Even though my roommate wants to throw my phone out the window whenever my ringer goes off, I have become used to getting up at 5 a.m. every weekday this semester. My roommate, being the sweetheart that she is, has never complained about my iPhone flashlight going on or how loud I can get while stumbling around our room. Then again, she was really adamant about getting her own single next year. But now I don’t have to fall over my sneakers in the dark!
While it isn’t necessarily normal for a college student to get up at 5 AM and while waking up so early may make some people think of a slow, painful death, I actually enjoy waking up that early. Now don’t get me wrong, when I end up going to bed at 1 AM, waking up at 5 isn’t always my favorite thing. But that’s why Dunkin exists.
I have never felt more like a Sagittarius in my life.
You are probably thinking that I must have a super cool internship in NYC and the only reason I get up that early is to do my hair, pick out a super cute outfit, and allow myself to have enough time to walk in heels in Manhattan. And you would be very wrong to think that. I get up at 5 a.m. because I have a mission: I have to get to the gym!
5:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. is my gym time. Whether I am running, cycling, or lifting weights, it is the only time when I can challenge myself physically during the day. It is also the only time where I don’t have to be glued to a chair in class or in the library. It’s probably the best part of my day because no one is instructing me to work out but rather it is an activity that I look forward to and have a passion for.
My world (New Brunswick) is so different at 5 a.m. The only thing that is alive and well at such a time are my neighbor’s eight cats, who have become my nocturnal buddies. It is quiet, and believe it or not, the streets of New Brunswick are kind of peaceful. And since I drive to the gym, I still have about two and a half hours until traffic will become unbearable.
The gym crowd at this time of the day is focused, non-social, and determined to get their work out in before their busy day starts. Even though most people think I am social butterfly, when it comes to the gym, I would rather not have someone talking my ear off. A word to the wise, don’t talk more than you can lift. Shout out to the morning gym crowd, you are my people!
And the best part of waking up so early is the feeling of satisfaction that you get around 8 AM. My metabolism is boosted, I don’t have to worry about squeezing in a workout, and I am feeling ahead of the game. I have come to live by the motto, “If you lose the morning, you lose the day.”
You don't want to end up like this guy though...
