Tag Archives: tricks

Yesterday on my way home, I almost fell asleep standing up. It was only Monday.

There was a point earlier this year that waking up at 4:30 became normal, but it soon became 4:45, 5:00, 5:30, 6-oh-shiz-I’m late! With Ironman training officially underway, I want to readjust my body to that point where a 4:30 wakeup call is just a regular day in the books. Don’t get me wrong, that means I’m in bed by 9:30 and I realize this makes me an old, old woman, with a sad, sad weekday social life.

For the time being, getting used to waking up at this ungodly hour has been painful and I wanted to share a few of the tricks that I’m implementing to ensure that I’m up and out the door by 4:50.

Use Emoticons – I’m a six-year-old trapped in a 20-something body. Thus, when I learned that you can title your iPhone alarms and put emoticons next to it, you better believe that I made a special Ironman alarm clock. That way, when I groggily curse at my phone for waking me up, I’m reminded of my goal and why I need to get my ass out of bed.

Use A Suggestive Alarm Song – Beeps bore me and do nothing for my get-outta-bed motivation. Thus, I use Wham!’s Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go as my alarm clock song of choice. The first thing I hear every morning is, “WAKE ME UP!” It’s painfully annoying but drives home the point pretty clearly.

Don’t judge my ringtone list.

Prep For Tomorrow – This one is probably something your mom has been telling you since elementary school and it pains me to say this, but she was right. Pick out your clothes (work and gym), pack your gym bag, pack your lunch and have it all bundled up and ready to go. Done.

Small Dogs – The funny thing about dogs is that they get used to a routine and will hold you to it. Get a small one that isn’t big enough to jump on the bed and she’ll jump and jump and jump and jump (with her collar bell jingle jangling the entire time) until you give in and wake-up. It’s fool-proof really.

Cranky Husbands – Get yourself a husband that doesn’t have to wake-up until 6:45 and when he hears you hit snooze and has to listed to WHAM! three times in a matter of 10 minutes, he’ll give you a swift kick in the side or a gentle, “Turn that damn thing off.”

What time do you wake-up everyday? What are your get out of bed tricks?

Happy Running!