I'm done with coffee.

It's been a viscious cycle. Insomnia, groggy mornings, coffee, more insomnia. This week, after all the chaos, I was awake at 2AM every night, and 2 and 4AM a couple of nights. I took one Tylenol PM on Thursday night, but was so groggy, I couldn't concentrate, and left work early. I needed more coffee too ---- the BIG one.

I've slept better this weekend, but I've still needed the coffee. And the Tylenol PM.

This morning in my LSD run, it all caught up with me. I wasn't sure how far I'd go, somewhere between 6 and 8, and I might try 10 if I was really feeling terrific. Since I was going slow, I figured I'd do 9/1, instead of the 5/1s I've been doing on my shorter runs. I felt pretty good for the first 10 minutes, and didn't take my first walk break. At about 15 minutes, I started to feel kind of funky. OK, I had on an extra layer, so I hid behind some bushes and ditched the underneath shirt. Much better. Another 5 minutes and I'm not great again. Tired, although my legs feel ok. But the sun is warm, the views and gorgeous, and the air is so clear I can see all the way to Marblehead. How bad could it be?

I keep on the 9/1 pace and eventually reach Sandy Beach, the "stop here or try for 10 point." But no way I was up for 10. I stopped my watch and stretched out on the warm rocks for a few minutes, drinking my water. After a brief rest, I walked to the end of the beach parking lot where I would rejoin the road and start my run home. Still not feeling like I should, I looked down at my watch and realized my HR was 10-15 beats higher than it should be, for walking. Ahhhhhhh, a lightbulb clicked ON. The caffeine, the tylenol, my lack of sleep, and I was probably a little dehydrated. It all made sense. No wonder I felt yucky.

I did eventually finish 7 miles, but I felt pretty wrecked when I was done. My average HR for the run was 10 points higher than typical for LSD, even with walking every hill, and stopping when my HR hit 170 on the flats (yes, running as slowly as I could muster, my HR was still in the upper 160s, instead of the 145-150 I like to see).

This routine is bad for me, so in accord with my 2006 motto, I'm done with the coffee. COLD TURKEY. It shouldn't be hard, except for the caffeine withdrawal I know I'll have for a while. I actually prefer tea, but it just hasn't been cutting it for an AM beverage this month. Plus, I like my tea sweetish (which is a bad habit), but I much prefer coffee UNsweet. No more sleep aids, either. I'll just focus on training to keep me worn out and sleeping well. I sure *don't* want to feel like this again!