Getting up early for practice

[littlerain]

As much as I may want to, I'm finding it impossible to  get myself out of bed to skate an early session. I've never been a morning person, so the idea of skating in the morning sounds great the day/night before but never when I'm attempting to wake up...

Now I hear so many of you talking about your practices before work ... How do you do it!?!

And... What do you eat?!

[Cush]

I'm in the same boat littlerain.  During the day I resolve to get to bed that night by X O'Clock so that I can wake up by Y O'clock  to get on the ice in good time. Unfortunately I can somehow only get to bed somewhere closer to X+3! I too would love to learn how to be a consistent early bird.

[fsk8r]

To become a consistent early bird, you've got to make getting up early a habit. Therefore you have to have the self discipline to not ever hit the snooze button (I've not worked out it's purpose as to hit it you're awake and just pretending to sleep).
In consistently getting up early, you get tired earlier and therefore don't have the problem about not wanting to go to bed until later.
Alternatively you have to spend a few weeks of going to work early (or doing the chores) and just slowly move your wake up time earlier. Basically you need to shift your bodyclock to the earlier time, which is just the same as dealing with jetlag when you travel somewhere.

I've personally drawn my limit at 4.30am, although I know skaters who get up earlier than that because their commute is further. A lie in for me is now 6am, which is the time I'd get up for work if I didn't skate first.

[Bill_S]

I used to skate 6-8 am morning sessions when they were offered at our rink. The good news was that it was a quiet time to practice compared with the much busier evening sessions. Of course the bad news is that it's unpleasant to arise so early.

I'd awaken up at 5 am for the 6 am session. I'd shower, then make tea and eat some yogurt, fruit, and nuts for breakfast.

After I returned home, I'd take another shower after I was done skating because I'd be soaking wet, grab something quick to eat again so that I could last until noon, then make it to work at 9. I really did lose weight with this twice-weekly routine. There's something about "stoking the furnace" so early that shed pounds.

Now our rink has ceased offering morning sessions because there were only ~6 people during the entire 2-hour practice. They couldn't pay the staff with the profit from only a handful of skaters. But frankly, I really don't miss it that much. Unfortunately I have gained 13 pounds back.

[Cush]

Hmmm. I suppose the calls from the office that sometimes come in the evening with resulting deliverable for right NOW do not help.

[littlerain]

Yeah. My internal clock takes months to get comfortable with early mornings, and one late night tends to throw it off. As of right now, I work later shifts most days of the week, so I tend not to be able to get into a morning habit.

I am probably the worst snoozer on the planet

[littlerain]

To become a consistent early bird, you've got to make getting up early a habit. Therefore you have to have the self discipline to not ever hit the snooze button (I've not worked out it's purpose as to hit it you're awake and just pretending to sleep).

I can hit snooze and be back to my sleeping in 30 seconds. LOL I'm good at sleeping, whether it's falling asleep or staying asleep! Hahaha

[lutefisk]

My once 9:30am Moves lesson on Saturdays got moved by my coach to 7am as she re-juggled her schedule. (still haven't figured out what I did to make her mad...) 

I get up at 5:30 every workday, so that part isn't a shock and since I have an extra hour (I arrive at work at 8am) to have my coffee, read the paper, etc. I generally regain the conscious state by that time. 

However for my skate lesson, which occurs an hour earlier, it does seem to take me a while to shake out the cobwebs.  I shower, make coffee, have some toast and PB&J and then head to the rink, generally arriving with just minutes to spare.  I then stagger out on the ice and go through the motions but it's still a big mistake for me to operate heavy machinery (me) that early in the morning.  In a very unsatisfying way I'm generally ready to go just about the time the lesson is over.  One solution would be for me to get up for my lesson at 4:30 and thereby claw back that missing hour I seem to need, but since Saturday is the only day my wife gets to sleep in, she'd probably kill me if I did so--no matter how quiet I attempt to be she always wakes up while I'm getting ready and then complains that she can't go back to sleep after I leave!  So, in sympathy, I agree early skating seems like a nice idea in theory, but in practice it has lots of drawbacks. 

[Neverdull44]

Before I had kids, I worked in Public Accounting.  It was impossible to skate in the evenings, because work came in at noonish and seemed to be needed out the door that late afternoon/early evening.    And, there was an expectation to be there to 7:00 p.m. . . . . .   I skated in the morning, from 6-7 a.m.   Each night, I put my skating clothes next to the bed and my work clothes in the car.   I kept a travel bag of toiletries & towels, and a blow drier.    I used the rink's lockers to take a shower afterwards, as it was only me.   I kept my haircut simple so as to save time.  I was at work by 8:00 or 8:30, before my partner came in.  I ate at work, usually a pack of oatmeal and an apple.     I was in a great mood because I had skated, and work was easier.  I did this about 3 to 4 days a week.  I also had a lesson, and I couldn't be late for the lesson.

It got out at work that I skated, but the partner didn't mind.  Most days I had all my work done and would leave at 5:30 or 6:00.  I had to be in bed by 9:00.    Only stayed late during tax season (which really is the Fall, due to extensions).    Because I was in a better mood and producing more work, I was still on the promotion list, got top raises, and bonuses.  It was mainly  due to skating in the morning.  It also was known to my clients, and one job even put it on their website bio of me.    Skating was almost an accommodation, LOL.  I called it my sanity hour.

[Bill_S]

I then stagger out on the ice and go through the motions but it's still a big mistake for me to operate heavy machinery (me) that early in the morning.  In a very unsatisfying way I'm generally ready to go just about the time the lesson is over.

That's a good point. I remember that even though I had been awake for an hour, my body just wasn't eager to practice jumps. We (coach and I) worked mostly on moves in the morning, and on jumps in the evening.

[saje]

Hi littlerain!

I AM a morning person; however, I think it's a common misconception that it's "easy" for morning people to wake up early.  I don't think it's easy for ANYONE to wake up at 4:45 A.M. to skate, but if it's important to you, you'll do it.  For me, if I DON'T skate first thing in the morning, I just won't be able to skate (my rink doesn't have P.M. sessions that I can make).  That is a great motivator in and of itself.

As others have stated above, you have to force yourself to get up at your first alarm.  It's not easy!  Sometimes I tell myself, "Well, I'll just get up and go use the bathroom, but if I'm still sleepy after that, I'll skip skating."  This typically works, because once I'm out of bed, I don't have an issue getting up and getting ready to go.  However, some days are just a struggle.  I force myself to get up, get dressed, get in my car, go to the rink etc, etc.  Normally once I'm on the ice, I perk up.

I must ask - what is your reasoning to want to skate early?  Is it the only time you can skate?  Is it to get in extra practice time so you can progress more quickly?  Is it because the rink will be less crowded?  Could you possibly use your reason as motivation when your alarm goes off?  Just a thought.

[4711]

I think you have to find your 'sweet spot' for waking up.

There are days (rather nights, let's be honest) I wake up at 4:30, seemingly ready to go. The day, however, does not start until much later. So I crawl back into bed, to be completely out of sorts by the time the alarm goes off. 6AM had to have been the worst! I think it interrupts a deep sleep cycle.
Of course, it does help not to have been up late before....but 6 never seemed to have been my time...and we had to go through that for several years, with a school start at 7 AM (no, don't go there...I think it's evil!)

As for food?
I have problems eating breakfast. Didn't used to (didn't have a problem back in Germany either), but there I am, don't like solids early in the morning. I had for a while those instant breakfast things in powder form, poured it in my coffee, then I used my hot chocolate up that way...
A nutrition shake like ensure would probably work as well (but why is all of that stuff s terribly sweet!)

As to snoozing...I need a few minutes to sort my thoughts, stretch my limbs, the snooze function allows me to do that without falling back asleep.

[TreSk8sAZ]

I am SO not a morning person! I usually set about six alarms every morning (my clock radio, which plays continuously, and four to five on my phone each with a different song until I get annoyed enough to get up). However, if I want to skate, I have to go before work.

I skate either the 5, 5:30 or 6 a.m. sessions. I'm up at 3:40 for the 5 a.m. It really never gets "easier", you just get used to it. I have Thursdays and Sundays off of skating (usually, actually had to skate today). Those days I don't sleep in because it would throw me off too much and instead go to the gym or I'm up for work anyway.

My coach yells at me if I don't eat before the session, so I usually try to grab a cheese stick, half a bagel with cream cheese, smoothie or something similar. Nothing very heavy, and since I'm usually eating in the car, something portable. I run home to take a shower and change before work (I've become the queen of quick showers), so I grab something more substantial after the session (with protein, usually). I also make sure I have a good snack around 2:30 or 3 to make sure I don't crash in the afternoon.

The first week for me is always the hardest and I'm dragging horribly by the afternoon. But really, it does become a habit and just happens.

[JSM]

Ugh, morning practices... It's taken over two years but I'm finally sort of used to it.  Anything before 7 am means I'm working on moves or dance, though... I can't jump that early!

Really, it's just doing it over and over again until your body adjusts.  I've found that walking my dog before hand really helps my muscles be ready to skate (we usually go about a mile or so in the mornings, not too long but enough to get the blood flowing).  I eat about half a granola bar, about 100 calories, which is a good amount of food for me.  More than that just gives me a stomach ache, a feeling of "heaviness", and makes me nauseous while spinning.

The only good thing about morning skating is when on the rare occasion I actually get to skate later in the day, my coach is amazed at my coordination.  Really, I'm just more awake! 

[CaraSkates]

I AM a morning person; however, I think it's a common misconception that it's "easy" for morning people to wake up early.  I don't think it's easy for ANYONE to wake up at 4:45 A.M. to skate, but if it's important to you, you'll do it.  For me, if I DON'T skate first thing in the morning, I just won't be able to skate (my rink doesn't have P.M. sessions that I can make).  That is a great motivator in and of itself.

This!! I consider myself a morning person but it's still hard to get up! I find it much easier to get up during summer, when it's light out. The worst is going into the rink before the sun is even peeking up and then coming out in broad daylight. As long as I see a bit of light before entering the rink, I'm good. Right now I skate two early mornings a week and two mid mornings (I am very lucky and have a flexible work schedule). I get up at 5:45am twice a week. I lay out clothes before, pack my skate bag, fill my water bottle, etc. Anything to save time in the morning! I eat a fruit yogurt every morning, it's just enough protein and sugar to fill me up. I'm always starving after skating and eat again.

In order to wake up enough to do jumps and spins that early, I need to get to the rink early enough to do my off ice warmup. I should really do it everytime I skate but it's hard to find the motivation in winter - and means bringing a second pair of shoes along. If I do a 5-10 min off ice warmup, I'm awake enough to jump and spin. Otherwise it takes me a good 30 mins on the ice to wake up. I also bribe myself to get out of bed - if I get up and go skate, I can take a 20 min power nap when I get home. By then, I'm so awake I almost never need the nap.

[twinskaters]

I think you have to find your 'sweet spot' for waking up.

There are days (rather nights, let's be honest) I wake up at 4:30, seemingly ready to go. The day, however, does not start until much later. So I crawl back into bed, to be completely out of sorts by the time the alarm goes off. 6AM had to have been the worst! I think it interrupts a deep sleep cycle.
Of course, it does help not to have been up late before....but 6 never seemed to have been my time...and we had to go through that for several years, with a school start at 7 AM (no, don't go there...I think it's evil!)

As for food?
I have problems eating breakfast. Didn't used to (didn't have a problem back in Germany either), but there I am, don't like solids early in the morning. I had for a while those instant breakfast things in powder form, poured it in my coffee, then I used my hot chocolate up that way...
A nutrition shake like ensure would probably work as well (but why is all of that stuff s terribly sweet!)

As to snoozing...I need a few minutes to sort my thoughts, stretch my limbs, the snooze function allows me to do that without falling back asleep.

I could have written this reply! Ditto all of it, except I never lived in Germany.

I don't skate early myself but my kids do a lesson on an early freestyle once a week, and waking them up is brutal. So waking myself up is, by comparison, a breeze!

[rd350]

I am also not at all a morning person.  I find it very hard to get to sleep early, even if my eyes are shutting at 8pm.  By the time I clean up, walk the dog.... I get a second wind.

Even when I started work at 8am, it was always a struggle.

A million years ago I did somehow manage to get to freestyle sessions at 5:30am across town!  The satisfaction of having gotten up to do something for "me" rather than work (although that is technically for me too right??) - okay for something I loved doing, made it possible.

Now that my schedule is more flexible (i.e., more options) it was very, very hard to do.  Sometimes choices don't help.

[twinskaters]

I am also not at all a morning person.  I find it very hard to get to sleep early, even if my eyes are shutting at 8pm.  By the time I clean up, walk the dog.... I get a second wind.

Even when I started work at 8am, it was always a struggle.

I have that same problem. When I put my kids to bed around 8:30, I could just close my eyes and go to sleep myself. But two hours later I'm wide awake, and even if I'm sleepy on the sofa, brushing my teeth and washing up pops me up for another hour.

I made it through four years of college without ever scheduling an 8:30am class. So of course, the universe blessed me with figure skaters. :'( Right now they don't even have to be there too early, because school starts at 9:15 and is only ten minutes from the rink. But in 3 years, assuming they're still skating, they'll be in a school that starts an hour earlier. I'm going to have to dig this thread back up for inspiration.

[ChristyRN]

I'm not a "natural" morning person--I prefer evenings. However, nearly 30 years of getting up at 5am for 7am nursing shifts had made me used to it. We work four 10 hour shifts, so I get one day during the week to skate. The only time I have to get up that early for a lesson is on Fridays when my coach has an early morning freestyle slot. The rest of the week, we work in wherever she is. I know where she is most days. When we skate on Fridays, I get up at my usual time and leave a little later, mostly to be ahead of traffic. I'd rather sit and read at the rink (after I stretch and warm up) than be late because I got stuck in morning rush hour.

My snooze goes off once. Just long enough to stretch out and gradually wake up.

[Doubletoe]

I won't lie.  It's hard. But the good news is, you really can skate just as well early in the morning, even if you're not a "morning person" (which I'm not).  I used to get up at 4:45 am for the 6:30am freestyle, but I thought it was inhuman to get up before 5:00am so I set my clock 25 minutes ahead so it said it was after 5am when the alarm went off.  I would have a hot shower to loosen up my body, then make a *really* good cup of coffee (we have a cappuccino maker) and bring some diluted Gatorade to keep me hydrated while I skated.  It was hard to get up, but it was always worth it.  It also helped to remember that there were millions of people just 3 time zones away who were already headed to work at that time. In other words, don't get up early, just switch time zones!

[fsk8r]

I have that same problem. When I put my kids to bed around 8:30, I could just close my eyes and go to sleep myself. But two hours later I'm wide awake, and even if I'm sleepy on the sofa, brushing my teeth and washing up pops me up for another hour.

I made it through four years of college without ever scheduling an 8:30am class. So of course, the universe blessed me with figure skaters. :'( Right now they don't even have to be there too early, because school starts at 9:15 and is only ten minutes from the rink. But in 3 years, assuming they're still skating, they'll be in a school that starts an hour earlier. I'm going to have to dig this thread back up for inspiration.

I know one kid who skates 5.30am every day before school. She only lives 2min from the rink so her mother doesn't get her up much before 5am, but the girl goes to bed at 6.30pm every night to make sure she gets enough sleep. She's 12. I half didn't believe her when she first told me, but her parents have confirmed the arrangement.
She's just very very organised in getting homework and the like done straight after school.

Personally I'm impressed as she's the only one not asleep on the rink at that time.

[littlerain]

I know one kid who skates 5.30am every day before school. She only lives 2min from the rink so her mother doesn't get her up much before 5am, but the girl goes to bed at 6.30pm every night to make sure she gets enough sleep. She's 12. I half didn't believe her when she first told me, but her parents have confirmed the arrangement.
She's just very very organised in getting homework and the like done straight after school.

Personally I'm impressed as she's the only one not asleep on the rink at that time.

Wow, that's dedication. My parents don't even eat by 6:30pm sometimes, so I wonder if I could have even done that as a teen if I tried LOL

[littlerain]

I am also not at all a morning person.  I find it very hard to get to sleep early, even if my eyes are shutting at 8pm.  By the time I clean up, walk the dog.... I get a second wind.

Even when I started work at 8am, it was always a struggle.

A million years ago I did somehow manage to get to freestyle sessions at 5:30am across town!  The satisfaction of having gotten up to do something for "me" rather than work (although that is technically for me too right??) - okay for something I loved doing, made it possible.

Now that my schedule is more flexible (i.e., more options) it was very, very hard to do.  Sometimes choices don't help.

Second winds are the story of my life lol. Same here, I can work everyday at 8am for months, and it doesn't make a difference. Once, almost three years ago, it was almost bearable to wake up for an 8 am shift, and it took about three months of the consistent schedule to get my clock there, and about 3 days to destroy it lol

There aren't any sessions at night I can go to, ... So that should be motivation enough!!

[fsk8r]

Wow, that's dedication. My parents don't even eat by 6:30pm sometimes, so I wonder if I could have even done that as a teen if I tried LOL

It works, she's novice champion.

For those struggling with the dark mornings, I own a sunrise alarm clock. It's great, I'm now awake as the alarm goes off. It makes getting up so much easier as there isn't the whole waking up in the dark thing going on.

[littlerain]

.

For those struggling with the dark mornings, I own a sunrise alarm clock. It's great, I'm now awake as the alarm goes off. It makes getting up so much easier as there isn't the whole waking up in the dark thing going on.

Oh would you mind sharing the link of your alarm clock? I always want one but never quite know which!