Caffeine and Running

Where the magic happens!

Happy Saturday Guys!!

This blog post has been prompted by a friend who just tried caffeine on her long run and LOVED it. I am the self proclaimed caffeine expert! I have tried it all and found what works for me so I wanted to share. I made a second pot of coffee just for the occasion. LOL.

Firstly, it's all about timing. Don't drink too much caffeine pre run so that you can't manage your breathing. Once you feel heart palpitations you are screwed. Your run will suck. It's okay, you learned. Don't do it again.

Give love to the caffeine pill. Head over to GNC and they'll help you. I have been taking a 100mg caffeine pill daily for 3 years before my run. For most of you that may be overkill but my tolerance is off the charts. This is a good way to get jacked without coffee swishing in your belly.

Try some powdered jack juice like Assault from GNC. This is a great alternative to coffee and is my go to for track workouts. The drawback is you have to drink it and probably go pee before you start running so you don't have swishing in your belly. I drink it an hour prior.

I'm also a fan of Street King. Similar to a 5-hour energy but for me I don't get the heart palpitations. This is also INSTEAD of coffee or Assault. I don't want emails about how you took it all and flailed around on the ground in lane 8 foaming at the mouth with uncontrolled breathing. lol!

Here are some products I have tried:

LOVE.  Target brand. 50mg's per squirt. Add some to your water bottle.
I used this for my marathon. Worked for me.

HATE. Heart Palpitations even with half the recommended dose.

Waste. Don't bother. Natural energy my a$$.

Pure awesomeness. 100mgs. Take mid long run. Please. You will love it!

The following would probably kill a horse but this is my daily routine:

*Wake up then 7oz of espresso.
*A 100mg caffeine pill before I head out the door.

For special runs like long or track I usually reduce the espresso and use Assault instead. I keep Street King in my car for days I don't have time to mix powders or just feel like grape. Best flavor ever.

Gels only on long runs. I don't want my body to acclimate to them so they are a special treat for 15 miles or more.

I think that's about it. I hope it helps. The key is to find the right about for you to perform well but not get too jacked. So grab a Street King and have a sip.

CHEERS my friends!! Happy Running!

Laura

The Crawlin' Crab Half Marathon Race Report

For a first year Half Marathon this was an incredible race. Incredible volunteers and support. Someone did their homework WELL! Thank you for a great race experience Crawlin' Crab!! I expected 500 people starting before a line drawn in the dirt as is typical of most first year races. This was immaculate in every sense.

But because it's my blog I'll bring it back home. lol. If there is a such diagnosis as Tri-polar disorder I have it in regards to this race. Just as my splits crashed and burned so did my mood.

I have to admit I went into it a little cocky. I wasn't hoping for much more than a 1:27 but I thought I could sleep walk that in. I am well trained and was counting on great conditions to carry me through. You guys know I HATE handicaps. I hate excuses. But they also help explain this disaster.

PRE-RACE

I had a doctors appt. Normal, I figure no big deal. I went down to the lab for blood work. I never look because it freaks me out. Well, maybe I should have! I pretty much passed out after they took EIGHT tubes of blood. I'm a super anemic person anyway, that didn't help. I looked at the tech holding an armful of tubes or MY RACE in her hands. I slept for almost 24 hours. But I said, F**k it. Honey Badger doesn't need blood to run this race!

THE NIGHT BEFORE

I bag all my vitamins when I'm away from home. This time I put my 100mg caffeine pre-race pill in the bag of pills I take at night. I figured I wouldn't take THAT pill at 9pm. WRONG. Oops! So I was jacked all night. Wanted to race at 2am. Tossed probably 200 times. Fail! And I didn't have it for the morning!

RACE DAY

Pouring rain pre-race. Wind, that knocked me down just walking. SHIT, the dreaded beach wind! Oh well, I can draft!

RACE

Pumped, happy, I had my training partner racing too. I was ready to GO! A day at the office.

Miles 1-3 6:30 pace. It felt good but it was into the wind. I didn't think it was effecting me yet. There was 1 girl ahead of me.

Miles 4-6 Creeping into the 6:45's. I was getting tired. I felt like I was doing lunges to move. 2 more girls passed. I got pouty that I wasn't top 3 anymore. I couldn't give much more. I drafted them and let them go in the course of a mile.

Mile 7+ I didn't want to run anymore. I couldn't move the way I normally run. I wanted to DNF. But, it just didn't fit my personality. I had friends running 100 milers at that same moment. HELL NO could I justify walking and pouting (especially that far from the finish lol) So, I made a deal I would just run to the finish and get on Active.com for a redemption race asap. I dropped to 7 pace. Got passed. It just sucked. Then rain again at mile 10. UGH...

End result: 8th female 2240 runners. 2nd AG. 1:30.

But here's the story in pictures:

Mile 7ish. Still okay.

Falling apart. Please note WIND in hair...That is a head wind!

Eric is going to kill me for this performance!

Ain't looking at that clock! 13.0ish...

So it is what it is...a great workout. REDEMPTION HALF T-3 weeks!!

Holla!

Laura

Taper Week and Race Goals!

Welcome to my race week! I starting to get pumped, but not super excited yet. I have a Half Marathon this Sunday. I miss racing so it will be nice to pass others and see their pain. lol.

My PR from last year is 1:28:05. So given that I know I'm capable of that the following are my goals:

1. To win the race. Well damn, you may say but shit I didn't sign up to lose. I'd like to win the bitch, if possible.

2. To PR. I feel I'm in better shape. It's likely. But you really never know.

3. To get a freakin good race photo! Geesh, the training is fun, falling in pot holes during dark training runs is humorous, chasing others in Umstead is great but get me a quadilicious race pic PLEASE!! Let me be toeing off with the sun at my back! And no grimace..lord, no grimace.

My training this week has shortened daily mileage. Basically all 5 and 6 milers. Being that I like to be proactive in my training I'm putting my energy elsewhere:

Stalking the weather from my Bosu, iPhone and laptop constantly.

Work on my abs. That is bad positioning..don't do that.

Protein time! No need to puff up like an oom-pa-loompa this week. Feed the muscles!

So, the week is moving along. Ho hum...Good luck to everyone doing Chicago!! 

Later taters!

Laura

How to run slow

I'm convinced that conditions can make or break anything. Including my ego! I went down to Key West, FL for 4 days last week. I used to live there in the 90's. Cool place but kinda hot and humid for things like TEMPO!

But being the psycho, wanna be bad ass I am I trained through my trip.

The first day I did 9 miles at about 7:40 pace. Sight seeing in Old Town KW. A lot of fun. I ran at 6:30am daily.

a police officer was following me. Do I look suspicious?
Well, he offered to take my picture. Thanks 50!

Take your time here. Look at that Dew Point..REAL FEEL 95!

My first apartment when I was 18.

about 7am at mile 3

20 minutes later...

The next day I did 30 minutes of tempo at about 6:45 pace. It was the hardest tempo I've ever done. I dehydrated during warm up. Just crazy humidity making it impossible to breathe. Being that KW is a tiny island I did lots of back and forths. Saw lots of these:

Then enter snorkeling, swimming and lots of walking...

Snorkeling on the Sebago catamaran 

random Iguana by my chaise

So on day three I schlepped out 7 miles at 8:15 pace. A lifetime slowest pace ever. As long as I ran I was happy. I didn't have time to do my long run on the 4th day so I had the brilliant idea of doing it after traveling all day.

OUCH!!

14 miles at 7:24 pace. Half sleeping, half running. I fell once going up a dirt hill in the dark. I guess I'm flexible because it was kinda fun. Bad part was I forgot to restart my garmin so I had to run extra to get the mileage. We all know, if Mr. Garmin doesn't see it, it didn't happen. haha

So, thankfully I made it to my taper week. I have a half this Sunday. I feel like absolute SHIT and can't imagine running fast but hopefully as the week passes I'll mend and be gunnin' for some speed!

Have a great week running!

Laura