a little boost

So...it's official.  I am running the Brookings Marathon on May 15th (OMG).  I am very excited about it, but also really nervous, as I am going to have to really start logging the miles to be ready in time.  Honestly, the hardest part of that is the time commitment to get it done.  I am using Hal Higdon's Training Guide, and he increases the distance on Wednesdays and Saturdays.  With three small children and a husband who commutes, I have to have my miles logged by about 6:30am on Wednesdays if I am going to get them done. That means 4:45 to 5am runs, and dragging myself through the rest of the day by my hair.  I keep telling myself that it is only for 9 weeks...but it is EARLY. 

Today was really the first day that I have really "dragged." I think the combination of all the miles, coupled with the fact that I probably don't rest like I should between runs (hello...husband and three kids?!?!) have caught up with me. About 2pm I was shot.  Although I love coffee in the mornings, I just can't drink it very often in the afternoon. I am obstaining from soda right now, so the caffeine there is out. There was just one option left: energy drink. 

I have to say that I have, for no really good reason, kind of a mental "thing" with energy drinks, like they are bad.  It might have something to do with all of the Jagerbombs I drank in my twenties, but I just can't seem to feel good about guzzling a Red Bull in the middle of the day.  Nevertheless, I was dying, and I needed some help!

I decided to try the 5-Hour Energy Shot, since it is only like 2 ounces, and if it tasted horrible, I would only have to drink a little bit.  I purchased it my local convenience store for around $3 bucks, chose the berry flavor, shook it up, and took a swig.  It certainly doesn't taste the best, but I do have to say that it did give me energy!  I was able to get through the afternoon, cook dinner, play with the kids, and put everyone to bed, all the while feeling pretty alert.   Once 9pm rolled around, I was pretty much done for the evening...but that's what happens when you get up at 5am for a long run!

I went online to see why it did the trick, and I guess these drinks are basically a vitamin-B shot.   I am now a believer in the 5-Hour Energy, and would really like to try one before my next long run, just to see if it affects my performance in any way.