Written by on October 28, 2021

Reasons I Do Not Drink Coffee (and Caffeine)

Running

Coffee. Oh that smell of freshly brewed coffee. Its delicious. Even though I no longer drink coffee, I still appreciate that invigorating smell of freshly brewed coffee. The reason I do not drink coffee is not because I don’t like it. In fact, I love the taste of coffee. I miss the ritual of sipping a hot cup of coffee. Even more, I miss visiting cute coffee shops, and the social aspect of going out for a cup of coffee.

So why did I stop drinking coffee?

With all the said, the benefits I gained is the reason I no longer drink coffee.

  • Improved sleep
  • Improved moods
  • Improved training

I like the taste of coffee, but I don’t drink coffee

I always enjoyed the taste of coffee, but never was a consistent coffee drinker. I did not need it daily. I think not drinking coffee regularly is how I was able to notice the effects caffeine was having on me. At first, I started to notice a trend that I was more irritable on evenings of days I drank coffee. After some trial and error, and testing to see if coffee was really the culprit, then I stopped drinking coffee and caffeine all together because I did not like the effects it had on me.

Coffee with a view – Kaladi Brothers Coffee in Anchorage, Alaska

Coffee impacted my sleep

Interesting, another reason I stopped drinking coffee was because of the effects it had on my running. Coffee caused a bad cycle for me. I would not sleep well due to the caffeine, so the next morning I needed another cup to keep me awake, and the cycle continued, and during all this I was not getting much sleep. What I needed when I was tired was not more coffee, but sleep. Being tired all the time made me tired to run, and when I did run, I had poor recovery due to lack of sleep.

The Vicious cycle of Caffeine

  • Drink Coffee >> Poor Sleep
  • Poor Sleep >> tired
  • Tired >> Drink More Coffee
  • Drink More Coffee >> Poor Sleep
  • Poor Sleep >> Not enough energy to Run
  • Not enough energy to Run >> Decline in fitness
  • Decline in Fitness >> less energy
  • less energy >> more coffee
  • More coffee >> Poor sleep
  • Poor Sleep >> poor recovery
  • Poor Recovery >> Decreased Fitness

I feel better without coffee

I needed to stop the vicious cycle, and in order to do that I had to stop drinking coffee, and consuming caffeine. Avoiding coffee and caffeine was what I needed to do to get my training back on track. I honestly feel so much better without drinking coffee. I do not feel like I am restricting myself when I do not drink coffee. Truthfully, I feel so much better without it, since I know drinking it does not make me feel good. Therefore, not drinking it is essentially making me feel good.

Coffee improved my training

Since I was now getting the sleep I needed, my running, recovery, and overall training improved. This had major impact on my moods, and overall wellbeing. I feel the best when I eat, sleep, and train well. The more I run, the better I feel. When I do not run it puts me in a slog.

Avoiding coffee did wonders for my health, fitness, and wellbeing. I do not regret it.

Do I miss coffee?

In general no, but of course there are times where I miss the taste, and social aspect, but I do not miss the irritability, lack of sleep, and poor training I experienced when drinking coffee, and consuming caffeine.