Beating my caffeine addiction and 9 weeks to go!

Last week was a better one; it included three decent sessions and over 80 miles of running.

The sessions included:

- 6 x 1 mile, alternating between threshold and 10 k effort

- A 90 min run including 6,5,4,3,2,1 minute efforts in the latter half

- A 30k progression run incorporating 10k at marathon pace and 5k at tempo

I wouldn't say I felt amazing but i'm definitely noticing an improvement on previous weeks. I'm putting this down to the iron, feeling a bit less stressed, better sleep and one more thing...

This may come as a shock to people who know me...but one other thing I've done recently is significantly reduce my caffeine consumption. Until recently, I was a self-confessed caffeine addict. This was only worsened by the fatigue i've been experiencing since my last marathon training period. I'd constantly use caffeine to perk myself up after life stress combined with training made me feel run down. In the end, though, I realized that I wasn't really getting much of a lift anymore...it was just bringing me back to a normal energy level.

I found this quite worrying and, along with my sleep and iron problems (both of which are worsened by coffee consumption) I began to wonder if my caffeine dependence was actually contributing to my worsening running performance. Around this time, I came across this guest post by a runner I look up to, Esther Atkins. For those of you who don't read the post (though I strongly recommend you do), Esther restricts herself to caffeine only before long runs and workouts. I found I could really relate to Esther's honest article and it motivated me to try this strategy for myself.

So, I'm happy to report one month on the wagon...I have somehow managed to limit myself to having caffeine only before long runs, workouts and races. Now, as someone, who was an absolute coffee addict before, I had my doubts. I thought that without coffee my life would be miserable. I'd somehow assumed I needed coffee for my creativity, happiness and energy. In the end though, none of this happened. What happened was totally positive:

1. I no longer NEED caffeine to transform me into a functioning human being when I get out of bed. This feels very liberating.

2. My energy levels have actually improved. Caffeine really was just bringing me back to a normal level rather than perking me up.

3. I'm much more in tune with my hydration and nutrition needs; without caffeine to make me feel better I'm finding I ensure I snack healthfully and drink enough water throughout the day.

4. When I have my caffeine before races, long runs and workouts I can actually take advantage of it's benefits. It's generally well accepted that caffeine improves endurance performance by reducing perception of effort, i.e. your race pace feels easier. Before, I don't think I was getting the full benefit of this as I had desensitized myself to caffeine from so much overuse.

5. I am sleeping a lot better; as someone who has suffered from sleep problems my whole life I'm finally finding the good nights outweigh the bad. I'm no longer waking up frequently every night and wake up feeling more refreshed.

So far, I'm pleasantly surprised with the results of my study of one :) I strongly recommend trying this if you are a bit of a caffeine addict, and/or, struggle with insomnia and iron problems. I must say, I thought it'd be impossible, but in fact it was pretty easy after the first few days. Of course, I still have my beloved Starbucks Cappucinos..but i've realised I still enjoy them just as much when they are decaf!

via GIPHY