Morning routines unstoppable athletes.png

You wake up. Now what? (Please don’t hit that snooze button!)

Avoid those rough triathlon training days and keep a positive outlook - even when you’re dealt blow after blow, with a powerful morning routine.

A powerful morning routine will keep you focused, positive and resilient, and set you up for your best day. If you’re going through a rough patch, a powerful morning routine will keep you pointing North, achieving your triathlon goals and feeling as best you can.

For inspiration, lets take a look at some of the powerful rituals pro athletes and coaches include in their morning routines:

Lucy Charles-Barclay,

Red Bull Athlete - Pro Triathlete

5.30 a.m. - 7.30 a.m. Swim practice, any distance from 5K upwards

Rest of the morning: Second breakfast and indoor bike session for 2-5 hours with a brick run off that ride for 60-90 minutes.

Afternoon: Late lunch, I’ll do a strength or rehab session

Sleep: Lucy aims to get 10-12 hours a night, but will go for less when training and racing require it.

An average training week for Lucy is 4-6 hours in the pool, 15-20 hours on the bike, 5-8 hours running and 3 strength sessions.

Part of her race preparation also includes visualising the race and the day before a race, to give her extra motivation to push harder in a low point, Lucy will write down her five best and super-tough swim, bike and run workouts that she smashed.

Connect with Lucy on Instagram (@lucycharles93).

Lucy has a developed a morning routine and schedule that enables her to get the optimum training, recovery and fuel that her mind and body needs - and this is a lesson we can all take away!

We may not have the schedule of a pro triathlete, but we can look at our own daily routine and ask ourselves: How can I make this better? When is it best for me to train? I covered this in last week’s blog too.

Visualisation is key to performing optimally in any situation. In the morning, I have my clients visualise for 3+ minutes a day, which may include how their day is going to go brilliantly, how they’ll think, feel and act their best in an upcoming difficult situation, how they’ll smash today’s training, or how they’ll have their best race ever.

Using past successes to boost your confidence, is one of the best techniques you can use when wanting to succeed in anything too.

Jes Woods,

Nike Running Coach and Ultra-marathoner

Jes is up at 5:30am followed by ab energising and balanced breakfast of oatmeal with dried fruits, nuts, and raw honey to fuel her morning run. She skips music with her run to get lost in her thoughts on the trails, but if Jes needs an extra boost, it’s The Greatest Showman soundtrack all the way.

Connect with Jes (@jeslynnyc).

Getting up at the same time every day is an important part of your morning routine. It allows your body to get into a good rhythm, so you can consistently have the best sleep ever! Changing the time you get up every morning throws your internal clock off and will have you feeling more tired. It doesn’t have to be 5:30am, just a time that works best for you.

Julie Foucher,

Retired Crossfitter and Family Med Resident

5 a.m. Wake up, get dressed, pack lunch. “I use my phone as my alarm, but I keep it charging in the hallway outside my room. It forces me to get out of bed when it goes off and makes it easier for my husband to sleep.”

5:15 a.m. Drive to CrossFit class at Black Flag Athletics; hydrate with water on the way.

5:30–6:30 a.m. Crush the Workout of the Day (WOD).

6:30–7 a.m. Breakfast shake to refuel muscles; shower and get ready for work in the locker room.

7–7:30 a.m. Drive to work listening to a podcast. “My go-to is Found My Fitness by Rhonda Patrick, PhD—she interviews experts on the science of nutrition, health, and longevity and explains it in a practical way.

7:30–8 a.m. Prep for work at the clinic and eat breakfast.

Connect with Julie (@juliefoucher).

Julie’s morning routine is great because she hydrates, gets the blood flowing, fuels her body and learns something new from the podcast, really allowing her to conquer the day. Training in the morning is one of the best times, because it means you’ve got your session in no matter how the rest of your day turns out.

Kira Stokes,

Celeb trainer in NYC/LA and creator of The Stoked Method

"I wake up at 5:15 every day and never hit the snooze button… Before I get out of bed, I take a moment for two or three simple full-body stretches.…While I do this, I repeat a positive mantra in my head: 'I am grateful and thankful for the ability to move my body as I will today, and for the opportunity to impact lives as it is truly a gift.”

Connect with Kira (@kirastokesfit).

I really love that Kira includes a positive mantra in her morning routine. It’s really important to think positive, productive and powerful thoughts as soon as you wake up, as you’re strengthening these pathways in your brain and getting yourself excited for the day.

I always have my clients include a gratitude journal in the morning routine, as this tells your unconscious to look out for all the positive things that are happening in your day to day life, which is vital for maintaining that positive mindset and outlook.

Brett Hoebell,

Transformative Coach and Creator of 20 Minute Body

"My phone alarm is set for 6:30, but I always wake up a few minutes before it goes off. I always make my bed—it's the Virgo in me. Then I take my dog on a brisk walk and make a point not to bring my phone. I leave it on aeroplane mode until my morning routine is complete, and it's a much more peaceful and relaxing way to start the day. I always take a quick, hot shower to wake me up and loosen up my muscles before I go to battle on the training floor…”

Connect with Brett (@bretthoebel).

Keeping your phone on aeroplane mode and not checking social media, news outlets, emails or anything else that can set you off on the wrong foot in the morning is crucial.

I don’t want you reacting to your surroundings, but responding intentionally and the best way to do this is by keeping calm in the mornings and doing what you need to do to get yourself in the best mindset possible.

Making your bed is also one of my favourite rituals as it’s an easy way to get a quick win in!