12517// How I became a morning person
Heavy Day// (this workout is going to be so fun!)
Front Squat 1rm
3x [6 GHR+10 GHD deadlift 115/75]
7x3 Power Clean @ 50% of your best clean- rest~:45-:50
2x [15 Banded Hug Squats + 1:00 march + 15 Banded Hug Squats] 50/30
I'm not a morning person. And I gauge the success of my day by my morning interactions. Was I nice to everyone? Was I patient? How did I respond when asked the same question the 4th or 5th time? Whenever I'm short with someone or have a rough morning with my mood, I usually pray really hard that I'll have another opportunity to react better, but I also look to how I slept. Rarely do I sleep well and have bad interactions. The morning refers to the hours immediately following when you wake up, not necessarily waking up early. And being a morning person doesn't look like a Dutch Bros employee. Being a morning person means waking up- whenever you do- excited about the day and ready to roll into a healthy morning routine. I am amped and ready when I wake up and I attribute it to my consistent bedtime and morning routines.
1. I quit drinking Coffee early. I love coffee, just not in the late afternoon 2 or 3pm is my cut-off.
2. I mentally prepare for the next day in advance. I like to think about and plan the next day's warm-up and coaching points when I'm winding down before bed. I think about the logistical stuff for a 5am class of 18 people. It's relaxing to me, and I always feel much less stress whenever I'm prepared. Going to bed without knowing what's on the agenda for the next day is not helping me get to sleep any faster!
3. I eat before bed. "But the internet says that'll make me fat!" Slow digesting food is slow digesting food. If you cram a doughnut or some mac and cheese before bed, then yes that'll make you fat, but there isn't a good time to cram a doughnut or some mac and cheese either. Fill your belly with some higher fiber food like vegetables or whole grains, and you'll sleep soundly and wake up with energy. Sometimes so much that I feel like I can run through a wall. Also, I don’t drink alcohol and believe that it is going to help me sleep. It can knock you out, but the sleep quality is very bad. If I drink, I expect bad sleep, no illusions.
4. I brush my teeth... because MacLarin makes me.
5. I try to get into bed at the same time each night. Notice I didn't say go to sleep at the same time. Get into your bed and put down your phone. Be patient, you'll fall asleep, you always do. When I can't sleep, it's usually because I'm achy and sore, and I'll remedy that with water and or more food.
6. I usually wake up before my alarm but just by a couple of minutes and I lay in bed until it goes off. I don’t think you can really control this but it started happening when I quit snoozing. This time of year, I put the clothes I want to wear in the dryer while I brush my teeth and shower. Put on those warm clothes, warm up the car and wait for Mac to finish getting ready.
That is a lot of stuff to consider and it's taken me quite a while to dial in my routine, but each piece has taken intentional efforts at developing consistency. Literally none of 1-6 have ever been part of my natural cadence. I would much rather stay up late, sip wine, listen to a tv show and scroll facebook for hours. Whatever you find to be truly healthy resting habits need to be worked on and developed. Sure you can say that my routine wouldn't or doesn't work for you, but is your current routine setting you up for success as it is? CrossFit is constantly varied and your daily life and jobs are constantly varied, your night-time and morning routines though are possibly your final stronghold for normalcy and consistency. If you struggle to put together the things you absolutely know are healthy like working out consistently and eating well, imagine how much easier those would be if you were rested, ready and even excited to do those things.
So I just listed a bunch of things that I’ve heard are healthy habits, and they’re working really well for me, but whether you use these or not, set yourself up for success. Develop and test a routine you can return to again and again. When you have a bad day or feel low or unhealthy, ask yourself if you were really rested and prepared for the stress and challenges of the day.