Rice Krispie Treats on Drugs

These are Rice Krispies Treats…

These are Rice Krispies Treats on Drugs…

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So, here’s the deal.   I have been carrying the Rice Krispies Treats on my runs lately, just for the Rice Krispies Treat Power. I usually don’t even eat them – I just like the krinkly sound the package makes!    I am totally loving that new mantra and it is totally working for me!

I have also been wanting to try the idea of drinking warm flat coke during races.  They offer it on the course at Duke 1/2 and B2B.   So today, I filled up my 7 ounce fuel belt bottle with warm coke.   I planned a 16 mile run, as two loops.   And recall, I did a 100 mile bike ride yesterday.   Yet my legs felt totally fresh today.

The first loop was a 7 mile very  hilly course – hillier than Duke 1/2.     I felt really strong on that loop.    And I did a pace of 9:43.   Zone 2.  Totally Awesome.

I stopped just long enough to eat a Gu, fill my 20 ounce water bottle, and grab the bottle filled warm coke and got back to running.

I had stowed two mini Rice Krispies  Treats in my pouch.    I didn’t mean to buy the mini size, but I am totally glad I did!  They were just perfect!  I took one out and put it in my hand so I could make the krinkly noise whenever I wanted, to give me the Rice Krispies Power.

At about mile 8 or 9,   my pace started to slow a little, and my mental focus was fading.   I recalled a tidbit of wisdom that my riding buddy, Tom Cawley, learned in an interview:    Pro triathlete, Tyler Stewart, said that whenever she starts to feel ‘down’ in a race, she eats something.   So, I decided to eat my Rice Krispies Treat.

I opened the Rice Krispies Treat and took a bite.   I didn’t feel like pulling out my 20 ounce water bottle, so I washed the bite down with a swig of the coke.  Oh, that sickly sweet taste of Coke was a perfect chaser for the Rice Krispies Treat.  I finished the treat in a couple more bites, washing each down with a little coke.   I drank about 2 ounces of coke this way.     And the little snack gave me a super boost in energy.  It was just perfect.

I took a Gu sometime later.  Then, after another few miles, I again felt myself fading a bit.  So, I repeated the process with my 2nd mini Rice Krispies Treat.   Once again – WHAM – I was back on track.  Maybe this is just mental, but who cares, so long as it works!

After this, the only fuel I had left was the remaining few ounces of coke.      I saved that for the final stretch.    It gave me an immediate rush of energy, almost making me feel dizzy.  I didn’t like that.  I ran extra hard to try and burn off that sugar rush.    Then I kind of felt like I crashed ten minutes later.   I kept up a solid pace until the end anyway.   I made a pace of 9:47 on the 9 mile portion of today’s run.  Again, stayed in Zone 2.  That is a PR by 3 minutes.  I have never ever done that route at a 10 min/mile pace.

Weird how I kind of crashed when I drank the pure coke.  Maybe it was in my head.   Or, maybe once you start drinking coke, you have to take it at each aid station.    And, maybe you only want to use it in the last 5k or 10k of a race.  Not sure.    But I totally loved the Rice Krispies Treats washed down with a little coke.  Perfect.  Like Rice Krispies on Drugs.  In a good way, tho.   Drugs are bad.

A Rice Krispies Treat to the first bloggy peep who can tell me how many times I used totally today!

Oh, I took an ice bath in my driveway when I was done running. I plan on doing this in the parking lot at Duke 1/2.   Oh man, that was freakin cold. A twitter friend named @snowygrl gave me the neoprene booty idea.  And Jennifer gave me the idea to wear a warm shirt.Makes it much more tolerable.

(I bought an ‘underbed storage bin’ at Target for $12, just to use at Duke 1/2!)