Advice please - Exercising in the a.m.

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thebuz
thebuz Posts: 221 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So here's my story. I have recently started to get back into exercise after taking a year off. I have degenerative arthritis in my right knee that was misdiagnosed as a torn meniscus. I stopped playing softball this year and feel sluggish and I know that I drop weight quickly when my activity level increases. I tone up quickly. However I have a long commute daily and I get up at 5:30 every morning just to be able to leave the house in time to be at work. I then do not usually get home until almost 6:30 sometimes 7 in the evening. Once I make and eat dinner it's 8 and I want to do the C25K. Does anyone else have a similar schedule and manage to fit running into it? Since I eat so late running at night is near impossible and so I feel like my only option is to get up at 4:30 and do the run. I'm not a morning person however and this seems extremely early. Anyone else have a similar situation that they can comment on for this?

Replies

  • Plates559
    Plates559 Posts: 869 Member
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    When ever I am training for a particular goal I have no problem waking up at 4am to work out, work all day, come home, eat, and go to the gym again and make it to bed just to do it again.

    If you really want to make progress and complete your goals you will have to give up on some sleep, or some social time. You have to make time to progress, your program won't make time for you.
  • lmroessler
    lmroessler Posts: 29 Member
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    4:30 is early, but as I've learned the last few weeks when I've had to travel, if I don't get up and do it then it just doesn't get done. As the other poster said - if it's a goal you want to achieve you will find time to do it. C25K usually only takes about 30 minutes on average so it's not a super long workout.
  • mamajenny2
    mamajenny2 Posts: 22 Member
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    4:30am is very early, and I can't get up that early myself, however, the past week I have been able to get up an hour earlier than normal, tired as hell might I add, and got in the workout I wanted and felt awesome!!! I felt so great that I did it again that night and then got up the next morning and did it again!! Once the endorphins kick in and you get that feeling in yourself that YOU CAN DO IT and you are doing it, then you won't have any issue at all to do it!! Hang in there. It takes time to make that leap of faith for yourself, but once you do and start to see the difference in your attitude and your self confidence and your body, you will be unstoppable! :-)

    By the way, I have to be out my door by 8am with my 7 year old, drop him at camp then off to work. Then I have an hour drive to work and at 5 that same hour drive home, if not more. So by the time dinner sees my belly, it is normally 6:30pm - 7pm. Then it's off to get the kids in bed with showers and bath and that leaves me at about 9pm or so before I get some "me" time!! I totally feel your pain! But you can do it! :-)
  • thebuz
    thebuz Posts: 221 Member
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    Appreciate your comments and I do understand that I have to want to do this and make it happen. I also dragon boat Monday nights and I run my softball team on Thursday nights so some nights I do not get home until 10 so just looking for other people to share their experiences in a similar situation.
  • PitBullMom_Liz
    PitBullMom_Liz Posts: 339 Member
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    I get up at 4:30 to run, and leave for work between 6 and 6:30. It's doable if you want it. I just have my clothes laid out and ready to go, so I roll out of bed, get dressed, pee and stumble out the door before my body has time to protest. Once I'm moving I'm okay within a few minutes.
  • ChristyRunStarr
    ChristyRunStarr Posts: 1,600 Member
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    I get up at 4:30 (sometimes earlier depending on what I'm doing) and I work out before heading into work. You can do i if you want to but if you're not going to get out of bed or dread doing it, it's no gonna work
  • Grandysl
    Grandysl Posts: 189
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    I normally dont get to bed until at least 10 and I am up at 335 to head to gym/work. I have to keep the weight off to keep my job, so I do what needs to be done. Is it tough toward the end of the week. Hell yes. Is it worrth it? Hell yes.
  • thebuz
    thebuz Posts: 221 Member
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    4:30am is very early, and I can't get up that early myself, however, the past week I have been able to get up an hour earlier than normal, tired as hell might I add, and got in the workout I wanted and felt awesome!!! I felt so great that I did it again that night and then got up the next morning and did it again!! Once the endorphins kick in and you get that feeling in yourself that YOU CAN DO IT and you are doing it, then you won't have any issue at all to do it!! Hang in there. It takes time to make that leap of faith for yourself, but once you do and start to see the difference in your attitude and your self confidence and your body, you will be unstoppable! :-)

    By the way, I have to be out my door by 8am with my 7 year old, drop him at camp then off to work. Then I have an hour drive to work and at 5 that same hour drive home, if not more. So by the time dinner sees my belly, it is normally 6:30pm - 7pm. Then it's off to get the kids in bed with showers and bath and that leaves me at about 9pm or so before I get some "me" time!! I totally feel your pain! But you can do it! :-)

    Ok this is what I was hoping to hear. Someone else who's tried this routine and making it work in spite of long days.
  • thebuz
    thebuz Posts: 221 Member
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    I normally dont get to bed until at least 10 and I am up at 335 to head to gym/work. I have to keep the weight off to keep my job, so I do what needs to be done. Is it tough toward the end of the week. Hell yes. Is it worrth it? Hell yes.

    Kudos to you... I am an 8 hour sleep person. Any less than that and I cannot get going all day. I'm willing to go to bed earlier though if it means I can get this program going.
  • LALOCHA34
    LALOCHA34 Posts: 340 Member
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    I have recently challenged myself to get up at 4:30 in the am to get my workout in. C25K is only about 30-50 minutes. It is not easy but it is worth feeling great and knowing you got your workout in early and you can go on with your day. Best of luck to you. You can do it. If you want it bad enough YOU will make it happen. So get going! (Nobody said it was going to be easy, but it does get easier!)
  • KatyE213
    KatyE213 Posts: 446 Member
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    I thought that I would *never* get up early on work days and work out, but it has now become routine .I don't have to get up as early as you are talking about, but nevertheless I think if you want to do it you can. Just make sure you are getting enough sleep! Good luck :smile:
  • tmtolbert
    tmtolbert Posts: 59 Member
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    i get up at 4:30am to run. it is challenging but it is worth it. i feel so much better throughout the rest of my day and i like that when i get home from work i don't have to try to muster up the energy to workout.
  • cindybowcut
    cindybowcut Posts: 250 Member
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    If I don't get up and exercise in the morning I won't do it. I never have time after work, with my work schedule some days I don't even know when I will be off. I have to stay committed and do it in the morning. Depending on what I time I have to be to work, changes depending on the day I have gotten up at 4:45am to do it. I feel like crap if I don't exercise and have a hard time making it through the day. No matter how early I get up I feel so much better when I do exercise. Get into the habit of it and it gets easier, I promise. I starting exercising in February, I really hated exercise but was tired of my doctor yelling at me to start. I exercise every week day and walk or do yard work on Saturday. I have gotten to the point that I actually like exercise and don't even question how I will fit it into my day. I know that you can do it, because if I can and I am not athletic at all, you can. Good luck you will do great.
  • hottiebikerchick
    hottiebikerchick Posts: 187 Member
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    can you eat smaller meals thru the day so you can exercise when u get home and have a healthy snack after (like a protein)???
  • SarahD59
    SarahD59 Posts: 42 Member
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    My pre-exercise routine was waking up 4:45 and working from home till 6:30, then getting the kids up and ready for school. Then I drop them off and go into work from 8:30 to 3. Then off work to pick up kids, do various after school activities, get dinner ready, do homework, maybe some house work, and of course baths and bedtime at 8. Then I log onto my on-line classes where I'm taking some college classes. Hopefully get some work done there. By this time it's between 9:30 and 10 and FINALLY bed time.

    Post-exercise? All that, except I get up at 4 to work out. Haha. That still gives me about 6 1/2 hours of sleep, which isn't ideal but is managable. All I can say is, "Thank God for the weekends."
  • thebuz
    thebuz Posts: 221 Member
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    can you eat smaller meals thru the day so you can exercise when u get home and have a healthy snack after (like a protein)???

    Unfortunately I do most of the cooking for me and my other half so I do this only on Monday and Thursday when I'm at dragon boat and softball so I'm not drained. I have however been choosing meals that last 2 days in the hopes that I can sneak a run in as soon as I get home on the occasional evening and then eat when I return.
  • thebuz
    thebuz Posts: 221 Member
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    I have recently challenged myself to get up at 4:30 in the am to get my workout in. C25K is only about 30-50 minutes. It is not easy but it is worth feeling great and knowing you got your workout in early and you can go on with your day. Best of luck to you. You can do it. If you want it bad enough YOU will make it happen. So get going! (Nobody said it was going to be easy, but it does get easier!)

    How far into the program are you? Do you eat before running or wait until you get home?

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