My Beverage of Choice (Lindsey)

So I have been thinking a lot about beverages lately.

Maybe that's a bad thing - some indication of Christmas festivities taken too far - but I just can't seem to get drinking off my mind. And it's not just wine or beer or Mom's hot buttered rum that I've been contemplating (in fact, between grad school and running and teaching on Saturdays, I rarely have space in my life for even a half glass of wine). Mostly I think about tea and coffee, Diet Coke and lemonade, pomegranate, orange, apple, carrot and grapefruit juice. I think about milk, too - soy or regular, skim or 1%. Sometimes, I even think about plain water.

And I guess the recurring theme as I ponder these beverages is overwhelming bewilderment at the power of a simple glass of ____(fill-in-the-blank)____ to have such an impact on my training. I know this should not surprise me as much as it does. After all, common theory suggests that we are what we eat. And if this is true, I suppose we might also possibly be some form of what we drink.

But for some reason, I am blown away at the power a small glass of orange juice holds - the power to kick-start a 6-mile run, the power of instant hydration and a perfectly subtle sugar high. I am also amazed at the power of that half glass of wine to add a good 2 minutes to my run time (that is, if I manage not to snooze through my three alarm clocks first).

As I contemplate my drinking habits, I begin to wonder what my perfect marathon training beverage might be. According to Runner's World magazine, everyone's is different. Some people swear by Gatorade, or Powerade, or just plain water. Others won't start a run without the antioxidizing power of POM. There are also those crazy marathoners who manage to down a six-pack of their favorite beer during a race - one every 4 miles or so. There are the milk drinkers, the juice-lovers and those who abstain from hydration (perhaps wishing for an excuse to drop out early).

And then there are the coffee addicts. These are runners who appreciate the power of caffeine in the early morning, who perhaps need that extra jolt to get them started. These are runners who take the longer course because it leads them past a Starbucks, where they can order their perfectly blended tall nonfat latte to-go (and continue running). These are runners who credit their bodies with the ability to do powerful things, but aren't above asking for a little help to put themselves in overdrive. These are runners who understand that teamwork is the best way to cross the finish line - that me plus coffee is much more effective than me alone. And these are the runners who have that crazed and overstimulated look in their eyes, even at the 5:00am starting line.

So which is my perfect marathon training beverage? Well, my conscience might urge me to choose water for its pure hydrating quality and natural cleansing ability. And I am sure you might respect me more if I said Gatorade, Powerade, Muscle Milk or another "real" runners' beverage. But really, what's the harm in asking for a little help before hitting the pavement? I am all for appreciating the value of teamwork. And so, after taste testing and much deliberation, I say... bring on the buzz!