I hear you! How long have you been trying to do the workouts in the AM? you will need time to adjust. Some of it is just HTFU and get it done. I know that the really hard workouts are not going to be as successful at 5am for myself. I DO know that my consistency is better when I do them before work. I have accepted that I would rather have a success at 90% with 98% consistency than success at 100% at 75% consistency.
What I really don’t enjoy is getting in the pool at 5:30am. Just Brrrrrrr.
A bit of an odd question. For those who have their morning routine dialed-in, how do you make sure you “successfully” use the washroom ( aka poop) before a workout. Is there any way to train your body? I know coffee works wonders but it’s not always immediate for me. Last thing I want is to be halfway through and interval and pressing pause for a 5 minute break and taking away from the quality of the workout.
do people really need to poop before every workout? I am a morning rider/workouter, and i poop in the afternoons most days 
cant say ive ever needed to poop mid workout/ride either, in 10 yrs of riding, maybe im just one of the lucky ones 
Your body will adjust. I don’t know how long you have been riding. Mine must do some hormonal changes as I get ready as I always have to “go” in some form. What is really frustrating is when you drain the bladder completely, get on the bike, get halfway through warm-up and have to go again! I am convinced my kidneys have a High Volume mode and turns it on when I change into workout kit.
Better to be on the trainer and able to pause than 3 miles from home and no place to stop on the run. been there … done that …
Many years of early training and I have my routine down to the minute.
0 mins: Get up quietly, walk downstairs and have a pee
2mins: Make coffee, get kit on and have a glass of water
5 mins: pee again 
(a surprising amount conisdered I went 5 mins ago)
7 mins: take gel if hard workout
8 mins: get coffee and go to garage
10 mins: start warmup
After warmup drink coffee and go 
My body has adjusted to the schedule, it just…”happens” but coffee does help.
Absolutely. If I don’t go before a ride/race, I’m not riding or racing. It’s a must for me.
Thankfully, I have zero issues making it happen.
I’ve been in the same routine of early morning training for years (decades?), and that is part of it. Get up, go downstairs where my kit is, bathroom, dress, go. Is my body trained that way? I assume so.
And if you think it’s a bother taking a 5-minute break in the middle of a TR workout, think about in the middle of a 60min+ run outside… All runners have a “run into a Tim Hortons bathroom (showing my Canadian side here) at 6am” story.
FWIW, I need about 45 minutes to wake up before being ready for a hard workout (really anything SweetSpot or above). I do quiet chores around the house in the early morning to not wake anyone else to give my body time to wake up. I also use the time for some pre-ride hydration, bathroom, etc. All my stuff is ready to go the night before, though.
While not super early, I’ve been trying to get my workouts started by 7:30 each morning on SSB1 HV. Basically get up, have my coffee, make sure my son’s breakfast is set for him and I get going in about 30mins after getting up. I’d really like to get going by 7 for SSB2 HV since weekday workouts will be longer. Before the COVID-19 stuff I was already working from home full time so I got used to starting my workouts late morning generally but since I help home school I prefer to ride before because I have to help my son with zoom calls and such. I’ve wanted to get on an earlier schedule so this is helping me do that.
This, at a minimum I need a cup of coffee. If the workout is over 60 minutes, I need to eat something that digests quick as soon as I get up(like a Banana or Grapes)
Im up at 4am or slightly earlier, on the bike within 25 mins, 30 in winter as it takes a bit longer to layer up
I do overnight oats, with coffee in it, and scoff that down before i take off. Our group sets off at 5, so gives me at least 30 mins on the bike to warm up before we get cracking. Friday is the all out ride, so I have a gel as we are starting off or put some mix in my bottle on Fridays to get me through the all out effort
I used to run at 3am when in full swing with work, commuting, walking dog, etc. (there will be a day when 3am comes back when normality comes back but I tell you, I love running outdoors, rain or shine with a very loose schedule)
Now, working at home most of the time and things are much more relaxed. Keeping a routine is sometimes hard.
This morning:
rest room since were talking about it…
430 coffee (8oz) x 2 while making the dog his breakfast.
rest room
walk the dog half an hour
rest room
dress for run
15 minute warm up yoga
hour run
rest room
730am meeting
light snack during meeting since time is a crunch, sitting at my desk sticky with sweat. After hour meeting, shower and full breakfast. (home made yogurt, fruit, protein with BCAA, collagen, glucosamine and fish oil)
finish the day
YES. Whatever time I wake up I’m pretty much doing the necessary within a few mins. I daren’t go out for a ride without sorting that out first or it will be alfresco for sure later on! 
Illustrious company - Tom Dumoulin for those not up to date with World Tour Riders’ emergency Giro dumps…
Starts with having the gear laid out the night before, getting 7-7.5hrs sleep and waking up without an alarm (5am for me).
Interested to know; has anyone completed a high volume plan by way of early morning workouts? I’m tempted to try it as its my best shot of having the consistency needed.
I don’t follow a TR plan, but I’m currently riding between 16 - 18hrs/week and am on the bike at 5am, 4 times per week. I find it easier to get in the volume and be consistent whilst raising a couple of children and holding down a full time job. The most important thing is to get into the habbit of going to bed early.
Not high volume, but mid Vol+.
Not sure I could handle HV so I did MV and added a Friday workout plus tagged on 15-30mins of endurance after the other MV workouts. Managed to get 10-11hrs a week using this method. All early mornings.
I think I read one of your previous posts stating that you do 4, 4 hour rides, kudos. How’s it working out for you?
