Why I Joined the 5am Club (Without Even Knowing It)

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been driven.

Competitive.

Sport-focused.

Always trying to beat my brother (he’s 14 months older – and yes, we played in the same football and rugby teams).

Sport gave me an identity. I was the athletic one. Fit. Disciplined. Focused.That mindset carried into my career too – working in sales for large technology and advertising companies, winning awards, chasing performance.

Then everything changed.

After years of rugby, I was forced to stop following a serious bicep injury – on the same arm I’d previously broken in half. Around the same time, my daughter was born.

Almost overnight, I lost a huge part of who I thought I was.

Who am I if I’m not the sportsman?

I needed something to aim at again. So I turned to triathlon – despite not being able to swim.My younger brother reminded me of that regularly. My dad, on the other hand, simply told me he’d be proud if I finished.

That was enough.

I built from sprint triathlons all the way to completing my first full Ironman in 2016. People often say, “Wow, that must have been amazing.”What they usually mean is race day.

What they don’t see is the early mornings, the 20+ hours of training a week, the six months of consistent effort to earn the result.

Then life hit again.

In 2018, I lost my dad to cancer – my biggest supporter and motivator.Three years later, I went through a divorce and was made redundant after six years at LinkedIn.

From the outside, I probably looked “fine”.Inside, I felt lost, lonely, and disconnected from myself. I stopped really caring about me.My focus was my kids – and rightly so – but I’d forgotten that I also needed to look after myself.

Last year, something shifted.

Enough was enough.

I knew I needed a focus, a structure, and a way to rebuild the identity I’d worked so hard for over the years. Not just as an athlete – but as a man, a father, and a professional.

So I built a routine.

My Routine Today

• Wake up at 5:00am – every day

• Drink 1 pint of electrolytes

• Easy cardio for an hour – movement, thinking time, and often a short swim

• Ice-cold shower – not just for the physical benefits, but as a daily reminder that I am in control

• At my desk by 8:30am, energised and focused, knowing I’ve already achieved something

• No caffeine before 9am

• Midday gym session for weights or stretching – getting away from the desk

• 20-minute walk after dinner

• In bed by 9:30pm

Results?

More energy.

Clearer thinking.

Greater confidence.

Stronger presence and body language.

And people around me have noticed.

What’s interesting is that only recently I’ve seen lots of posts about “The 5am Club”. I didn’t set out to join anything – but my routine mirrors many of the same principles:

Wake early.

Hydrate.

Move.

Exercise.

Think.

Plan.

It’s not about waking up at 5am to be impressive.It’s about doing the hard things first, building self-trust, and carrying that momentum into your day – in business and in life.

So I’ll ask you the same question I ask myself:

What does your morning routine look like?