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To Pee or Not To PR

To pee or not to PR, yes, that is my question.  

As I mentioned in a previous post, in the much too green November 2008 issue of Runner’s World (page 44 for those of you who have a copy), they said that “one or two cups of coffee or tea an hour before a hard workout or race” can lead to faster times.

With that in mind, I drank a cup of brewed Starbucks coffee one hour before Hope in Motion Race last October 5 hoping it would give me even just 1/8 of the speed of Usain Bolt. Sure I felt stronger and meaner (raaawr!) especially climbing up Country Club Drive.  But, I could have missed the start of that race with the seemingly unending pre-race visits to the little girls’ room. My bladder was uncontrollable.

Thinking that the first race was a fluke, I drank yet another cup of my brewed coffee before Adidas KOTR last week as added assistance to reach my sub-55 hour goal. Yes, I did achieve my goal, but I intentionally left out one little detail when I shared my race report: I went to the comfort room twice before the race, and just as the race was about to begin, I felt the urge AGAIN!  There was no time so I ran through the entire 10k praying to God that I could hold it in without doing a Paula Radcliffe in London Marathon 2005.

{ For late comers, I decided to remove the video clip from this blog in respect of the great Paula Radcliffe.  As others have said below, I think she chose to do whatever she had to do to achieve her goal of winning the marathon—I commend her for that. Some people have been poking fun at the video so I thought it best to remove it from this blog. }

So, the question I place before you is this: Would you drink a cup of coffee to boost your chances of breaking your PR in a race (or even just to improve your time) risking the constant visits to the bathroom, or worse, peeing in your pants?

For tomorrow’s Takbo May Yabang race, I know my answer already. No coffee for me, dear. I’ll stick to a cold bottle of Rush for breakfast and my three graham crackers.

Posted on 10.17.08 to 01 Bullish Insights. Tags: , , , . Subscribe to follow comments on this post. 34 comments. Add your thoughts or trackback from your own site.

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34 Responses to “To Pee or Not To PR”

  1. I’ve heard at least one triathlete say, over breakfast, that they did it in their tri suits :)

    I heard stories too. I can imagine how easy it must be to pee at the pool without anyone noticing, but during a bike or a run? That’s tough :)

    miraclecello said on Oct 17 08 at 1:42 PM Reply

  2. Why coffee? it’s the caffein – right? … there’s GU or PowerBar with caffein and you can take it 10min before the race and a gulp of water to help it down, I’m sure you’ve tried it.

    Speaking of coffee, I take mine after a run to help process/absorb post race yummies.
    :D

    I take GU or Sportsbeans for runs over 10k. For fun runs, coffee, Gatorade, Rush, Propel, or plain water are my drinks of choice. Rethinking the coffee :)

    Is it good to drink coffee after a run? It might dehydrate you when you should be gulping down liquids to replenish.

    Idnod said on Oct 17 08 at 1:49 PM Reply

  3. As for doing a Radcliffe…a runners got to do what a runner’s got to do. It’s better than what Bear Grylls do with his pee – not to mention he isn’t even running.
    :D

    Ciao!

    Who’s Bear Grylls? What did he do? Kwento :)

    Idnod said on Oct 17 08 at 1:52 PM Reply

  4. Maybe a power-gel with 2x caffeine could be a good alternative… Or maybe KOPIKO could help.. hehe

    Hahahaha! Maybe 10 kopikos will work.

    taki said on Oct 17 08 at 2:01 PM Reply

  5. “…I’ll stick to a cold bottle of Rush for breakfast and my three graham crackers.”

    That’s harsh!

    I’ve been seeing that Rush not to mention up close and personal when I accidentally mistook it for water and poured it all over my face in a Mizuno race – sticky!!! May I ask is this a Gatorade like drink or more of a Propel.

    That happened to a friend at the same race too. Funny that it’s white pala when you pour it from its bottle. It’s more like Gatorade but with a weaker taste (parang masmalabnaw). I alternate between the two drinks to avoid sawa.

    Idnod said on Oct 17 08 at 2:08 PM Reply

  6. Interesting post. I’ve seen male runners go to a nearby tree or wall to release extra fluid and electrolytes at the middle of races. But for a female runner to do it at the middle of a race, in the side of road and in front of spectators is quite extraordinary. And how did you came across this video???

    I also read that caffeine boosts performance in sports. So before a race, I drink half a mug of milo. I never needed a trip to those portalets. On regular days, I drink coffee throughout the day to become the most frequent visitor of the office CR. Bye (‘got to pee)
    Good luck at your race tomorrow!!

    Just shows you that Paula won’t let anything—not even her pee—get in the way of winning :) She mentioned this incident in an interview so I just googled it.

    Lucky you, it never bothers you during a race!

    runningshorts said on Oct 17 08 at 2:43 PM Reply

  7. I always drink a mug of coffee before I run in the morning, and I don’t think I run any faster. A pre-long run cheeseburger is the best though!

    Really? You don’t notice the difference? I thought it made a big difference in my runs, but then again it could be pyschological too.

    Cheeseburger?! Woooah. How can you run with that in your stomach?

    DATC said on Oct 17 08 at 2:53 PM Reply

  8. Hi BR, I’ve read an article not to overdrain prior to the race to keep some fluids. I agree coffee gives us a boost, but its determination that matters. Trust me, you’ll set a PR even without coffee. Good luck.

    Vener – run unltd.

    Hey vener, I agree with the determination part. As for the PR, I dunno but thanks for the vote of confidence :)

    run unltd. said on Oct 17 08 at 3:56 PM Reply

  9. wow, first time i saw that video!

    I drink about a half cup of coffee before every race to wake me up and get me out the door. Maybe i was subconsciously thinking it would help me improve my time too. I didn’t really encounter any urge to keep going to the loo though. Maybe it’s a matter of how much you drank?

    From my scuba diving class, alcohol is a diuretic (and dangerous to take before a dive). Perhaps coffee is too…

    I thought coffee would be bad before a run too, but it turns out 1 or 2 cups is fine. Last year, I would drink half a cup before a training run and it didn’t make much of a difference with my performance or with my toilet visits. Maybe 3/4? :)

    Mitch said on Oct 17 08 at 4:23 PM Reply

  10. BLACK COFFEE ! BLACK COFFEE ! anything to improve your time. i have 2 cups at least an hour before a race. but 15 mins before the start i have a private meeting with the bushes or tree if no toilets available :-)

    2 cups?! Every single time you run? Wow. Well, lucky you, you’re a guy so you don’t have to line up in those dirty portalets before a race :)

    RunningShield said on Oct 17 08 at 4:36 PM Reply

  11. Bear Grylls, the Brit ex-SAS host of reality TV show Man v. Wild at the Discovery Channel. He parachutes into the wild and walks/swims back to civilisation armed only with a knife and a flint (plus a TV crew of course)

    Ah okay thanks miraclecello! :)

    miraclecello said on Oct 17 08 at 5:18 PM Reply

  12. GU ROCTANE in Blueberry Pomegranate flavor! Oh love!

    Bawal ka kasi sa kape eh! Sige i’ll try that flavor :)

    marga said on Oct 17 08 at 5:52 PM Reply

  13. The simplest questions in the world for me. Don’t even have to think about the answer whether to drink coffee or tea before the race. My answer is definitely NO. Simply because I don’t drink coffee or tea.

    Hahahha! Okay Nora :)

    Nora, the golden girl said on Oct 17 08 at 6:20 PM Reply

  14. Now we’re getting serious…

    Coffee, diuretic, etc. Yes, there were issues of coffee being a diuretic and I did keep of it as it’s not recommended for loooong hot hikes to the bundoks, ergo I applied the same to running and similar demanding activities.

    Currently there are studies that dispel that it (coffee) is a diuretic. Taking this into consideration and now in between 2 schools of thoughts I decided to research on when coffee would have less damage in case it does have some negative effect.

    Assuming that coffee dehydrates (diuretic effects) I would rather take it after an activity where I could re-hydrate all I want safely (without potty problems :D ) OR doing a Radcliffe or worse risking dehydration.

    With this in mind I opted for the former and read that coffee helps in post run recovery and yes that is on top of taking H20 (at least a liter).

    For now if I need some boost early in a race I’ll settle for gels with caffein or sports beans :D — time out! Brunner, were you the one who wiped out the Sports Beans in ATC? – he he he

    Ey thanks for doing extensive research for me :) There’s none in ATC near the escalator. You have to the candy store near the cinemas. Nope, it wasn’t me! I bought my last set at the Fort :)

    Idnod said on Oct 17 08 at 6:22 PM Reply

  15. 1-2 bottles/cans of energy drink (red bull, bacchus, cobra) works for me. Gives me the energy from caffeine sans the bathroom trips.

    Never tried any of those. I don’t think I want to. :P

    dingdong said on Oct 17 08 at 7:09 PM Reply

  16. Oh my God. That video’s disgusting. I’m glad I’m a man and can just pee on a shaded tree, just like what I did during my runs. But for a lady to do that? Ooooohhh…. I’ll kill my girlfriend if she do that.

    Well this is paula. So she’s excused :)

    nathaniel said on Oct 17 08 at 10:02 PM Reply

  17. how about taking these energy candies? it says on the box that 1 candy = 1/2 cup coffee but i haven’t tried it though.

    -wilbert-

    What’s the brand? I actually need liquids when I wake up in the morning though

    ibetlacbay said on Oct 18 08 at 12:06 AM Reply

  18. OMFG!!!!!! she didn’t pee there, she poo-pooed!
    please search wikipedia, or click the link below.
    I admire Paula but after knowing what she did,
    it’s just yuuuccckkky!!!! eeewww!!!

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_Radcliffe

    When i read her interview before, she just said she had to go so I assumed it was pee. title of the video is “peeing and winning” pa. I searched the web for credible sources (I don’t really trust wikipedia) but I didn’t find any. Pretty vague in these links although they mentioned “wee-break”…

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/4454315.stm

    http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/article1015495.ece

    She did wipe it off with her rubber gloves right, so it must be poo? Oh gawd. Maybe someone can share a credible source? Poo or pee? :)

    nathaniel said on Oct 18 08 at 6:56 AM Reply

  19. that’s essentially why running skirts are for, i think…

    Hahaha! Okay lemme buy myself a couple of them…

    mikey said on Oct 18 08 at 9:38 AM Reply

  20. I remember in the KOTR 21k race, a couple of guys were 5 meters apart taking a leak…on top of the Fly-over. now that was a sight!

    Eeeew :P

    moljcy said on Oct 18 08 at 11:00 AM Reply

  21. somehow coffee makes me very acidic and i end up burping a lot. i know, strange. oh di ba Paula did a poo and not just pee?

    Burping is fine. Turn off lang yung ibang runner sa iyo. Wa-poise.

    I don’t know na now if she poo’d or pee’d…let’s wait for someone to confirm. Big issue eh noh?

    bards said on Oct 18 08 at 11:18 AM Reply

  22. Detail on why I take coffee after runs/activities…

    …it helps restore glycogen levels quicker based of a study – that is when taken with carbs. So, carbs+coffee+H20 = quick refueling.
    :D

    BTW – it was fun running this morning no coffee around the bazaar though :D

    Idnod said on Oct 18 08 at 11:36 AM Reply

  23. the brand is go!go! extreme energy candy. it is peppermint flavored and the contents are mainly sugar and caffeine.

    but i do take coffee before a run.

    ibetlacbay said on Oct 18 08 at 12:19 PM Reply

  24. There’s a certain amount of coffee that is considered legal in sports. Its also a diuretic (makes you pee) and jittery so there may be more negative effects for you in the long run. I suggest acetyl L carnitine instead. : )

    markfb said on Oct 18 08 at 1:13 PM Reply

  25. Wikipedia said, Paula did a poo. Tama si Bards!

    Christy said on Oct 18 08 at 1:47 PM Reply

  26. I didn’t know that coffee had that effect. Although I did drink coffee an hour before the adidas KOTR.

    And i also encountered the same problem. Had to pee about 15 minutes before the start of the run. Problem was, there was a long line at the men’s portalets. But I had no choice so I just went in line. Then, without noticing, the 10K run started with me still in line and 3 more people still ahead of me.

    Somehow, i did feel stronger and faster. But, I also lost around 3.5 mins being in line at the portalets.

    So my answer is that I would not drink coffee for my next run. Precious time was lost. =)

    Scrabble said on Oct 18 08 at 4:10 PM Reply

  27. if she had stomach cramps, then it must be poo-poo.
    i used to admire paula. nah… i still admire her…
    she’s the greatest :-)

    As for the coffee before a race, it really works for up to 1hour.
    For a full marathon, they discourage it.

    I would recommend 1 cup of instant coffee for skinny women like Jaymie ;-)
    For men, up to 2 cups.
    Brewed coffee have too much caffeine…

    nathaniel said on Oct 18 08 at 7:35 PM Reply

  28. peeing over the fly-over? hahaha! that’s really funny!
    howcome when men do it, it’s ok but nok for women?
    because we men are animals so we’re excused.

    but to see a gorgeous model-like woman like paula to piss or poo on the side of the road is shocking!!!

    nathaniel said on Oct 18 08 at 7:39 PM Reply

  29. Paula lives by the creedo “no guts, no glory.” Incredible athlete – one of my all-time favorites. She can do anything she wants!

    I agree with Idnod: a runner’s got to do what a runner’s got to do. In the NYC Marathon one year, I had to stop at 8 miles to do just that (though fortunately there was a row of toilets I could duck into at that point!). I think I lost about 2 minutes, but it was a calculated risk – I figured that I’d rather lose 2 minutes early on than many more later in the race because of the discomfort. It turned out to be one of the best races I’ve ever had.

    To the others who commented on how “disgusting” and undignified it was for Paula to do that: have a little more respect, please. She was the world’s #1 ranked runner and World Record Holder in the lead of one of the most competitive races in the world. Big prize money and honor were at stake. She ended up destroying the field (which, incidentally, included the future 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist) by running a 2:17:42 that day. Everyone was watching her – live TV, the press corps, the race officials, her competition – and it simply was not possible for her to just hide somewhere unnoticed like the rest of us can, and no way was she going to drop out for a minor inconvenience like that!

    Jud said on Oct 19 08 at 3:35 AM Reply

  30. OMG! sooobrang funny ni Paula dito! and look at the face after doing it, she didn’t give a fuss at all! hahahaha!

    banggigay said on Oct 19 08 at 11:46 PM Reply

  31. pee’ing or poo’ing is the least of an elite runner’s
    worries.

    A runner’s got to do what a runner’s got to do.

    to diss endurance athletes in general for what comes
    naturally to their bodies as they endure long-distance
    exertions during a race is just dumb ignorance about
    the demands of the sport.

    backpacker said on Oct 20 08 at 6:38 AM Reply

  32. wow, she pooed, not peed. hehe

    nick torre said on Oct 20 08 at 4:28 PM Reply

  33. wow, this blog is so much more interesting than bloomberg!!!… i saw a lot of women (unintentionally, of course) doing their thing in the bushes at the San Diego Marathon, and really I take my hats off to them…there definitely was a lot of porta potties but i guess they just didnt want to line up and miss their PR…as for the men, they did it Philippine style…as for Paula doing whatever she did, its what the moment called for…and guys,(in respect of the women) I think we shouldnt even watch the clip…and make unnecessary comments…we’re just not worthy…lets leave it as girl talk.

    mond said on Oct 21 08 at 12:00 AM Reply

  34. One last from me regarding PRs (Public Restrooms) :D

    There’s really nothing unnatural about it – what make’s it not look right is the way we’re conditioned to look at it.

    Backpacker – I believe as his/her name implies enjoys outdoors and so do I and when your out there you’ve got to, but there are still rules on how to go about it, and I am sure with so many athletes this was an unspoken rule that many (novice) cannot comprehend.

    So IMHO it’s more disgusting to see drivers/commuters (adults) along main roads even side streets peeing without concern for others health and not to mention their dignity.

    Out of topic na??? – he he he

    Pee-sh :D

    Idnod said on Oct 21 08 at 4:24 PM Reply

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