Winter Cycling - HELP.. Cant get my but out of bed!!

I started riding a bit ago.. started off the weather was not bad.. fairly cool but not cold. I first got started just for exercise, but turned out I really enjoy the ride but not the cold. (I know I livein Southern CA so it is not really cold for most of you out there) But the past 2 weeks it has been getting a bit colder.. or maybe it is just me, at first I was going out 5-6 days a week.. on weekdays I would get up at 4:30am hit the road by 5am latest.. come home at 6:30am give or take and take shower go to work.. weekends I would sleep in a bit more. Weekends are not a problem I sleep in a bit more get up go for a ride (still go early try to get it done before my son wakes up around 8-9am).. but on weekdays quite a few mornings lately I'm nice and warm in bed and just go back to sleep when my alarms goes off. Anyone find any way to get themselves up a bit easier in the morning hours. I enjoy the ride and feel better during the day when I do.. Or am I just lacking the motivation.. and should try to motivate myself more..

Sometimes you just need to take it easy for a bit but don't stop riding all together. Go for some nice easy rides and make them fun. Go to a different place than usual so you see different things that will peak your interest and instead of focusing on doing it for excersice just go for a ride. Once you are out you will likely feel better about it and the motivation will come back to going harder again.

Best of luck!

Once I am out.. I really enjoy it, seems after skipping a day or two is when it is harder to get up early in the morning. I thought about a trainer so would not have to deal with the cold.. but I tried a stationary bike before getting into cycling.. but I dreaded every second of it.. talk about boring!!! But going out.. I actualy like the early morning rides other then the cold.. not many people out.. got free reign of where I want to go.. if I go later in the day which I have done a few times on the weekends.. to many pedestrians now they are annoying.. The weekends I love the most though.. start off around 6-7am.. Sun is just coming up.. warms up a bit.. just ride down to the beach.. alot of the time.. nice and peaceful relaxing.. it's great.. I can't think of better way to spend my saturday/sunday mornings.. come back make breakfast... :)

Have you thought about commuting to work? Then you have no excuse. You have to get up and out the door or you'll be late.

I truly thought about what you said today captain crunch.. after I overslept a couple days.. I did start to view it more as exercise then just enjoying the ride.. And I am currently trying to quit smoking.. I've almost completely quit.. 1 or 2 here and there.. but have been substituting coffee during the day instead of a cig.. so roughly I'm probably drinking.. (including my morning cofee).. 4-5 12 ounce cups a day.. and atleast 1 24 ounce cup in the morning.. then one 20 ounce after work on the drive home. (my drive is about 1.5 hours each morning and evening).. And stopped drinking the water i was drinking before.. wonder if that could be causing me not to have as restful a night's sleep.. I become addicted fairly quickly to stimulants.. I was addicted to coke(soda drink) for long time.. cig's after just a couple while experimenting when I was younger.. I just realized today.. when leaving work.. I was counting down the time till I got my cup of coffee..

I have seriously started considering commuting to work, it sounds like fun to me.. alot more relaxing then traffic. Hopefully the wife will be getting her license soon.. (we only have 1 car).. She can drop William (our son) off at school by her work.. and I can just ride my bike to work.. Only problem I worry about a commute is personal hygene(sp?) by the time I get to work.. it is roughly around 14-15 miles so not to bad a ride.. slight hilll for about 1-2 miles.. nothing to bad though.