N=1 too mch and i slow down for physical performance (dopamine reward system taxed?), but so alert i cannot rest. P
I have very little caffeine. Maybe a can of Coke once each week. A cafe con leche every two months. That’s it.
But when I was training for IMFL I used caffeine in training in anticipation of using it during the race. On my 6 hour rides I had a no doze (200 mg) crushed up and ingested fairly evenly over the 6 hours. At the three hour mark I had a can of Coke. Never any problems. And on my long runs I drank some flat Coke after every second mile. Probably 12-16 oz/hour. Again never any problems.
Race day, I took it super easy. Ingested caffeine just as in training. Around mile 12 of the run I stopped to chat with my family and noticed I was dizzy while standing up. By mile 14 I was dizzy pretty much all the time. I walked for like 4-5 miles–didn’t want to fall over and be carted off the course. I stopped taking in caffeine but continued with Gatorade. By mile 21 I was no longer dizzy.
Was it the caffeine? Stacking the caffeine on the bike and run more than I had before? I think so. There might have been other factors but I don’t think I was dehydrated. I was still peeing regularly. And I don’t think I was underfueled. But other things combined with caffeine might have contributed. As it was my first 140.6, there could have been a number of other factors so take this for what it’s worth. But I think my relatively infrequent use of caffeine contributed.