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It all began when I was a youngster stealing sips from my mother’s cup. First it was a sip without her noticing and then before I knew it I was starting my day with a three-cup fix. Soon I was yearning for ice cream made with it.

For decades, caffeine and I have enjoyed a loving relationship, mostly through coffee.

When I need a little boost, there is my cup of Joe full of caffeine. On nights out, you can find me with a soda in hand.  So it would make sense that this relationship would transcend my pre-work routine into my workouts.

Many runners swear by a cup of black coffee before a run because they say it gives them a boost and allows them to run faster for a longer amount of time. I can attest to this theory because, after a friend recommended it to me, I noticed that I was able to run without fatigue and now I’ve made it a regular part of my long runs.

According to research, drinking coffee or ingesting other forms of caffeine is said to improve a runner’s time by 10-15 percent. While this struck me as odd, I tested it during two Sunday afternoons. Sure enough, my times improved when I drank a cup of coffee 30 minutes prior to running, but it was closer to eight percent, not 10.

Caffeine is said to have three main advantages: it helps burn body fat as fuel instead of glycogen, it releases calcium stored in muscles which assists in an athlete’s endurance and speed, and it lowers the rate of perceived exertion, as stated in Bennett Alan Weinberg and Bonnie K. Bealer’s book, The World of Caffeine. On the down side, caffeine causes your stomach to produce more acid, thereby potentially leading to indigestion; it affects the quality and length of sleep time; and the biggest downfall, it makes urination occur more frequently.

While greats like ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes prefer coffee or caffeine before a workout, others remain skeptical. The International Olympic Committee, for example, listed it on its prohibited substances. (To be clear, the Olympic Committee banned excessive caffeine, with an equivalent of 500 milligrams of caffeine or more. In layman’s terms, that’s about five cups of coffee per day when “caffeine in moderation” is defined as three cups a day.)

Despite the cons, I write this as I enjoy my cup of Old City Coffee and prepare for another enjoyable run.

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While you are training for your personal record (PR), the Philadelphia Marathon is reaching its own PR!  Faster than ever, the full marathon has sold out and the half marathon just closed days ago.
 
Since its founding in 1994, the Philadelphia Marathon has grown steadily through the years. The first race began with only 1,500 participants — known among Philadelphians as “The Little Race That Could.” Last year, 18,000 runners “Kicked Asphalt” during the Philadelphia Marathon’s 15th anniversary.  And now, the reachable goal of 20,000 runners is in view as 18,000 runners have registered to show us what “Running Means,” the theme of this year’s race. 
 
I’ve already began receiving emails and phone calls from fellow runners (and walkers) who missed their chance to run the full or half marathon. Many people figured that the race didn’t fill up until closer to the race date, but this year registrations were up by more than 6,500 than this time a year ago. For those who still want to be a part of the 2009 Philadelphia Marathon, the Rothman Institute 8K and team is still open.
 
And if long-distance running or walking isn’t for you, don’t forget, being a spectator not only keeps the race participants engaged throughout the race, but it serves as day-long entertainment. The zany costumes, cheetah-like elite runners and the familiar faces of your friends and family keep the Philadelphia Marathon from reaching a dull moment.

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I’ve been receiving a lot of queries as the Philadelphia Marathon nears about a suggested training route. While I think this is a pretty subjective question, I’ll offer my top three places to run in Philadelphia.

Kelly Drive: This is a favorite for most runners because the scenery is absolutely spectacular. I also enjoy running this route because it’s mostly flat, demarcated for distance and pretty heavily trafficked for people watching. Kelly Drive is a leg of the Philadelphia Marathon course so it also serves as some practice prior to the race. While most routes can get somewhat rote after some time, I’ve been running along Kelly Drive for years and I still feel a sense of pride every time I run along Boathouse Row.

Ben Franklin Bridge: An out and back run along the Ben Franklin Bridge is a little more than 3.5 miles. It’s a great spot to run because there are uphill and downhill stretches which make for a great workout. I’m not a huge fan of running on a bridge (and the Ben Franklin is noted as the “World’s Largest Suspension Bridge”) because I dislike heights, especially over a large body of water, but it is pretty exhilarating when you’re finished. The Ben Franklin Bridge also has more than one thing in common with the Philadelphia Marathon other than real estate. It was designed by famous architect Paul Cret, who also designed the Ben Franklin Parkway —  the location of both the starting point and finish line of the Philadelphia Marathon.

Penn’s Landing: While most people from out of town may think that this is the most popular training route, I always think of Penn’s Landing as the race route less travelled. It’s much less crowded than Kelly Drive, but it’s just as flat and also is home to some really great sights. It’s a straight shot of 10 blocks between Vine Street and South Street and if you want to continue further into FDR Park and to the sports stadiums, it’s not that far.  I also like to reward myself for a job well done with a cannoli from the Italian Market, but that’s fodder for another time.

If you want to explore more training runs, favoriterun.com is a great Web site to visit. Definitely check it out when you have the time.

And, as a heads-up, the Philadelphia Marathon is almost full, so register now if you haven’t already!

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