Early risers... how do you do it?

[jb_11]

Originally Posted by joev

early morning ride
quietly spinning so smooth
my mind is at peace...

Very nice haiku.

[smontanaro]

I've been tracking my weight since I retired a year ago. (I told my wife that all I wanted for my retirement was a decent digital scale.) In March sometime I began intermittent fasting, eating breakfast later (or skipping it) with no eating after about 7pm. As I do better with activities which fit into my daily routine, I decided to do the skip/delay breakfast approach rather than some other form of IF. In early May, I started adding a daily reading of HR and pulse-ox to the measurements.

I didn't find it difficult to delay breakfast (sometime after 9am). I can get kind of hangry if it gets to be 11 and I've forgotten to eat anything. Like Weisan, I'm an early riser, typically up between 4 and 5. If I'm riding that day (most days, as there are no more early morning meetings), I try to get out the door by 6:30. With the lighter traffic during the pandemic, if I get started later, no big deal. Unless I'm doing a long ride (> 40-50 miles), I don't take anything with me or stop along the way other than to pee.

I started at 187-ish a year ago, and have been under 175 since early July, generally 171-173. I'm at the point where I think I've more-or-less hit my target weight. (In HS & college I weighed about 165 and had little body fat.) In addition to the weight loss, my riding seems to have improved. I find my average speed on rides has gone up, and am riding at higher average speeds over longer distances, something I wouldn't have predicted a year ago. Still, dropping 15 pounds is kind of the ultimate weight weenie approach to lightening the bike.

If I wake up at night, there's now a good chance that I will be feeling hungry. Previously, that wasn't the case. I suspect my body is starting to push back a bit. While IF might be called a different "eating pattern," it really is a way to diet. My concern now is what parameter(s) to relax to maintain my current weight (no further significant weight loss, no upward weight trend). What do others do to "taper off" when they've hit their target weight?

[KVN]

Anyone have any tips for going to bed early or improving the quality of sleep when you have a big ride the next day? Sometimes I can hardly sleep when I have an epic mtb ride planned the next morning. I'm up all night with anticipation. But other times I just have a hard time getting adequate sleep for routine training rides and whole situation backfires and leaves me feeling run down and tired.

[boywander]

Originally Posted by KVN

Anyone have any tips for going to bed early or improving the quality of sleep when you have a big ride the next day? Sometimes I can hardly sleep when I have an epic mtb ride planned the next morning. I'm up all night with anticipation. But other times I just have a hard time getting adequate sleep for routine training rides and whole situation backfires and leaves me feeling run down and tired.

Try to do a ride well before bed time so you can get good sleep. Too close to bed time can keep you up, harder to fall asleep.

[Allcarbon]

You want to avoid sleeping in the day prior at all costs if you're planning on an early ride the next day. Nothing worse than being wide awake much later than you need to be because you're just not tired enough to sleep.

[Ozz]

I am usually up around 5-5:30 everyday....I love morning rides. Light traffic, the city is quiet, some wildlife is still out.....the light at sunrise is perfect.

My routine:

• Get bike ready (lights charged & attached ) night before
• Check weather forecast and have kit laid out and ready night before
• In bed, lights out by 10:00
• Make coffee
• Drink glass of water (with vitamins, etc)
• Light snack (granola, yogurt, clif bar, etc)
• Check Paceline while drinking coffee
• On road by 6-6:30

Weekdays I just do a loop around Mercer Island...takes about an hour from my house. Weekends I'll do about 2-1/2 hours...some variation of a loop around Lake Washington or up to Woodinville and back.

Tips: Don't drink too much wine the night before
Get out of bed and start moving around.....
No matter how "tired" I thought I was...once I am on the bike, I always have a good ride!

[azrider]

Originally Posted by Ozz

No matter how "tired" I thought I was...once I am on the bike, I always have a good ride!

Aint that the truth........I've never come back from a ride and said man I should've just stayed in bed.

Hardest part is just getting my butt out the door and in the saddle..........sigh.

[many_styles]

I don’t.

But seriously, back in college, I could sleep until 2pm. It didn’t help that my room had black out shades.

Now, it’s a combination of creating a habit for work, and the sun rising in my room, and the blinds doing a terrible job of keeping the sunlight out.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[tbike4]

Melatonin, 10mg chewable. I can go to sleep easily but staying asleep and not waking up at 3am is the hard part. Suggested dose? 1-3mg. So why do they make a 10mg chewable? It works for me. YMMV.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Hellgate]

10MG! HOLY SHEET! 3mg and I feel like I'm hung over the next morning.

My 92 YO old aunt sleeps in what she calls "bursts", 90 min blocks or a REM cycle. I figure at 55 if I get 4 cycles a night I'm good.

[merckxman]

With the heat and humidity I've been waking up at 5:30a.m. I have to breakfast, usually granola and fruit, a cappuccino, take of business, so can be on the road at 6:30a.m. Frankly, I'm tiring of this routine and I'm looking forward to more comfortable weather so I can sleep in on ride days.

[Mr. Pink]

Dangerous out there as far as wildlife early in the morning. I've almost T-boned two different deer at high speed the last week.

[robertbb]

Originally Posted by smontanaro

I've been tracking my weight since I retired a year ago. (I told my wife that all I wanted for my retirement was a decent digital scale.) In March sometime I began intermittent fasting, eating breakfast later (or skipping it) with no eating after about 7pm. As I do better with activities which fit into my daily routine, I decided to do the skip/delay breakfast approach rather than some other form of IF. In early May, I started adding a daily reading of HR and pulse-ox to the measurements.

I didn't find it difficult to delay breakfast (sometime after 9am). I can get kind of hangry if it gets to be 11 and I've forgotten to eat anything. Like Weisan, I'm an early riser, typically up between 4 and 5. If I'm riding that day (most days, as there are no more early morning meetings), I try to get out the door by 6:30. With the lighter traffic during the pandemic, if I get started later, no big deal. Unless I'm doing a long ride (> 40-50 miles), I don't take anything with me or stop along the way other than to pee.

I started at 187-ish a year ago, and have been under 175 since early July, generally 171-173. I'm at the point where I think I've more-or-less hit my target weight. (In HS & college I weighed about 165 and had little body fat.) In addition to the weight loss, my riding seems to have improved. I find my average speed on rides has gone up, and am riding at higher average speeds over longer distances, something I wouldn't have predicted a year ago. Still, dropping 15 pounds is kind of the ultimate weight weenie approach to lightening the bike.

If I wake up at night, there's now a good chance that I will be feeling hungry. Previously, that wasn't the case. I suspect my body is starting to push back a bit. While IF might be called a different "eating pattern," it really is a way to diet. My concern now is what parameter(s) to relax to maintain my current weight (no further significant weight loss, no upward weight trend). What do others do to "taper off" when they've hit their target weight?

You are right, in the sense that the body will push back after a prolonged period of IF. At this point, you may consider going a bit deeper into timing when you intake certain nutrients.

As you ride in the morning (fasted), aim to have the meal with the highest amount of complex carbohydrates after you exercise. 75% carbs, 25% proteins. That will replenish glycogen ready for the next ride.

Next meal, keep up the proteins but switch out to 50% (complex) carbs, 25% fats.

Final meal, split it between proteins and fats. No carbs. This will help you feel satiated through the night.

When I say fats, I mean avocado, olives, fetta cheese, nuts and seeds.... so-called "healthy fats".

TLDR; time your carb intake to post-exercise only. The rest of the day should be focused on fats and proteins.

[Tandem Rider]

I just got back from a 5:30 am ride. My routine is have several bikes ready to go, the night before in case of an overnight stealth mechanical. Alarm goes off at 5, stumble to the kitchen 3/4 cup of coffee while I check the weather and personal emails. Dress and roll out, back at 6:30 ish, more coffee. Check fun stuff like PL while drinking the this cup and eating breakfast. If I check interesting stuff prior to riding I might get distracted an miss my ride. I always start the day with a better attitude if I get my little ride in.

A morning ride doesn't mean I can't ride a second time if the opportunity presents itself. Yesterday I got home on time for the first time since March, MrsTR was done on time too so we got in a tandem ride 2adays are great.

[pdonk]

Originally Posted by azrider

Aint that the truth........I've never come back from a ride and said man I should've just stayed in bed.

Hardest part is just getting my butt out the door and in the saddle..........sigh.

Totally agree. May start out slow but by end of ride I'm having fun. One other thing. My stress level at work has been very high lately and I'm emotionally exhausted pretty much every day, so much so I'm also physically toast by end of day. By going for rides I at least feel like I have a reason for being do burnt.

I don't use an alarm clock to wake up for my rides. If I don't get up because I'm too tired, I take that as a sign I need rest and skip a day or two until I can wake up again.

My big question is for wet weather riders - how do you do it? I don't mind getting caught in rain but will avoid starting a ride if it is raining.