bed
I’m jealous!
The swim with the new group went really well. Between the few ex-national people and varsity swimmers there is some serious speed around, and the coaches are great. I don’t think I would be able to push myself that much if I were alone! I also managed to find that much needed mental boost about half way to the pool… when I realized I forgot my swim suit at home by my front door. There is nothing like doubling back and rushing to the pool again to wake you up!
It’s now 10:55 and my workouts are done, everything is in order for tomorrow, the coffee is on for the morning and I am going to sleep like a baby!
You should find your body adapts and you start having higher energy levels in the evenings. If it doesn’t then could be you’re simply not getting enough sleep. I know if it was me that schedule wouldn’t be sustainable in the long-term, if I go with less than 7-8 hours sleep for a prolonged period I get ill or injured (or just start sleeping through the 5am alarm!), but I guess everybody is different.
If the Masters session is really helping you and you’re struggling to maintain that schedule, I’d look at either skipping the 5am workout a few times per week and letting your body sleep in and recover, and/or skipping the 6pm workout a few times a week and having a nap before the swim instead.
I had a 6 month period where I was training twice a day at roughly the times you are. I only managed to make it work when I figured out that if I brought my own lunch to work, and parked the car at the far end of the car park, then I could go and catch about 45 minutes sleep in the car at lunchtime each day! Was a temping job where I knew I wouldn’t be there too long so wasn’t too fussed about making friends with my colleagues, or having them think I was a bit weird…
As a training athlete you should never be up and active from 5am to 10pm. That is too little sleep and wont provide anough time for recovery. You are not feeling motivated because your body is telling you it needs a break. The most important thing to do is listen to your body and rest. You will see immediate improvements in training quality, mental and physical feel-good-ness.
As a training athlete you should never be up and active from 5am to 10pm. That is too little sleep and wont provide anough time for recovery. You are not feeling motivated because your body is telling you it needs a break. The most important thing to do is listen to your body and rest. You will see immediate improvements in training quality, mental and physical feel-good-ness.
So you should do ALL your training between 10:00 pm and 5:00 am, then what, sleep all day? Thats what I’ve been doing wrong, going to work instead of sleeping.
our masters swim team meets at 8pm tuesday and thursday nights. I’ve been doing it for ~4 years. at first it was tough…but now I’m just used to it. IMO its easier to get used to than getting up for early workouts (i.e. getting up at 5-5:30…which i did for years). I have found that it’s very hard to get up early enough to workout on wednesdays and fridays…so i don’t. I end up doing a longish run wednesday nights around the same time. mondays I have a bit more flexibility as I have every other monday off from work. Of course, it’s easier to go to masters than a long run on my own since there’s other people there.
ok…so maybe friday morning workouts could happen if I didn’t do the swim/bar brick thursday nights…but where’s the fun in skipping that??
I became a night person due to awful bouts of insomnia (which i still battle quite frequently). It all depends on how many hours a week you’re looking to train IMO. I typically average 8-12 hours a week and find that it’s pretty easy to do and only requires 2 days a week of 2-a-days. If i get up to 14-15 hours…i have to suck it up for another day (or go a bit longer on the bike on the weekends).
edit: so i guess i’m saying there really isn’t a trick to it…other than not eating a really big meal before hand (that can make for a pretty rough swim…which i’ve done plenty of times).
