I’ve got 3 little ones (6,4,1) so early morning is really my best option to get uninterrupted training in that doesn’t impact family time. I’m typically up between 4:10-4:25am, on the trainer within 20 minutes of waking up, and done by 6:30a. This shakes out to 1:45-2:00 of riding/running (I’m a triathlete) in the mornings. I’m in bed between 9-9:30p most evenings, which is basically a requirement for me to keep the early morning training consistent. If I can get roughly 7 hours of sleep, I’m ok throughout the day. I do typically take an SIS double caffeinated gel before any morning rides SS or higher in intensity, which helps wake me up.
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so i made a bad decision… i tried to switch to an early morning workout this morning, after weeks of not eating till like 10-12AM, i decided that i was going to do my usual “stop eating after dinner (at 6PM)” and do Tunnemah (over-unders) the next morning (around 630-7am) on a bit of food;
I tried to get toast with honey and an apple right before the ride, had my skratch electrolyte drink in my bottle and a banana by the side of the bicycle.
Too much change all at once, my body said “eff you” and i wasn’t able to do it. I guess it’s a lesson learned.
Wow - and you are not tired during the day? I cant imagine handling such early mornings, then kids and stuff, then work, then family and married life… all of that is joy for itself, but as a sum this seems to me like a really long day
I’m not tired throughout the day typically, but am sometimes dozing off by 8 or 8:30p when the wife and I are watching TV after the kids are in bed. I actually do a few VasaErg (swim bench) workouts a few nights a week after the kids are in bed too (weekly total of 10-13 training hours). It’s a lot to juggle with family/work, but I’m enjoying it at this point. The biggest piece I think I’m missing out on is that I can’t ride longer than 2 hours right now (as I don’t want to wake up before 4:10am), and know I’d benefit from some 3+ hour z2 rides on weekends.
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Not me. I train 4-5 times per week, of which one is during the weekend, so I get one or 2 days off during the week (and then get up at 6:15 rather than 5:15). And it’s 6-something for weekend workouts (if it’s a morning one). My brain has adapted to the 5:15/6:15 routine: I’ll wake up at 5:10 naturally, and gladly fall back into a coma if it’s an off day. I don’t use an alarm during the weekend, but end up getting out of bed at 6:30 anyway.
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Again, not as early, but I usually wake at the same time at the weekend. And then go to the jacks and back to sleep! Mine are old enough we’re usually having to wake them at the weekend - I appreciate that’s different at ages lower than 10 or 11.
I guess the bottom line is it seems daunting at first, but you get into the routine and rhythm of it. Actually, I’ve found it’s made my weekend spin or workout much easier to get going training in the morning all week (albeit it is later at the weekend).
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I’ve been doing early morning workouts during the week because of my 5 month old and I don’t have time after workout anymore.
I go to bed at 9:40 and get up at 4:30 to get in at least an hour. I have to be to work at 7 so it’s tight. As others have said having everything ready the night before is crucial! No wasting time when you’re on a tight schedule. I lay out everything to wear and drink.
So far I haven’t been eating anything. I have been drinking maple syrup to get a boost but if anyone has any ideas of what to put in my body quickly I’d love to hear. I’m currently doing only hour workouts but once I get more acclimated to riding at that time I hope to get up to 1.5 hrs.
It’s hard to get on the bike at that time. My setup is in my detached garage so it’s cold and dark but a few layers to start and I can get warm. I really like my afternoon workouts but I have a sense of relief after I finish them in the morning.
Now I just need to figure out how to not go through the day feel sluggish and tired.
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I’m in the middle of phasing myself in. It’s the time of year to try stuff. Family dictates an early start. I don’t have the energy to do evenings anymore once kids are in bed. I’m on my second week after a couple of initial failed attempts to even get out of bed.
Don’t be hard on yourself to start. Just get up at that time and do some Z2 stuff for a few days to get a rhythm going, trial food/fasted, whatever works. Start picking up the workout efforts week two. Try to do too much all at once us a big ask. It needs a gentle transition, at least it did for me.
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I just have one child so far, but AFAIK the variation between children can be rather large. Our daughter has been very kind to us on average. I have heard horror stories from other parents.
Like you wrote, training was alright, but I had to adjust my schedule four times, I think. Until my daughter’s birth I was never one who was motivated to get up early and train in the morning. I had tried that while I was younger, and I really didn’t like it. But having a child changes your perspective and your priorities. 
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I feel this, it’s exactly where I am at, really feel like I’m missing out not being able to do 3-4 hour rides…
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Let me put my n=1… I used to do early morning workout, but now reverted back to evening workout. First I choose early morning workout and did well for some time. Wake up 5AM, start workout around 5:10~5:30. Before 7AM I finish take shower and prepare to go to work. Sleep 10PM. But my kids doesn’t guarante me a nice sleep time. Even one of my kid has condition of CP and he sometimes sleep late, sometimes wake up early. This life inconsistency keep me from early morning workout.
Now I do my workout as soon as all my kids go sleep. I maybe sleep late, but due to covid19 outbreak now I can work at home. Time saved from commuting returns as my sleep time. This enables me to do workout more consistently even it’s late evening workout.
Oh, there was one more reason I chose early morning workout before. Last year I used over estimated FTP value with ramp test on my training. That makes my training into threshold training at minimum. There was virtually no sweet spot training for me and my battery(W’) might be significantly drained for every workout. If I do train late at night, I cannot sleep because of all the excitement/heat in my body. Warm/Cool down didn’t work for me. Because of that experience I thought early morning workout would help me sleep better… Now I estimate my FTP value using Kolie Moore FTP test protocol and now I don’t have problem getting into sleep after late evening workout. If someone should to his workout late evening, one’s FTP should be appropriate or under estimated at least. If you cannot fall asleep after night workout, there might be chance ftp be over estimated.
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After years of eating porridge oats for breakfast and then having a crash an hour later, I’ve come to the conclusion after a bit of research that oats spike blood sugar worse than table sugar. In fact, my mum has been type 2 diabetic for years, and a few weeks after I told her to stop eating oats for breakfast, she is no longer so.
I’d say the oats is the reason why you couldn’t complete your workout. You had a severe insulin spike with its resulting sugar crash. Give up the oats!
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Do you have the research that you’re claiming? I think it depends on what you put in oats, are they instant oats? I never have a blood sugar spike with eating oats mainly it’s fiber and not a simple starch like cereal. So from my history of eating oats my blood sugar spikes from either the sugary topping I use or instant oats. Stone ground oats have never raised my blood sugar to be worried about diabetes.
You’re trolling us right?
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Trolling? I was replying to the guy who said he had some oats, and then was only able to complete 9 mins of his workout. I’m saying that oats will make you crash…as they did with me ever time.
That’s a long way off from saying that oats essentially cause Type II diabetes…
I didn’t say they caused it, but I was suggesting that they are part of the problem. They have a GI that’s nearly as high as table sugar. Eat them for breakfast every single day along with bread…which has a higher gi than table sugar, and you’re asking for trouble.
I’m only trying to give a possible reason why he crashed only 9 mins into his workout after eating oats. This used to be my experience with them, and my brother actually. Any food that does this to your body can’t be good.
Seems to depend on type of oats. Steel cut or rolled oats come in fairly low (around 55 on GI index), instant oatmeal up in the high 80s. I always have traditional (rolled oats) porriage.
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Not sure what numbers you’re looking at but the oatmeal in my kitchen runs a glycemic index of 55 (old fashioned oats), so maybe you’re eating something very different.
And you are correct, you didn’t say they caused diabetes but that removing them from her diet made it go away, so kind of similar
That’s only 10 GI points below table sugar which is 65.