They were always purposeful. They were born from a mix of?obsession and real-world responsibilities.

I always felt like if I started my day early, I could train more each?day. If I started at 11, I’d get in a few hours, rest for four hours, and?then get back to the gym around 5 to 7. But if I started at 5 AM and?went until 7, I could go again from 11 until 2 and 6 until 8. By?starting earlier, I set myself up for an extra workout each day. Over?the course of a summer, that’s a lot of extra hours in the gym.

At the same time, starting early helped me balance basketball and?life. When my kids woke up in the morning I was there, and they?wouldn’t even know I had just finished at the gym. At night, I’d be?able to put them to bed, then go work out again during my own?time, not theirs.

I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my game, but I also wasn’t willing to?sacrifice my family time. So I decided to sacrifice sleep, and that?was that.