I should know better…if I have the sniffles and grab some nasal spray, it then takes 6 months to get off it. Someone gave me a Red Bull last summer and one thing led to another and now I quaff two or three every day. On one hand, I’m pretty sure the stuff has given me at least the self-assurance so that taking two before an OD puts me on the podium. On the other hand, I have a half-IM coming up in May and I can’t see my girlfriend wanting to pass me one every hour. I don’t drink coffee. Does anybody know any science about this stuff? I can bite the bullet and go thru withdrawal if I need to.
I had the same experience with Red Bull three years ago. It got to where I could not go out on any workout without first having one. Red Bull is loaded with caffeine and I have found caffeine to be addictive— Once I start up with caffeine I seem to crave it more and more and I get headaches on days when I do not ingest it. I went cold-turkey at the end of that season. The first two weeks after I quit were tough but I do not miss it at all now. I will still occassionally have one before a race but that is the only time I have them. I actually had one before a race last Sunday, then felt myself really craving a Coke on Monday and actually had a recurrence of my withdrawl headaches.
I vote for cold turkey. Besides health benefits, you could buy a set of Zipp wheels and enter 10 triathlons for the $6 a day you are spending on that crap.
RB is Crack in a can.
Immediately find your local 12 step RB program. If one is not located in close proximity to you, improvise and attend something similar. The principles of quitting are the same.
If you are unable to find a mentor, MarcK might prehaps volunteer his services to assist you through this.
Caffeine does supposedly improve performance but you must be wired 
Andrew
I drink coffee from dusk till dawn.
Okay, Andrew, laugh if you will, but I dare you to quit caffeine for two weeks. If you are not addicted it should be a walk in the park.
If you make it through both weeks, your prize will be better quality sleep, a higher energy level throughout the day, lower anxiety levels, improved concentration, extra cash in the bank and, best of all, less intense menstral cramps.
-MK
Menstral cramps?
It was a joke, I dont have an issue with drinking coffee 24/7, I’ve had far worse habits and I can live with this one.
Quitting anything is not ez, depends how much you want it.
Marck, you lie.
If youre truly addicted to caffeine, quitting for two weeks will just be pain pain pain.
I quit for 3months once, and it was the worst 3months of my life. Headaches/lowbp never got better. Needless to say, back on caffeine for the last two years, but on a ‘reduced dosage’ and with ‘periodic abstinence’. Its beautiful.
Anyway, Andrew, dont do it!
Ziva
Not a prayer, I quit the real problems, coffee aint one of them.
I feel like I’m in one of those therapy sessions on the old (old!) Bob Newhart show.
Thanks for letting me know I’m not the only one! I will start this week reducing the three daily cans to two. Or maybe next week.