There really is a distinct difference between getting up at 5 a.m. vs. 4:30 a.m. You wouldn’t think so (Too Early vs. Too Early), but there really is. I think it may have something to do with circadian rhythms or something.
When I changed to taking the LTR to the office downtown, I had to shift from 5 to 4:30, since the drive-to-the-station + rail-travel worked out to another 15+ minutes beyond my driving commute to Golden. Since I wanted to work 6-4 (generally), this seemed necessary.
But I was finding it was really impacting my fatigue factor, and my grogginess and clarity during the day, regardless of when I was actually going to bed. And, looking at it, the 5:08 train was getting me there about 5:50, while if I get up at 5 I can catch the 5:38 and be there about 6:15 … but by then I’ve already done an email sweep on the train, so I’m really “working” in that timeframe, so being 15 minutes “late” isn’t a biggie — esp. since nobody’s there at that time, either.
So … this week I’ve been doing the 5 a.m. alarm instead, and feeling much better about it.
Except now I keep waking up spontaneously at 4:57, which is just annoying …
Your a bigger man then me. To be able to get to work using RTD I would have to get up at 5am v 6am.
An hour is pretty darned harsh. A half-hour wasn’t too bad (I thought), esp. for the cost savings *and* the opportunity to work downtown.
I could have taken the bus to the Golden office. My estimate is that it would take 90 minutes both directions, vs 30. That wasn’t worth it.