skating in the early a.m. [Archive]

Morgail

08-17-2007, 08:34 PM

jskater49

08-17-2007, 08:44 PM

When I wasn't skating I'd get up at 4 am to take my daughter to skate and I'd sleep in the car and be tired all day. Now I get up at 4 am and skate and I'm fine the rest of the day. I don't eat because I get nauseaus when I bend over to tie my skates. My daughter eats toast or cerea and juicel. I do drink coffee before. I don't warm up off ice. Not saying I shouldn't, I just don't. I skate better in the morning than afternoon- I"m tired at the end of the day and don't feel like doing much.

4 am wake-up is about as early as I can handle. This May our rink closed for maitenance and we had to skate an hour away at 5 am which meant getting up at 3 (I need an hour to wake up and get ready) and that was too early. But even then once I got started most of the time I was fine.

It needs to be a habit, you should get up that time at least two or 3 times a week - so that you get in the habit of going to bed earlier. If you only do it once a week, it's going to be harder. This summer we had later morning sessions and now that I'm back to waking up at 4 rather than 6 am, it takes a while to transistion.

I enjoy skating in the morning, it's not as crowded...the more serious skaters are on the ice because you have to love to skate to do it at that hour and it gives me energy for the rest of the day. Even when I skate on my day off and tell myself I can go back to bed, I never do, I'm too energized.

j

Rusty Blades

08-17-2007, 08:52 PM

I started skating a 7 am to 9 am session last November and I LOVE it! I am a morning person anyway so it wasn't hard for me to shift my hours a bit.

I am out of the house by 5 a.m., an hour's drive to the city, pick up a BIG coffee and a "breakfast sandwich" at Tim Horton's at 6 a.m. - yes, my dietitian says the breakfast sandwich has too much fat but they are SOOOO good and it is just the right amount of food so that I don't get queasy on the ice.

By 6:15 I am at the rink and do my off-ice warm-up, boot up, and on the ice at 7. I take 30 minute on the ice to loosen up and get my edges and my coach shows up for 7:30. After skating, it is off to work until 3:30. I am usually pretty tired by the end of the day and bedtime comes early.

The biggest difference in the early sessions (for me) is the "wakeup" time and the warm-up time. The hour drive gives me time to get my head together and I need at least 20 minutes of stretching and off-ice warm up just to get the ol' bod' moving in the morning (but hey, I'm 58!). The 30 minutes on-ice is usually enough to get me in top form ("top form"? what a joke! 8O )

When I skate an afternoon session, I can do 5 minutes stretching, 15 minutes on the ice and I am ready to go but my skating performance is always better in the early morning.

When I went to my first competition my event was at 4:00 p.m. I tried to compensate for the difference in "peak performance time" but didn't do a very good job of it. (I had my fingers crossed for the 8 a.m. time slot!)

Oh yea, and the 7 to 9 a.m. time slot at our rink is usually a max of 5 or 6 really competitive girls who skate before school so there aren't many on the ice. I also love the way the serious competitors look out for each other and have so much respect for each other. It is SO different from having the normal hodge-podge on the ice!

vesperholly

08-17-2007, 09:30 PM

When I worked a 9-5, I used to skate 7am-8:20. The biggest issue for me was getting a lot of sleep. If I don't get enough sleep before I skate, I skate miserably, and I'm exhausted and (more) b!tchy at work. I used to shower the night before, and I'd bring a granola bar and banana. I did kind of like bringing my work clothes to the rink and looking all tiffed and grown up when I left.

Thankfully, I work nights now, so I can go to the high-level 2:30pm sessions, which aren't crowded, and get a full 8-9 hours of sleep. It's so much more productive. I am NOT a morning person. :giveup:

wasabi

08-17-2007, 09:33 PM

I don't practice regularly in the morning anymore, but when I did:

-How do you wake up enough to do something as athletically demanding as skating that early in the morning? Do you allow extra time for warming up off-ice?
I used to wake up at 4:30. I set my clock 15 minutes early so that when my alarm went off and I was only half-awake, I immediately forgot about my clock being set ahead, thought I was late, and actually got up without hitting the snooze 20 times. That, or I set my clock on the complete other side of the room. I made sure I had time to wake up, check my email, the news, etc. to get fully ready. I used to plan to warm up off-ice and never had time, but then again, that's what happened in the afternoon too...

-Do you feel like you get as much done skating early as you might skating later in the day?
I'm a morning person, and I still don't skate as well in the morning. The human biological clock puts peak athletic preformance in the early afternoon, so you won't skate as well. You can work at any time of the day, and if you consistently skate in the morning, you'll still make as much progress -- and you'll be shocked at how well you skate when you do go to an afternoon session. Another bonus -- if you have to compete or test early in the day, you'll be much better prepared than everyone else.

-Do you eat breakfast before or after you skate?
You absolutely must eat before you skate. I used to refuse to eat -- when I started seeing a nutritionist, this was the very first change she made. I could only get down a little yogurt smoothie, but even if it's only that, you need to eat something.

-Can you make it through the workday without falling asleep at your desk?
I didn't (and still don't) work, but I didn't find myself any more likely to fall asleep in class when I skated in the morning, except on the days when I was up late doing homework and consequently didn't get any sleep.

xofivebyfive

08-17-2007, 09:41 PM

Last year I went to the 6AM session 3 days out of the week. Got up at 5, left at 5:30. Left the rink at 6:45 to rush off to school.

I think I skate better on those early morning sessions, plus there's hardly anyone there ever(specifically on the low level ones) and I don't have to wait 5 minutes to find empty space to do a flip jump like what happened in my lesson today.

looplover

08-17-2007, 09:59 PM

I hate skating in the mornings. Hate it. I have to though because I work full time - I get up at five day of my lesson (sometimes at 7 a.m., sometimes 7:45). If I don't eat something before skating I feel really shaky, so I usually eat a power bar on the way.

I'm a much better skater after 10 a.m. :P

It's really hard for me to fall asleep early enough, plus I live in an apartment and there are times neighbors have woken me up in the middle of the night, and I worried I'd be too tired to try anything scary on the ice.

Did I say I hate morning skating? :twisted:

MUST find a way to become self employed 8-)

doubletoe

08-17-2007, 11:03 PM

Well, I am NOT a morning person. At all. But due to my work schedule and the impossibility of skating a program run-through on our one very crowded evening FS session each week, I get up at 5:00am and skate the 6:30am session 3-4 mornings a week.

Cons:
1. It totally sucks getting up at 5:00am. But it helped to start off by having a lesson scheduled on my first early morning of the week because I had no choice; I HAD to get up. I started off by scheduling a MIF lesson every Tuesday morning so that I had from Sunday to Tuesday to time shift from 9am to 5am. Also, that first morning I didn't have to skate my program or jump (a little daunting when you aren't quite awake).

2. Yes, you will feel stiffer and yes, it will take longer to warm up, and yes, you will be less energetic and ambitious. Can't lie about that.

3. A lot of times I do get sleepy in the afternoon at work, but lately it's been better. I try to get as much done as I can early in the work day and I try to sneak a nap at my desk sometimes at lunchtime. But I perk up again around 5 pm (I work until 6:00 pm) because, after all, I am *not* a morning person, LOL!

Pros:
1. There will be fewer people on the ice, and those who are there will mostly be the more serious skaters who won't be doubling as speed bumps as you skate your program.

2. You will get used to it, especially on the second and third early mornings each week, when you've time shifted and you are more awake.

3. If you can skate your program decently before 7:30am, you'll skate it even better at 10:00am or later. It's great training for major competitions, where you may have to skate at an ungodly hour.

4. You will become friends with all of the early morning regulars at the rink, especially the really good kids, whom you will enjoy cheering for as they move up the ranks. It's kind of cool having those people as my morning people now (kind of like it used to be when I went to school every morning and saw all the same faces). They sure beat the people I work with! :lol:

As for food, my stomach just isn't awake that early in the morning. But I make myself a cappuccino at home and drink it in the car on the way to the rink. It does wonders as far as making me human! I also bring a mixture of juice and water that I sip throughout my practice to keep my hydrated and give me a little natural sugar. When I'm particularly organized, I remember to bring a banana with me on Fridays, which are the days I skate two sessions in the morning and start running out of steam on the second one.

I find that it helps to think of this 5:00am wakeup time as 7:00am, but in a different time zone. After all, if you moved east two time zones, you'd be regularly going to bed earlier and getting up at that time within a week and you'd be just fine. I live in California so I just tell myself I'm living in Texas and somehow it makes it easier. I know, I'm weird. :p

littlerain

08-17-2007, 11:11 PM

I'm definitely not a morning person either, but exercise in the morning always energizes you for the day. It's scientifically proven! And it helped me too (in high school i had dance fofr PE and i ended up with it first period one semester - i think that was 7:50 am - and i definitely had way more energy that semester... except on the days we'd sit around and watch a movie or whatever in that class lol)

In terms of breakfast, (I find it hard to eat in the morning despite how hungry i am when i wake up), I typically have a granola/cereal/power/protein bar. (whichever seems more appetizing at the time lol)

I've never skated THAT early, but I think having warm up time would be helpful in this case with it being so early. some days when i don't warm up(haha like yesterday and my weird 3 turns) it takes me 15 minutes or more of bad skating to be able to do anything well lol (and that was at 10:50!)

You should definitely do the 5am sessions if you want to! I commend you for being so motivated to! :bow:

Sk8pdx

08-17-2007, 11:49 PM

When I used to skate in the mornings, I had another adult friend where we would "Pinky Promise" to meet Wednesdays at 6 am to practice. I would arrive about 20 minutes before the session because 5:30 was about the earliest I could make myself get up. Having a friend help you be accountable is a good thing. My lessons were tuesday and Thursday mornings and It was all too easy to blow off a day of practice in-between. So as my friend and I parted after the session was over, we would "Pinky-Promise" to be at practice Wednesdays the next week.

I actually felt energized in the mornings after a skating session. The energy and good skating vibes are so much different during freestyle sessions.

I am currently skating on the weekends maintaining skating fun with a few group lessons here and there. Life is happening where I am not as able to be devoted to skating as I once was. but I still enjoy it very much. :)

And like Doubletoe said earlier even the more advanced and serious skaters you encounter will become your friends. The early morning regulars even provided me with a lot of inspiration and I love to cheer them on as they progress and as I progress.

~sk8pdx

kander

08-18-2007, 02:16 AM

I never could have been a competitive skater. I wouldn't get out of bed at 5 am even if it was on fire 8O My sister used to get up at that hour to skate when we were kids. It would be a weekday morning in the middle of the winter and about 0 degrees outside. To this day I don't know how she did it.

The earliest I skate is 10 am on thursdays when I have a lesson. My coach thinks I'm a wuss when I complain about what an ungodly hour it is. It's almost always my worst skate of the week because I can't move or bend. Conversely, my best skate is almost always at night.

Kevin

SkatingOnClouds

08-18-2007, 03:31 AM

Last year I was doing a session at 7.00am once a week. I got up okay, and beloved husband made me breakfast. The one thing I still don't understand is that my weird vestibular system didn't like spinning so early. I got dizzier than normal, and it didn't get better through the one hour session. Weird.

I liked the fact it was limited to 6 skaters on our tiny rink, and that everyone there worked really hard non-stop, getting the most out of that hour. All working very seriously, and no music!

On the downside, our rink doesn't have shower facilities, and I would be so late getting to work that I didn't have time to shower once I got there. It was always a rush and I felt disorientated for most of the morning. After that though, the endorphins kicked in, and I was on a high, floating for the rest of the day.

So for me there were pros and cons.

Mrs Redboots

08-18-2007, 04:38 AM

I used not to be a morning person, but then I had a job that required me to get up at 5:30 am, so getting up at 6:00 am to skate isn't too difficult (although we didn't skate this morning, which we had planned to).

Husband usually has a small bowl of cereal or slice of toast before we go; I just have a cup of tea, then when we get there we each have a banana, and I take a large travel mug of coffee with me to be drunk during the session. Afterwards I have a cereal bar.

I find a hot shower really helps first thing - loosens me up a treat. I certainly couldn't skate without one!

These days I far prefer skating in the morning, and am rather dreading next week when that isn't going to be possible and we'll have to skate in the early evening.

liz_on_ice

08-18-2007, 05:22 AM

I have to catch a 5:15 train to get to my 7am lesson in manhattan, which means getting up at 4:45. I have to be in bed at 9, I really really need eight hours of sleep. I can't get up earlier than that because if I go to bed at 8. I'll have zero time with my husband who keeps a later schedule. He's usually still in bed when I leave for work even mornings I don't skate.

So, to make it I shower the night before and set out my bag for work, bag for skating, clothes to wear and work clothes to change into. I keep a protein bar in my skate bag and buy a banana and a cup of coffee on the way. The 10 minute walk from the subway to the rink is a great warmup because I get stiff sitting on the train so long. I've also got a few minutes for stretching and waking up when I get there.

Practice mornings I go to a more convenient rink and sleep in till 5:15. Dive into my skate duds, rustle up some cottage cheese or a banana and into the car. Since I don't have the walk, I need to warm up, keep a jumprope in my skate bag.

Practice 6am-7am. Change into work clothes, or at least jeans, drive to the subway, park on street, get to work, hot sweaty mornings shower at office.

I'm a morning person, but I skate better when I can get to an afternoon or evening session and I'm awake with a full tummy. As someone said though, if you can do it under the worst circumstances, you'll be better for those afternoon tests and comps and if they work out to the early am at least you'll be used to it.

Evelina

08-18-2007, 06:15 AM

I skate from 6 am to 8:30 usually as yes unfortunately I have to go to work too. Getting up isn't a problem to be honest which is quite strange as I have problems getting up at half 7 when I just have to go into work. I am much more of a get up late stay up late kind of girl. So I get up at 5am and I guess its because I know I am going to do something I really like, I just get on with it. When I get to the rink I do about a 10 min warm up - mostly stretching, and no I don't eat breakfast. Its quite unhealthy to eat before you excercise as digestion a process for which your body requires more energy then any other so often after eating you feel tired etc - having said that I know some people who can't skate without eating, I guess you should see what works for you. I do love skating in the morning as you find the same people there and I do get a lot done, probably because I am not tired having just gotten up. And I do get tired at work around 4 pm, especially towards the end of the week, but that is more because I tend to sleep less then 5 hours on the nighs before skating - like I said, I am not one to go to bed early!

I think its a question of getting into a routine, once you do you'll be fine I am sure. :)

jskater49

08-18-2007, 06:51 AM

human biological clock puts peak athletic preformance in the early afternoon, so you won't skate as well. You can work at any time of the day, and if you consistently skate in the morning, you'll still make as much progress -- and you'll be shocked at how well you skate when you do go to an afternoon session. .

I don't care how many tests and scientists came to that conclusions that is absoulutely not true in my case. Afternoon is my peak nap time, certainly not athletic performance. And when I do skate in the afternoon I'm not shocked and I dont's skate as well as I do in the morning.

The amazing thing about the human being is that we are all different and you may or may not find the above to be true for you.

j

jenlyon60

08-18-2007, 07:05 AM

I used to skate early morning (6:45AM on the ice) 3 days a week. Now it's one day a week, plus 2 off-ice gym training sessions each week that start at 6AM.

I get up between 4:45 and 5AM on those days and have a breakfast that includes protein (usually a whole can or pouch of tuna fish) and complex carbs (shredded wheat or shredded oats cereal). Then I clean up and go to either the gym or the rink.

Can usually make it through the work day without being too tired, unless we have an extremely boring presentation at one of the 2 almost half-day meetings I have to attend each week. Then I sometimes get the bobbing head.

wasabi

08-18-2007, 08:00 AM

Its quite unhealthy to eat before you excercise as digestion a process for which your body requires more energy then any other so often after eating you feel tired etc - having said that I know some people who can't skate without eating, I guess you should see what works for you.

Sorry, but this is definitely not true. You shouldn't eat three slices of pizza before you skate and you shouldn't be eating the minute before you go on the ice, but you need to eat something -- a handful of cereal and nuts, a yogurt, anything with a small mix of carbs and protein (hopefully as soon as you get up, to allow yourself the max amount of time to digest it). It kick starts your body into burning calories, thus giving you energy and "waking up" your muscles. Otherwise, your body will be forced to burn fat reserves, which isn't necessarily a bad thing; you just dont want to start off your workout this way because the low blood sugar from it will make you feel even more tired than you are! And if you absolutely cannot eat, you can always drink 100-200 calories when you get up -- a smoothies, drinkable yogurt, or even a sports drink (though this is probably the least ideal, and only ok if you're skating for less than an hour).

Also, because you're skating in the morning and have to keep up your energy throughout the day, it's extra important to eat well after your workout. If you're going straight to work/school, pack a "breakfast" that's a good mix of carbs (at least some starchy) and lean protein, and eat it 15-20 minutes after you get off the ice.

looplover

08-18-2007, 08:35 AM

Its quite unhealthy to eat before you excercise as digestion a process for which your body requires more energy then any other so often after eating you feel tired etc -

Disagree - we are all basically machines and the machines need fuel. I wouldn't want to skate after pigging out at the buffet at my favorite Indian restaurant (done it, not good, wanted to sleep on the ice) - but people need something if they haven't eaten since dinner the night before.

Ice Dancer

08-18-2007, 08:36 AM

I skate once or twice a week early, getting up at 4:30 to get to the rink for 5:45. I have a 30 minute lesson on one of these.

I found that to begin with it did take me a while to warm up, usually I didn't feel fully warmed up until after my lesson, however now I don't think anything of it, I guess I am used to it. The worst thing I have is that I skate Tuesday night until about 9:15, so am never home much before 10:00pm and then have to be up at 4:30! It can be a killer. However I am now enjoying skating early so much I am considering swapping the Tuesday evening session for another morning one. At my rink there are so many benefits of it, no hockey skates, usually decent ice, is reasonable quiet and it is cheaper!

I always have light cereal before I go, however by the time I get to work by 9am I am starving! This isn't as bad as it used to be, and I overcome it by eating fruit. I only get sleepy if I have really overdone it on the previous nights skate, and then I just drink lots of tea and energy drinks!

You will probably find it will soon become second nature. I don't think twice about it anymore and my bf ribs me about it because I would sleep through an earthquake yet can do a skating lesson at 6am!

mikawendy

08-18-2007, 08:40 AM

I don't skate in the morning, but when I have to get up early for a competition or a test, my favorite things to have are a banana and a hard-boiled egg, and maybe a small slice of whole-wheat toast with peanut butter, and a small amount of orange juice. If I skip breakfast, I feel sleepy all day and distracted on the ice when my stomach is growling...

techskater

08-18-2007, 09:42 AM

I skate in the mornings 5 days a week (W-Su) with a 6AM on ice time. I get up at 4:30. Work days, I shower, pack my clothes for work, let the dogs out, eat a little something (you need something - a power bar, a banana, a granola bar, toast with a protein on it), stop and get coffee and get to the rink around 5:45, warm up for 10 minutes and then get my skates on and get out there. On weekends, I brush my teeth, get dressed, let the dogs out, eat a little something, and then leave, pick up my coffee, etc. In the winter, we sometimes start on Saturdays and Sundays earlier (~5A) so we get in 2 hours before hockey starts at 7.

The nice thing about skating in the early morning is the cognitive side of my brain is still snoozing and I rely on muscle memory for elements that I have consistently and I get to new things around the time my brain wakes up (6:40 ish). I also get 2nd lesson now (6:30), so I can remember how to do the new things we work on.

I have a hard time skating in the evenings (after 6P) so I picked up a session on Monday nights over the summer and am looking for a fall session in the evening that doesn't conflict with off-ice on T/Th and the class my husband and I are planning on on Monday evenings (since the rink I was skating at on Monday nights isn't offering the same session in the fall! :( )

ChelsR14

08-18-2007, 10:03 AM

I've always hated skating early in the morning, but I force my self anyway ( to get ready for the competitive season) Waking up is usually easy, I just hate being so cold which makes me want to go back to sleep:). But on the upside the ice is much better so what ever floats your boat:)

jazzpants

08-18-2007, 10:35 AM

I've skated on morning FS for about as long as I've taken lessons with my secondary coach. One thing I'll tell 'ya... it took a while for me JUST to master the art of "sleep-skating" (as opposed to "sleep-walking" ;) ) And no, we're not talking about doing jumps and spins but just to skate around!!! :lol: My usual line when my secondary coach asks me "How are you?" is "Awake?"

This is definitely me in the morning: http://www.cosgan.de/images/smilie/muede/g060.gif

I'm so NOT a morning skater!!! http://www.cosgan.de/images/smilie/muede/d035.gif

Bill_S

08-18-2007, 10:50 AM

I skate twice a week in the mornings (when our rink is open). I get up at 4:45, do some chores, eat yogurt and tea, and get to the rink at 6am.

I don't like high activity skating (jumps, etc.) that early in the morning, but the ice is almost empty if I wanted to jump. I can do whatever full-ice move I desire - which is very, very nice.

I get a little more sluggish in late afternoon at work, but nothing serious. But I HAVE to get to bed by 9 pm the night before I skate, and usually want to also the evening after a morning session. For me, staying up late is the one thing that's a killer for morning sessions.

TreSk8sAZ

08-18-2007, 11:02 AM

I want to preface this with the fact I AM NOT A MORNING PERSON

I very often have a lesson at 4:30 a.m., and normal sessions for me start at 5 a.m. I'm extremely lucky because I only live 10 minutes from the rink.

How do I get myself out of bed that early (for a 4:30 lesson I have to be up at 3:45)? First, I go to bed at 8:30. I work and am going to law school, so this means organizing my time very carefully in order to do so. I'm usually packed for whatever I need to do the night before, so I don't forget anything that early in the morning. Some days I can rush home to take a shower, but on days I can't I shower the night before. As someone said earlier, I set my clock so it reads 5-10 minutes later than it actually is. I forget at that hour that's what I've done, so I get out of bed almost immediately.

I generally don't allow extra time for warming up off-ice, as it's really not in my routine unless I'm at a competition or test. I get on a few minutes early, do laps, and stretch on-ice.

Do I feel like I get more done skating than at later times in the day? YES! In the morning I'm completely fresh, and you'd be surprised how awake you are by the time you get to the rink. My mind hasn't taken over yet, so I don't overthink everything. I also haven't had stress at work or school, so my body is less tired and my mind is more alert. I'm not worrying about what happened here, or what went wrong there during my day, so I'm MUCH more focused. I've done both morning and afternoon skating, and while I do wish my mornings weren't quite so early, I much prefer them to afternoons. My body just doesn't work quite the same way in the afternoon unless I've had a nap (which I HAVE to do at competitions if I compete in the afternoon or evening).

Do I eat breakfast before or after I skate? Well, both, really. I usually have some fruit or an energy bar before I skate. If I don't eat at least a little something, my energy flags by the end of the session. After the session I'll have cereal or toast or a bagel w/cream cheese since I'm usually hungry again. It all depends on your stomach and metabolism - I get sick if I don't eat before hand, but then again I'm diabetic so that may have something to do with it. I know girls who absolutely cannot look at food that early in the morning.

Can I get through the workday without falling asleep? Yes. The time around 1:30 - 2:30 is the hardest, as I've just had lunch, etc. I work until 5:30 or 6 p.m., and I haven't fallen asleep yet. I also don't drink caffeine unless I'm absolutely exhausted, while many others who don't have my early schedule have to do so. The first week or so of doing the early schedule was extremely difficult, as I was a bit tired during the later parts of the workday. But I actually have classes 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. two days a week, and I had no problems (other than going straight home and going immediately to bed! :lol: ).

WeirFan06

08-18-2007, 11:20 AM

I want to preface this with the fact I AM NOT A MORNING PERSON

How do I get myself out of bed that early (for a 4:30 lesson I have to be up at 3:45)? First, I go to bed at 8:30. I work and am going to law school, so this means organizing my time very carefully in order to do so.).

... You are hard core :bow: When I went to college (and this was just undergrad, not something like law school!) I didn't skate at all. Partly it was because my school was ridiculously overpriced and I really couldn't afford it much, but even after the SF rink opened and I got a job there my senior year (and therefore had free ice time) I STILL didn't skate for myself except when I was ice guarding.

A few years ago I started carpooling with my coach, and during that time period I had to get up at 4am because she had to be to the rink by 5:30. I'm not a morning person, and plus I work night shift (three 12-hour shifts a week, different days each week) so I'm always having to figure out when to sleep, how long to sleep, what days I can sleep normally and what days I'll have to wear a blindfold and have a fan pointed at me in the middle of the afternoon. So to then take my "normal" mornings and drag myself out of be at 4am was just too much!!!!

We didn't do that for long. I didn't function as well, and luckily I didn't have to go to work afterwards because I would have been dead to the world by noon! Plus I'm pissy when I'm tired, so I think she got tired of me being so moody! Now I skate either during the later morning sessions, or in the afternoon. I'm much more pleasant! As for the eating in the morning... I can eat any meal at anytime. Half of the week my dinner is at 3am and breakfast is when I wake up at 4:30pm.

jazzpants

08-18-2007, 12:53 PM

Sorry, but this is definitely not true. You shouldn't eat three slices of pizza before you skate and you shouldn't be eating the minute before you go on the ice, but you need to eat something -- a handful of cereal and nuts, a yogurt, anything with a small mix of carbs and protein (hopefully as soon as you get up, to allow yourself the max amount of time to digest it). It kick starts your body into burning calories, thus giving you energy and "waking up" your muscles. Otherwise, your body will be forced to burn fat reserves, which isn't necessarily a bad thing; you just dont want to start off your workout this way because the low blood sugar from it will make you feel even more tired than you are! And if you absolutely cannot eat, you can always drink 100-200 calories when you get up -- a smoothies, drinkable yogurt, or even a sports drink (though this is probably the least ideal, and only ok if you're skating for less than an hour).

Also, because you're skating in the morning and have to keep up your energy throughout the day, it's extra important to eat well after your workout. If you're going straight to work/school, pack a "breakfast" that's a good mix of carbs (at least some starchy) and lean protein, and eat it 15-20 minutes after you get off the ice.I agree on this. I have a hard time functioning w/o at least eating something, even if it's on the morning commute to the rink. (Usually, I prefer as soon as I get up, but sometimes life doesn't seemed to allow me that time luxury and a quickie Egg McMuffin and juice will have to do.) A growling stomach and being half-awake can be a deadly combination when you are stepping out on the ice onto a crowded FS session.

What to have? Lots of carbs, some lean protein, some veggies or fruit...some dairy. Aim for energy food (carbs) vs. recovery food (proteins).

black

08-18-2007, 02:24 PM

Since January this year I have skated before work pretty much everyday (1 week off during skate camp + 2 weeks illness)

Alarm goes off at 5. Shower then breakfast; a big bowl of alpen and porridge oats sets me up till lunch. Its about a mile walk to the station and then 15 minutes on the train - sometime I listen to music on the way to wake my mind up. As a warm up I run around the rink 3 times, first slow then faster. A little stretching and then on the ice at about 6:50. Off ice at 8 - train back home, shower + change and a mile walk to work for 9:30. I don't have problems at work with fatigue.

The trick with the morning sessions is to get enough sleep. Simple, but it takes discipline, don't rely on coffee. Second, you have got to personally want to skate. I have seen some people at practice who are not having lessons very unmotivated.

Morning sessions are more about quality and quietness of ice time. You can get some speed up and not worry about inexperienced skaters; you can concentrate more.

No, Morgail you are not insane for doing early sessions, but go easy the first week; do what you love, love what you do.

Morgail

08-18-2007, 02:57 PM

Thanks to everyone for all the replies and advice! I think I may do a walk-on to the early session this week, just to see what it's like before I commit to contracting for it. I talked to an adult skater at the rink today who goes to the early sessions, and she was happy with them. Even though I'm not a morning person, I think that knowing that I'm getting up to skate will motivate me to pull myself out of bed that early.

BelleBway

08-18-2007, 07:40 PM

I've had 6:30am lessons once a week over the summer, because it was the only time I could fit in with my coach- he has different summer hrs and so does the rink. (during the year, I take my lessons at 10:30am) He never thought I'd go for a lesson that early; I guess he underestimated how serious I am.

This means I have to get up around 4:30 so I can leave the house at 5:30, arrive at the rink at 6, and skate a little to warm up before my lesson. I always eat some cereal for breakfast, because I don't like to try to function without any nutrition. Although it takes me forever to roll out of bed most days (when the alarm is set to 7am), I manage to get myself up and moving pretty quicky- I guess it's because I know I don't have as much time to get ready.

I try to go to sleep around 9-10pm the nights before I get up that early because I function best with a decent amount of sleep. I also try not to drink any caffeinated beverages the day before I need to get up early. It's worked well so far, except for one week when the neighbors saw fit to set off firecrackers at 9:45 pm and again after midnight sometime. It was jarring to wake up that way, and it took me forever to fall back to sleep both times. I skated ok, but was waaaaay tired at work afterwards.

I've always been a night owl (I could easier see myself staying up til 4 than waking up then), but I also have a lot of determination. :D Lots of people think I am crazy for getting up that early... but even though I am still a beginner (working on pre-bronze moves), I have a passion for skating and I am very determined to improve as much as I can. I think this summer has been a turning point in figuring out how committed I am to skating- not just because of the 6:30 am lessons, but also due to attending the Hackensack camp. Anyway, whenever I want something, I do what it takes... and if that means getting up at 4:30am once a week, so be it.

It's nice that the 6am freestyle session is very uncrowded. (usually me and 2-3 children, who may or may not be taking lessons) Part of me will miss attending those sessions when my coach switches back to his fall schedule.

Award

08-18-2007, 08:40 PM

I think it's beneficial to have something to eat in the morning, especially before skating. For normal people, blood sugar is probably low when you get up in the morning, and it is beneficial to boost that by eating the right stuff...... it is good for body, including brain functions.

Sessy

08-19-2007, 03:45 AM

Well for a while I skated at 9 AM. That's how early the rink opened, no earlier. But the rink was over 1,5 hours travel away so I was getting up very early for an owl!!!
I ate milk porridge (very thin) from a bottle on the bus there, and no, I wasn't getting as much skating done - I lacked strength, especially. Rest of the day I was as dumb as a wooden box but hey.

Mrs Redboots

08-19-2007, 08:25 AM

And if you absolutely cannot eat, you can always drink 100-200 calories when you get up -- a smoothies, drinkable yogurt, or even a sports drink (though this is probably the least ideal, and only ok if you're skating for less than an hour).My nutritionist - herself a skater and skating coach - says that you should have a low GI snack before you skate and a high GI one afterwards. She did write an article on what to eat before skating, even if it's in the car - I know yoghurt featured, and sandwiches on wholemeal bread, but I've forgotten her other suggestions. She did say, though, that 100 ml of sports drink should be drunk during your workout, if necessary, and you should have a high GI snack to replenish your blood glucose levels immediately afterwards.

Talking of eating in the car, wasn't it someone on these boards who said that you can always tell an early-morning skater by the stains down their fronts caused by drinking coffee in the car on their way to the rink!

Sessy

08-19-2007, 08:50 AM

Hmmm... From what I remember from when mom was doing this montignac thing and I was just dieting, low GI would be just about every type of vegetable and fruit except corn, grapes, bananas, raisins and (water)melon. Although from my purely personal experience, bananas and pureed bananas with milk are fine too before skating. Low GI would also be any whole-wheat cereal without sugars added, as well as non-whole-wheat cereals but with extra fibers, also without sugars added (or only very little). Take a look into whole-wheat baby food porridges that say "just add milk". As long as they're not sugar-pumped, they're probably low GI too.

Sonic

08-19-2007, 09:57 AM

Gawd, I feel guilty reading some of these posts as I have enough trouble getting to the rink for 7-730am, let alone 5am lol!

I think the best thing is, as others have said, is to get into a routine, and shower the night before, make sure all your stuff is organised, etc, so you can just get in the car and go.

I am the sort of person who needs at least seven hours sleep to function properly, and a few months ago when I was going in and starting at 7am to work on my programme, I became very disciplined and was in bed by 10pm. The more you do it, the easier it gets, and I was soon able to do my programme 'cold', straight off with practically no warm-up. However of late have been going to be far too late (in the early hours), and either failing to get up to skate, or spending the whole session feeling my skates didn't belong to me.

I'm better at giving advice on these matters than taking my own advice lol!

S xxx

doubletoe

08-19-2007, 11:14 AM

I am impressed by those who can skate an early morning session without a shower first. I am soooo stiff first thing in the morning that I can't imagine doing a spiral or even a camel spin without a hot shower to loosen up all those kinks! Of course I don't really have a choice anyway, since I don't have time after skating to take a shower before work. . . :??

Bill_S

08-19-2007, 12:29 PM

I have to shower before I skate in the mornings (sideways hair, you know). After the morning skate, I run home to shower again just before work. The second shower is always a sprint so I can make it to the office on time.

Gadzooks, if I didn't shower after a 2-hour skate, I'd feel miserable, and cause considerable distress to others around me at work! You wouldn't believe how soaked I get skating.

And because I usually skate again after work at 5-ish, I take a third shower in the evening when I get home.

Skating is hard on my water bill!

Amandaskategirl

08-19-2007, 01:33 PM

-How do you wake up enough to do something as athletically demanding as skating that early in the morning? Do you allow extra time for warming up off-ice?
It depends. I often have a lesson around 8.30am (which isn’t that early) and arrive at the rink in time to warm up for half an hour. The only time I skate earlier is if I do a skating course which starts around 6am and I don’t warm up before. I find it so much easier to wake up if I am going skating than if I am doing anything else.

-Do you feel like you get as much done skating early as you might skating later in the day? I find that I am much more of an early morning skating and have more energy than I do later in the day.

-Do you eat breakfast before or after you skate? It depends on how early I am skating and whether I am hungry or not. If I decide to eat then I stick with something light – like fruit/ a cereal bar/ or a small amount of a muesli type cereal and yoghurt. I often eat after skating too.

-Can you make it through the workday without falling asleep at your desk? I am still studying and often find myself feeling a bit sleepy.

Hannahclear

08-19-2007, 01:41 PM

I skate at 6 or 630 am three days per week. It's quite simple. I skate that early, or I don't skate.

So I deal.

It's not too bad actually. Getting to bed at a decent hour is a must, along with organization. I pack my bag and my work clothes for afterward the night before, leaving it all in a neat little pile.

One thing I find is that I'm absolutely starving afterwards. I do eat beforehand, but I must eat again afterward. If not, I'll be lightheaded and nauseous with hunger before 9am.

Muskoka Skater

08-19-2007, 03:32 PM

I actually for some reason love skating really early in the morning. I go from dreaming about skating to doing it, which is a great feeling. The only thing I don't like about it is when I'm done skating!

doubletoe

08-19-2007, 07:04 PM

SynchroSk8r114

08-19-2007, 07:28 PM

I'm a morning person, so I love skating in the morning! I currently get up at 4:30 a.m. so that I can get dressed, pull my hair up, and grab breakfast (can't skate without it! ;)). By that time, it's 5:15 a.m. and I'm out the door. The rink's only a twenty minute drive for me (if that), so usually I'm rolling into the parking lot about 5:35 a.m., where I usually have to wait for one of the maintenance workers to see me and let me in. (Sad, I know...:lol:)

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have synchro from 6:00 - 7:30 a.m. followed by a dance lesson until 9:00 a.m. Other mornings, I just go to practice because there's like, one other person on the 6:00 a.m. session, so I can usually get my Starlight or Paso in without having to worry about taking some little kid down! :halo:

Early morning ice is quiet, peaceful, and relaxing. The cool air and the breeze on my face wakes me up and by 9:45 a.m., I feel like I've been up for hours! (Well, I guess I kind of have been! :P) Seriously, it makes me laugh when I get to campus and see half the class falling asleep and there I am bright-eyed and bushy-tailed! :lol:

Morgail

08-19-2007, 08:04 PM

I skate at 6 or 630 am three days per week. It's quite simple. I skate that early, or I don't skate.

That's the reason I'm thinking of doing these sessions. There are a couple sessions I could make after work, but it would be close timewise, and I don't want to be the one who can't stay late at work if I'm asked to. So if I don't do the early sessions, I could only skate on weekends.

Gadzooks, if I didn't shower after a 2-hour skate, I'd feel miserable, and cause considerable distress to others around me at work! You wouldn't believe how soaked I get skating.

And that's why I'm thinking of the 5:50 session rather than the 7:10 session - I'll have time for a shower before work! No one would want to sit by me at work if I didn't take a shower after I skated. :oops: Plus I'll have time to eat more breakfast if I'm hungry.

doubletoe

08-20-2007, 12:35 AM

That's the reason I'm thinking of doing these sessions. There are a couple sessions I could make after work, but it would be close timewise, and I don't want to be the one who can't stay late at work if I'm asked to. So if I don't do the early sessions, I could only skate on weekends.

And that's why I'm thinking of the 5:50 session rather than the 7:10 session - I'll have time for a shower before work! No one would want to sit by me at work if I didn't take a shower after I skated. :oops: Plus I'll have time to eat more breakfast if I'm hungry.

So when do you do your first early morning session? You see, we're all invested in your new lifestyle now, LOL!:lol:

chowskates

08-20-2007, 05:25 AM

Hi all, I suppose I'm chiming in kinda late... but OMG, hats off to those of you who can skate at 6am & earlier!! :bow: :bow: :bow:

I used to have lesson at 7am. I would always make sure I get up 2 hours *before* skating, so that my body & brain can actually wake up. I know if I don't, I would do silly things like forget to bring my skates (or a change of clothes) with me to the rink!

But I can't imagine getting up 2 hours before a 5am session! :roll:

Rob Dean

08-20-2007, 07:01 AM

-How do you wake up enough to do something as athletically demanding as skating that early in the morning? Do you allow extra time for warming up off-ice?
-Do you feel like you get as much done skating early as you might skating later in the day?
-Do you eat breakfast before or after you skate?
-Can you make it through the workday without falling asleep at your desk?

I need to make it a routine to do something that early successfully. Three days a week would be enough to consider setting the rest of my schedule up around it. Early up for me means early to bed. I've got a 30-40 minute drive to the rink, so that give me time to drink my coffee on the way.

I do like to have extra warm-up time if I can get it.

My best skating time is about 9:00AM, so I don't get as much done at 5:50 as I'd like. I've been having a 6:40AM lesson on Friday mornings this summer; that's somewhere between (but leaning toward the less productive...)

I have to eat breakfast beforehand; I've always been a breakfast eater so that's not usually a problem.

Sometimes I do have to use my lunch break for a nap, but that has more to do with whether I slept well than whether I skated. On a really good day, I'll skate at dawn and then do a 12 mile bike ride at lunch...

... but when I have to get up early for a competition or a test, my favorite things to have are a banana and a hard-boiled egg, and maybe a small slice of whole-wheat toast with peanut butter, and a small amount of orange juice.

That looks like a pretty good mix, about what the bicycling magazines would recommend for a pre-ride breakfast. I've got to add coffee, though...

Rob

Rusty Blades

08-20-2007, 10:11 AM

I need to make it a routine to do something that early successfully.

As with me! When I started doing early sessions, I "shifted my biological clock" by getting up by 4 a.m. every day (including weekends). It works out well since, if I am not skating, I am in to the office WAY early and make up some of the time I take off for skating, which keeps my employer happy. My friends have learned that if they call after 9 p.m. they are GOING to get GRUMPED at! :mrgreen:

Petlover

08-20-2007, 11:15 AM

If I don't skate in the morning, I can't skate. Therefore, I have become a morning person and LOVE to skate in the mornings. The few times I have decided not to wake up and missed my session, I have really regretted it.

Morgail

08-20-2007, 03:13 PM

So when do you do your first early morning session? You see, we're all invested in your new lifestyle now, LOL!:lol:

If I do the walk-on, it will be this Thursday or Friday (I need to sneak a peek at the session schedule next time I'm at the rink to make sure they aren't full - which I doubt they are!). The fall session, which is when I'll be doing these sessions, starts the first week of September. I'm not completely sure what mornings I want to do yet - have to find out when my lesson will be first:) I'll probably do two mornings a week. I have to decide by the end of this week though, since the contracts are due in soon.

I'm kind of excited:lol:

blackmanskating

08-20-2007, 04:56 PM

I've been skating for close to 20 months now. 90% of that time has been early in the morning. I work at night so early morning skating is the only option I have. :mrgreen: I skate every weekday from about 7 to 9 am. I work until about 11 at night and I typically have to get up at 6 to get ready to skate. I don't get to bed until midnight. So early mornings combined with lack of sleep can really kick my butt sometimes. But after a warm shower and a cup of green tea, I'm out the door. Combine that with about 15 minutes of jump rope, I'm ready for just about anything my coach throws at me. . .
well almost anything. :giveup:

BlackManSkating

Sessy

08-20-2007, 05:30 PM

I wish our rink would have 5 AM sessions here... Me and every other skating adult in the country I think, LOL! Skating as an adult is hell here. My rink has sessions from 14.00-16.45 or till 15.45 in the afternoon (that's before school is even out) and other rinks are open from 9 in the morning till 5 in the afternoon... Which is before people are home from work, or after they must be at work.

:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

looplover

08-20-2007, 07:58 PM

Someone is reading this thread and playing a joke on me. Got the schedule for the test and I have to test around 8:30 :twisted:

(it could be worse, the first schedule had me testing at 7:30)

GordonSk8erBoi

08-21-2007, 06:50 PM

As I have be all adult-like and start working full-time next week, I'm looking into signing up for a couple of early morning skating sessions (5:50 am) a week. I've never skated that early before. I guess I'm wondering how difficult it is. I'm normally someone who gets up to have just enough time for a shower and some cereal before I run out the door.

So, for those who have done those crack-of-dawn sessions:
-How do you wake up enough to do something as athletically demanding as skating that early in the morning? Do you allow extra time for warming up off-ice?
-Do you feel like you get as much done skating early as you might skating later in the day?
-Do you eat breakfast before or after you skate?
-Can you make it through the workday without falling asleep at your desk?

I hear ya! I'm not a morning person at all, so I know what you mean.

When I was regularly skating a 6 a.m. session I would get up, throw clothes on, and drive straight to the rink (who cares what you look like at 6 a.m.?). DO allow yourself some time to warmup off-ice before you get on. DO eat or drink something -- I usually drank one of those small bottles of OJ while driving.

As for effectiveness -- one coach thought I skated better at that time of the day, my brain didn't get in the way :-). After skating I'd drive to work, take a shower (gym at work, very handy!), eat a small breakfast. I was actually pretty fine and peppy by then.

Go for it! It does make you feel like a "real skater" :-).

Ice Dancer

08-21-2007, 11:07 PM

The only time it hurts is like now when it is pitch black outside, is cold (some summer) and you are freezing your butt off at 5am getting ready to leave!

MusicSkateFan

08-22-2007, 01:08 PM

doubletoe

08-22-2007, 02:27 PM

Sometimes the early morning is the only time I can skate. As an adult it seems more difficult to get the muscle going that early.

I find, however, if I can get things accomplished that early or even run my program.....it gives me confidence to know that,"hey, I did a run through at 6:15am when I was really tight, I can surely get through this test or competition when I am properly warmed up!"

I have a feeling when my new home rink sets up the September schedule, I will be back to the 6am skate. Up at 4:45....leave house by 5:20 get to rink by 5:40.....10 minute off ice warm up...lace up and skate 6-7....rush to change etc. get to work by 7:20!

WOW! You get ready FAST!! I could never walk out of the rink in street clothes just 15 minutes after getting off the ice! 8O Our session ends at 7:30 and I don't get out of the rink until close to 8:30, LOL! Of course I do stretch for half an hour but I have no idea what happens to the rest of the time. . .

Terri C

08-23-2007, 07:26 PM

This summer, my rink offered freestyle from 7-8:50 am in addition to afternoon ice. I went to the morning sessions whenever I could, whether it was my week or day off or when I was lucky enough to get called off from work. The one thing that would bug me is when I'd have a lesson in the afternoon on my days off.
Yes, you do have to eat something- for me it was a bowl of Cornflakes with strawberries and blueberries and a cup of coffee. Sometimes after, I'd treat myself to Starbucks (my "Starbucks incentive")

This fall the rink is going to contract ice from 6-8 am and well since I have to be at work at 7am that will not work for me. No my employer is not flexible.:(

sue123

08-23-2007, 10:00 PM

I used to take lessons at 8 am, which I thought was early, but I see now that's incredibly late by some of these standards. I usually got to the rink around 7:30 so I would have time to jog around the parking lot and stretch, which meant leaving at 7, which meant getting up around 6:30. The problem was, this was when I was an undergrad, nad one time, I was up until 2 am the night before, so when I went in to the rink, I was sitting on the bench to put my skates on. Normally, I put one skate on and then take the other out of the bag and put it on. For some reason, I took one out of the bag first, adn then the second and put on the second. Then, when I reached in for the other boot, it wasn't there. I started flipping out, that I lost a boot somewhere, where could it have gone, it should have been in my bag! My coach starts laughing and points out that it was right next to me. Seems my brain wasn't fully awake yet.