I’m cursing myself for ever suggesting something as offensive as waking up before the birds to work out (insert eye roll).
– Andrea Kay
…on Waking Up Before Sunrise to Workout
Life is busy. You’re busy, I’m busy, we are all busy. Busy, busy, busy. Busy, busy, busy, busy. There are always 100 things going, and you don’t have to look very hard to find an excuse not to work out. Family, work, laundry, dishes… wine. It’s extremely rare to find time when there is already so much that needs to get done, like food shopping… and wine.
Instead of finding time that isn’t there, I take time from my morning slumber to work out, and I won’t lie, I have a lot of the feels about it. My internal clock prefers to wake up at 8:30 am not 4:30 am, but I do it anyway. I do it because I know if I don’t, the likelihood of it getting done is nearly nonexistent. I want to work out at night as much as I want a root canal.
I will spare you all the 10,000 feelings and just give you the greatest hits:
1. Blissful optimism:
The feelings start the moment the plans are made, and they are always blissfully optimistic. We will all meet before the sun rises and usher in this glorious day together. We will run, or we will ride, and It will be awesome! This feeling will continue till 24 hours (or so) before the predawn meet time. No, it doesn’t matter how many times this happens, it’s the same thing every time and leads to the next feeling.
2. Apprehension:
This IS going to be great, right? Like I’m pretty sure it’s going to be fine. Everyone is going to be there. It will be fine. Did I really say meet at 5 am? That means I have to leave my house by 4:30! Why didn’t I say 6 am? I’m 35% sure I won’t oversleep. This feeling will linger ’til I fall asleep. The next feeling sets in the second I wake up.
3. Dread:
When my eyes are barely open at 2 or 3 am, or whatever time it is that my body decides to wake up – usually about an hour before I actually have to get up – the dread sets in. Internally, I’m like a toddler having DEFCON 1 temper tantrum on the floor. Basically cursing myself for ever suggesting something as offensive as waking up before the birds to work out (insert eye roll). I will succeed in falling back to sleep for what feels like no more than 3 seconds when my alarm blares in my ear throwing me across the room with fright. I’ll stumble back to bed and lie there willing myself to get up till there is absolutely no more time left.
4. Surrender:
It is with absolutely not one moment to spare when I surrender to the fact that I am getting out of bed. People will be waiting, and it was my idea in the first place. I’m out the door in less than 10 minutes. I drive to wherever I’m going, and with the help of some obnoxiously loud music, I warm to the idea of what is about to go down in the dark o’clock hour.
5. Acceptance:
By the time I open my car door to meet the faces I came to meet, I have fully accepted my fate. I see the faces that also got themselves there, and I know that we will get through it together. It may not be blissful, heck it will probably be raining, but we will be together, and we will find a way to make it fun… as those things go.
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About the Author
Andrea Kay
Andrea Kay is a longtime FI member, Tri-Athlete, 50k runner and a regular contributor to Fit to Print.