My fitness program VI- day 20+
The fitness program has taken another whacky turn left or east or something. I have given up caffeine. Now as most fitness freaks know caffeine is one of the oldest and truest of performance enhancers. I have been using and abusing this drug for this purpose- ie. getting revved up and doing more – for fifteen years more or less. Time to stop. On the principle of altitude training I figured if I could run far and fast without a ton of coffee sloshing around inside me then I could do even better with- but then why would I? All drugs are a pain in the ass really- you end up paying yourself in their currency rather than doing what you really want to do. But quitting caffeine entails far more withdrawl symptoms than either alcohol or nicotine. Nicotine – though devilishly manipulative of the brain left very few withdrawl symptoms for me (still took 20 years to kick). Caffeineless I feel like a zombie half the time- and now it’s day 3 1/2. How long will it take.
I fell asleep in a coffeeshop after imbibing a cocoa and cheese sandwich- I can see big gains on the weight front approaching. Mainly I drink lemon and honey drinks and cocoa- which may have a drip of caffeine in it but its undetectable if it does. I alternate between feeling terrible and feeling proud of myself. Also my memory is creeping back- very weird this- despite my head feeling slow I find I can recall lots of things much better, as if the caffeine was jamming my recall system up somehow. And it is well known that nicotine aids memory and mine definitely got worse after I gave up smoking (but worth it anyday) but now its returning which is a nice bonus.
Day seven and I’m feeling pretty normal now- more relaxed, slower, not feeling like exercise. But hold on- isn’t this supposed to be a fitness program?
Why do it? I wanted to clear my system right out. I wanted to be free of ‘needing’ my caffeine hit before I did anything. I wanted to be free-er. In fact I see a pattern emerging in this fitness lark- it is a stumbling towards freedom.