Tapering Off

I'm a coffee addict. I got my first taste as a little kid, sneaking a sip from my parent's cup. I've grown to love that first cup in the morning. It gets the day started right. Portland is a coffee drinkers paradise. There is coffee from South America, Italy, and Sumatra. There are dark roasts, flavored roasts, full or medium body, and different levels of acidity. When I'm at the grocery store, I get close to each bin, tip the lid and smell the aroma. Right away I know the character of the beans; their strength, body,and how smooth they will be. If I don't want to make coffee that day, it's no bother. I'm never more than a few miles from a coffee shop.

But after many years of having caffeine in my system, I've reached a point where going too long without it causes me pain. There were times where I drank a thermos full in the morning, that's a quart, got some more later that day, about 12oz, then had three cups in the evening. And I made it strong each time. While I'm not at that level of dosage, the consequences of withdraw remain as severe today as they were then.

My special creamer, sugar, and coffee mug are constant companions. The creamer has to stay cold, at work I need the use of a refrigerator. Wifey-Do cleans my thermos every now and then, or it gets a dark film inside. If I don't stay on schedule, the headache begins, lasts all day, and is unabated by any medication.

I can't take anymore of this. I love my coffee, but it has become the master, and the love has soured. I must turn for help to my only defense; the bicycle.

The more I train, the less my body craves coffee. Instead I begin to feel better when I eat the things I'm supposed to eat, fruits and stuff. Imagine that. So, with my training and my willpower, I'll be down to about 8oz a day. Maybe then I'll feel the love again.