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Coffee and Running

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Posted by :AlyssaRun On : January 13, 2011

Category: Food

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I seriously can’t even see what I’m typing right now. What is this? Who am I? What is going on?

(Two minutes later.)

Ok, I’m now able to focus. That’s because my morning coffee is finally kicking in. Yay!

As you might be able to surmise, I’m fairly dependent on my first cup of coffee every morning. Whether it’s chemical or mental, it’s definitely an addiction, and I’m ok with that. After all, it’s a highly socially acceptable addiction. It let’s me “meet up for coffee” with friends. It’s usually bottomless at most restaurants. And nothing beats the smell first thing in the morning.

Yet despite all the personal benefits and my many years of loving the stuff, I recently started to wonder how it was affecting my running, if I should drink a swig before a run, after a run, or if I should cut back completely. Luckily, it appears I’m still ok ordering the grande.

In short, coffee contains caffeine which is a stimulant that can enhance performance, alertness and clearheadedness. It’s also a diuretic, but that’s not quite as scary as people once thought. Remember, the base of coffee is still water. Plus, black coffee is also calorie free, which is nice.

Now for runners, coffee can help give you a little boost right before a big race. They also say coffee can help you do more at the gym or out on the road because it acts as a pain killer.

If you haven’t seen it, there was a New York Times article about two years ago (yeah, I know, old news) that you might think Folgers paid for. It lists all the benefits of caffeine for athletes and it’s worth the read.

After reading that article, and a few others I came across in my research, I think I’m going to try drinking coffee closer to the start of my runs and see what happens. Until today, I hadn’t really thought about drinking coffee for the purpose of performance. It’s just been a part of my day.

So I’m excited for what I envision as being some sort of superhero-like turbo boost. If it works in training runs, I might even incorporate it more purposefully into my pre-race ritual (side note: never start something new on race day). Many warn, however, that because coffee tends to, um, “get things moving,” you might want to think about the precise timing of drinking it before your race. Don’t want to get caught in a sticky situation. Drink up!

French Fries

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Posted by :AlyssaRun On : January 5, 2011

Category: Food

I don’t always get requests, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis. Crap. I mean, when I do, I like to honor them.

A few days ago, a friend of mine requested that I focus my entire blog on the topic of french fries. My entire blog. I considered it for a hot second. After all, I love a good challenge. I started to think about all the different kinds of fries. Shoestring, steak, sweet potato, curly, etc. How to make them at home. Why they are delicious with a cold beer and a burger, perhaps some aioli… ok, I’m getting off track. In the end, I told him I could do a single post about french fries, but that’s it.

Now, since this is a running blog, I thought it’d probably be best to focus on the healthier side of french fries. So I began to scour the web for “health benefits of french fries.” Yeah, pretty much came up with nada on that one. However, the best analysis of french fry health on the web I believe is captured in the screenshot below. It’s a little cerebral, but I feel the author is on to something. I’ve highlighted the key points.

My In-Depth Research into the Health Benefits of French Fries

Water in the Cold Months

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Posted by :AlyssaRun On : December 29, 2010

Category: Food

I’m a big water drinker. I pretty much stick to water, coffee and alcohol as my liquids of choice. The trifecta if you will.

Drinking water is especially important if you run, or do any sort of physical activity really. It replenishes all the hydration your body loses through exercise and helps reduce cramping. This usually isn’t a hard concept to grasp, particularly in the summer months when we feel thirsty due to the heat. It’s the winter months where I struggle.

I went for a run tonight, for example, in the cold and in the dark. About five minutes into it, I realized I didn’t drink any water immediately beforehand, which I usually do. I just don’t think of drinking water when I’m freezing!

When I got back to the house, I was thankful I remembered to down a few glasses, because I didn’t feel thirsty at all. Kind of scary. I know I lost water through sweat because, underneath all my layers, my shirt was in fact, um, sweaty. Yet I literally had to force myself to drink the water. Not a good scene! My rational side can be pretty intimidating when it wants to be.

Now that I’ve theoretically re-hydrated, I’m moving on to a few Magic Hats… but the point is, don’t forget to drink water even if you’re cold and don’t feel thirsty. Your body needs the clear stuff first. And, no, I’m not referring to vodka this time.

Water glass with what appears to be an egg in it. Double bonus.