I travel a lot, and that makes things complicated. Meal planning, time zones, training rides, scheduling work, and finding time for it all. It’s not always easy, especially when you’re on the road. But one thing that remains constant – I try my best to make it so – is my morning routine. Here’s a quick summary of what I do every morning:
- Wake up at the same time every day, including weekends: right now it’s 7:00AM
- Take a minute to stretch – lower back, hamstrings, calves, arms, neck, and shoulders. Stand up and stretch for a few more seconds before making my way to the bathroom
- Read a book while, you know…
- Drink water. I usually finish a bottle within an hour
- Do some yoga, core, and or strength training. The ‘workout’ depends on the ride plan for that day: 5 hours endurance calls for 15 minutes of yoga; 90 min easy means 60 minutes of strength training
- Meditate for at least 5 minutes. This is something that I’ve been trying to get into, have gotten in and out of, and been generally inconsistent with for the past year. Some days it helps a lot. Other days, it doesn’t seem to do anything. I’ve tried many different practices, but have yet to find one that really sticks. But for the most part, it helps
- Write in my journal for 5-10 minutes – thoughts, goals, ideas, anything that comes to mind; things that help guide and organize my schedule for the day
- And then the day begins: work, riding, emails, stretching, recovery, etc. And THIS is when I turn my phone back on. Before this, nothing. Phone goes off at least 30 minutes before bedtime. No emails, no notifications, no text messages, and no task reminders.
I love this routine because I always have it with me. Even if I’m in a new house, a new bed, a new time zone surrounded my different people, I can come back to this routine and start off my day in a way that I know does me well. It helps organize my thoughts, stay calm, and learn and practice the things that matter to me most. It helps me stayed grounded, reminding me where I am and who I am with, and what my goal and purpose is for today.
The single-most important part of my routine is leaving my phone off until I I finish going through my morning routine. I believe every single person should at least try this out, if not practice it everyday. Read a book, write personally or creatively, stretch, meditate, go to a yoga class, etc. Anything that doesn’t involve your phone buzzing in your pocket and burning light into your retinas during the first hour or two of the day.
But I use my phone as my alarm clock, I here you say – Fine. Turn Wi-Fi, data, and notifications off at night. Put your phone on silent. Do whatever it takes.
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