Run Gum to the Rescue!

I gave up dinking coffee about 4 weeks ago.  I normally drank 4-5 cups every day. Definitely started each morning with a cup at home, then a cup for the road, then one at work, then another after lunch, then maybe one when I got back home (with dinner). It was a habit. My wife thought I drank too much. And she was tired of all the coffee grounds and drips I left behind. Being a coffee snob, I would hand grind my beans each time, use a french press, and not really clean up well. Anyway, I probably did drink too much and I'm now coffee free and doing just fine...with my Run Gum!

Never heard of Run Gum? It's pretty sweet. I'm now a member of their monthly club. It arrives, with discount and free shipping, every month. It was developed by Nick Symmonds, Olympic runner. Basically it's gum loaded with caffeine, taurine, B6, and B12. Energy vitamins and a small jolt of the good old central nervous system stimulant. I can feel it work in just 2-3 minutes. After 5 minutes, I'm fully charged and ready to run...or work...or just be alive and alert. With the colder and darker running mornings that fall brings, it's been a godsend. Alarm goes off, I'm a bit groggy but manage to stumble to my "running room" and grab my RunGum. I chew one piece while I grab my running clothes, GPS watch, and HR monitor. By the time I'm dressed, it's already started to work. I feel ready to launch into the dark abyss and run around the local roads and trails. I typically have another piece on the way to work and that's it for the day. Two pieces have 100mg of caffeine (about a cup of coffee). No waiting, no bad breath, no messes, and no angry wife.  She does say "do you have to smack your lips so loudly?" Hey, everyone's got to complain about something.

I'm no Olympic athlete, or sponsored runner, but I encourage you to give RunGum a try. Great "pick me up" before your morning runs, speed sessions, or in the middle of your long runs. And it's awesome during ultras too. Tell Nick that "Chris the blogger" sent you. Hey, maybe I can be a sponsored runner!