Need an extra boost before a 5K, half-marathon, or triathlon? Make your coffee work harder for you with this trick we picked up from Disneyland executive chef and Ironman triathlon competitor Chris Faulkner. He cuts caffeine for three weeks leading up to race-day — completely. Seriously. No coffee, no matcha — nothing. On race-day, he makes a coffee protein smoothie, which he told us feels like rocket fuel since his body hasn’t had caffeine in so long.
While you’re heightening the performance-enhancing, calorie-burning effects of coffee, you’re also going to reap the, eh, . . . digestive . . . benefits of introducing caffeine into your caffeine-cleansed system. What we’re trying to say is you’ll definitely get things “moving” in the early a.m. before your race starts, ensuring you won’t have any porta-potty incidents on the course.
You don’t have to run a half-marathon to use this trick, either! Try it before a long run or a challenging workout, and see if you feel the effects after going cold turkey and then adding coffee back in.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Sheila Gim
