We're not breaking up, we're just taking a break

Diet Coke has been my bff for many years and has gotten me through many late nights, early mornings, and sluggish afternoons. For at least the past 5 years, I have faithfully cracked open a can every day. In the back of my mind, I've always known that it isn't good for me, but I've always convinced myself that among all of the things in the world that I could be addicted to, Diet Coke isn't all that bad. It's not like I smoke a pack a day or anything (and mom, believe it or not, I have never even tried a cigarette. That should win me some kind of child-of-the-year award). But I do realize that it's just a bunch of chemicals, and those fizzy bubbles that I love so much continue to party long after they enter my mouth and sit in my stomach. And since I've already committed to a healthy lifestyle for the next 4 months while I train for a marathon, I guess now is as good of a time as ever to take a break from my intense relationship with Diet Coke. We're not breaking up, we will still be friends. We just won't see each other every single day.

While I might be taking a break from Diet Coke, I still need a little energy boost every now and then to help get me through the day. So in place of Diet Coke, I'm experimenting with other caffeine-laced goodies. I picked up a few packs of some yummy Jelly Belly sports beans with caffeine the other day while at my favorite store, The Sports Basement. I had a pack before my track workout on Tuesday night and I think that they did the trick. 1 pack has the same amount of caffeine as a diet coke and the Watermelon flavor was delish:

I will also, for the first time in my life, try drinking coffee. I am probably one of the only people out there who has never had coffee before. Ever. I think that it's because I grew up in a coffee-free house. Instead, my mom would have her morning coca-cola (can't imagine where my addiction to diet coke comes from). And yes, this will probably lead to me replacing one addiction with another, but I feel like coffee is probably better for me than diet coke because it's more natural. Plus, in the nutrition presentation by our running coach, coffee/caffeine was listed as something that can be beneficial for runners. In talking with coffee-drinking friends who understand my shall we say delicate palate, it has been recommended to me that I start with something that tastes as little like coffee as possible. So last weekend I got a skinny vanilla latte from the Starbucks stand in our local Target store. I had a few sips on the drive home, but then put it down and forgot about it as we were unloading the car. When I finally found it about an hour later it was definitely past its prime. I think that next time I will go to an actual Starbucks cafe and sit down with a latte and a yummy treat and get the full experience. Although, I doubt that our running coach meant for me to replace my diet coke habit with a 600 calorie muffin habit....