Coffee, Chocolate Milk and Beer

The runners I know love all of the above, or at least one of these beverages.  They all seem to play an integral part in our training regimens surprisingly.  The more I hang around other athletes, the more I learn about why each drink sets them on the path to success.

Coffee

As most Americans, I rarely leave my house without a piping hot cup of joe, either already drank or in a carry-with container.  My muscles, brain and attitude will not properly function without it, particularly on early work mornings.  Knowing the diuretic properties of coffee, in the past I would never drink it before a run though.  It was just water, and maybe some Gatorade mixed in pre-workout to be on the safe side.  Dehydration is the last thing I need before a 10 miler.

Then, winter came.  I ran the winter before this one, but not too often and somehow, I got through the early morning weekend runs without coffee.  The run itself would do its job of waking me up, the endorphins leading me to a content state of mind.  This past winter, however, was more brutal – snow (tons of it) early one, cold temperatures and a slow spring.  I decided one morning within the 5am hour to take a cup because it seemed like a struggle to get out of bed PERIOD.  To my pleasant surprise, not only did I feel my normal awake as I arrived for the run, but I believe it helped me through, accident free!  Call it caffeine or routine, or needing something to warm me up initially, but it worked.  Now that warmer temps are here, and the sun rises along with me, not after, I don’t feel the need for coffee pre-run– but I sure as hell drink it after.

I was delighted when other runners shared the same sentiments about their daily grinds and the need for coffee before a run.  I even know someone who drinks a whole pot of coffee every single morning, running or not – which is extreme to me, but hey, don’t mess with what works, and what doesn’t. 

Chocolate Milk

On one of my first training runs with ARE, followed by a cookout that was a mixture of healthy, hearty and downright dangerous, I saw a ½ gallon of chocolate milk, resting in its condensation sweat right next to the bottles of water and Gatorade on the food table.  This was odd to me for so many reasons.  For one, I didn’t ever drink much milk as a kid, except in cereal and it was always white milk.  Two, the last time I saw chocolate milk outside of the grocery store in a social setting I was probably that cereal-eating kid, surrounded by other kids – not grown ups!  Then, my friend saw the jug and exclaimed “Oh good, someone brought chocolate milk.  I love chocolate milk!”  What are you, five?  I joked.  I don’t remember if she laughed at my sentiment or what she said at all, but I do remember her downing a small cup after the run.  I didn’t question it, and went for the plain old water instead.

Sure enough, chocolate milk has recently made a comeback into my running observations.  This time, I’ve paid more attention, asking why the chocolate milk? I am told the milk has all the protein to help repair muscles, thus helping to build them and the chocolate gives you the sugar to replenish glygogen, which is lost through running.  Huh, sounds like science.  I have yet to try this, weary of taking in more sugar than I already do in a given day (hello dark chocolate Hershey kisses!) but, if I do after one of my long training runs this summer, I will be honored to report back.

Beer

There’s a country song about being “pretty good at drinkin’ beer”.  Ironic; I feel I am pretty good at drinking beer, but just OK at running.  Perhaps, therein lies the reason. 

Contradicting, however, are the wise runners surrounding me claim that beer is also another good running beverage.  They describe beer consumption with the most beloved running term of all – carb loading!  In all seriousness, I know people who drink a good quality pint the night before a race and run great the next day - it's their secret.  It even happened to me onetime – not that I ran my best race the morning after, but I put in a good quality run after knocking back one or two the prior evening.  Other times, however, I wake up just feeling sluggish, even when not “over doing it”, so personally, I try to be very careful with the hops.  Easier said than done.

Now, maybe someday I should try a good long run incorporating all these elements: beer the night before, coffee the next morning, chocolate milk to follow.  Blech - Sounds nauseating if you ask me.