I love coming back home...After having spent half my life on the road through competition, work and play, I love the simple act of coming back home after a long stint on the road and chillin' out in my abode. The next best thing...(aside from seeing my girl) is waking up to a great cup of coffee - prepared on my Bezzara Espresso machine.
The Bestest Gift EVER! This little beauty was given to me by my team x-c.com crew this spring as a 'thank you' gift for giving them such a hard time over the past 7 years.I've probably used 'Buzz' to make coffee every single day since I got it! If you enjoy coffee as much as I do and have thought of 'investing' in your own personal espresso machine - Do it, and don't cheap out! I cannot describe how much of a difference it makes in your morning coffee experience!
The only problem with being on the road so much is coming home to a yard that looks like this-So I figured I'd use this post to answer Holly's latest blog opinion poll (Holly, I actually started writing a response but had to stop myself and copy/paste my response back onto my own blog after using up a very large portion of the 'comment' box). So here it goes...
First off, I think that there are two categories of humans out there...You are either a 'morning person' or not. There's nothing wrong with the latter, it just means that you aren't wired to get up at the crack of dawn like most sick individuals...Everyone has there own internal clock and I truly believe that there's no point in screwing around with it, because it won't help you either way - just roll with it, and adjust your lifestyle accordingly.
Although I know this isn't recommended by most nutritionists...I would choose coffee first, and if I can, grab a very light bite to eat, then off I go. If I have a longer run, then I'll eat a bit more, and enjoy my coffee after as I drive to work (or walk down the stairs to my office!). If you can't take 10 steps without a coffee shot in fear of turning into Oscar the Grouch, then take a shot of espresso, or set your coffee machine timer to have a cup ready for you upon wake up - Pull yourself out of bed, get dressed, take a few sips and go!
Personally, I'm a bit of a hybrid (Kellie prefers to use the term: freak). I love the action of sleeping or sleeping in (I think I slept close to 24hrs on Tuesday when I got back from CO - call it a combination of extreme fatigue and catching up on lost Z's over the past 2 months). On the other hand, I have absolutely no problem in getting up before the first rays shine over the hills to get the day rolling whether it be work or play. If need be, I'll be the first one up to greet the sun and have a genuine smile to back it up. I also hate the snooze button with a passion! My opinion: Why would anyone want to interrupt good quality sleep with an annoying buzz everyone goddamn 9min! I really don't get this 'bad habit'...Nevertheless, the most important ritual of all associated with morning...is coffee!
Again, everyone has their own morning routine - but for me, the act of making, drinking and enjoying a very strong cup o'Joe is all part of my daily ritual. It doesn't necessarily need to come first thing in the morning, or in any particular order for that matter, I just really enjoy the ritual of taking a moment and sipping some pipping hot coffee. As far as incorporating this into my training routine - If I do choose to 'delay' my wake up purposely (by setting my clock to ring 15min before my departure/pickup time) and have to eliminate something (breakfast, coffee, shower, etc...) in order to be on time, then coffee will NOT be omitted. That said, if I do end up being really late, or as is often the case, that the morning coffee option is just not on the menu, then it won't ruin my day either- Surfing is actually a good example here because we often wake-up at 5am to get the best waves. Being stuffed in some little cabana in the middle of Guadala-nowhere Mexico, you don't often get the luxury of having fresh coffee brewed for you upon your daily wake-up. In this case, we go out, surf our brains out for 3 to 4hrs surviving only on random gels, bars and salt water. Once we've had our dose of wave induced enemas, we slowly dog paddle our way back to shore just in time for one of the many local Cantinas to open and serve some of Mexico's finest instant coffee!
How do you get yourself out of bed earlier? Being self-employed, I work from my home most of the time, and have the advantage of choosing my own work schedule (for the most part). But as I mentioned above, if I don't get my workout in early, then chances are that I'm setting myself up for a non-training day. My best advice is: "Plan ahead". Just like setting goals, writing your daily/weekly training objectives down on paper will actually motivate you to do get up in the morning and get it done! This system does work, but again, your heart has to be in it. If you try to rely on your buddy 'snooze' to get you up in time - good luck - The only thing he's good for is wasting your day, and then you'll be doomed to try and cram all your miles in a 3-day weekend, which only works in my case if I plan on getting lost with Bob!
Gotta run - time for a coffee break!
4 comments:
Oh, you're so right about the snooze button. It is definitely high time for me to drop that super annoying habit.
I have to say, the thought of having a shot of espresso never occurred to me before...I think I may have to start looking to purchase some new coffee equipment. If I'm going to get up earlier than ever before I might as well make it enjoyable, right??
My TR copeing strategy was to set the alarm early, bolt upright and exit tent and GO GET A COFFEE. The rest would fall into place after that!!
Coffee, coffee and more coffee...it does make the world a better place.
I am a morning guy myself and can relate to Phil in many ways as to how I start my day (which always includes coffee). A couple years ago I felt I was drinking too much coffee and was totally adicted (crazy headaches if I didn't have a joe) and decided to kick the habit. I did - cold turkey - for about a year and a half. My wife Sarah, who is also a coffee addict, thought I was on crack. It felt good to kick it but then I realized how much I actually like the taste (and smell) of coffee and not just the buzz.
I'm back on the bean and last father's day I got a nice french press. Sooooooooooooo gooooooooood!! My little 2 year old Julia almost every morning will say to me "Father's Day coffee daddy!?" as I pour it up.
I figure if you are going to have a vice in life, coffee is not so bad. Life is too short! I also have to say that a cold beer (in a frosty mug) at suppertime is a great ritual as well. I highly recommend it.
I gotta go and refill my cup...
stoked i found your blog phil. great meeting you at tr man.
when i used to put back the booze i was known for getting up in time for dinner. now a days i have trouble sleeping past 5:30am. i love being up before the sun. but the first thing that goes through my mind is.. "where's the coffee". don't do the espresso but i preach how much better the french press is than a regular coffee machine. just so good in the morning.
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