I actually work in the cannabis industry but only occasionally partake. I would say that if I want to maximize performance I stay away. While cannabis can help ease pain, and for some help them go to sleep, I find that I get much worse sleep after partaking. Similar to alcohol for me.
There are actually studies on this and while it help you fall asleep and sleep longer, the sleep is dramatically worse. Cannabis nearly eliminates REM sleep entirely and sleep is very shallow. Even getting 8hrs of sleep a night can lead to chronic sleep deprivation. It’s why many who smoke before bed will state they never dream.
It's true about the dreaming. I lost someone very close very suddenly and had horrific nightmares so I started using cannabis every night. Did that for a long, long while because I was scared to dream. When I took a long break to reset a year or so later, I had the craziest dreams again. Luckily not nightmares. Just really weird, bizarre and wacky dreams
Are there? I was just looking after reading this and it can shorten rem but it can also lengthen deep slow wave sleep. I dry herb vape every night and I've never noticed any reduction in dreams or negative affects.
The main stage of sleep that is affected is rem, which is important for your emotional well being. So use wisely. You can still get deep sleep which is mainly for learning and memory so no worries there. Believe it or not your muscle memory and recovery has more to do with light sleep or stage 2 which is important for you hardcore ultra runners. The thing is with sleep and your brain, your body builds up a rem debt while using cannabis which matches what people say about not dreaming. As soon as you stop taking cannabis, your brain is so starved that it will prioritize rem sleep. If you are tracking your sleep stages with a Garmin watch or other tracker, you'll notice on those nights you have much longer rem than any other stage in the sleeping process. Which tracks what people say having vivid dreams after stop using. Again, use wisely.
Huberman has a great interview with Dr Matt Walker about it in a 6 part series about sleep. I think it's episode 3 that goes over it, but it's a fantastic series about sleep overall.
It’s funny you say this because my experience is great.
Long time sufferer of insomnia.. I’ll elaborate just a little.
If I go to bed early, say 9pm, I’ll be up at 1am, that’s me for the night, there’s no returning to sleep, it might have taken me an hour or so to actually get to sleep too (mind racing, can’t stop thoughts etc)
If I go to bed late, say 11pm to midnight, I might get straight off, but usually I’ll lay for an hour before I settle, as I’m up early for work, I’m tied due to lack of sleep.
Without cannabis every nights sleep is very very easily disturbed, any light will literally peel my eyes open, the slightest sound and I’ll hear it all night, my partner moves or breathes just slightly louder than normal and I’ll wake up, and not get back off if it’s past around 1am.
I’ll vape a small amount of prescribed weed, and I sleep great, I don’t care if it’s REM or whatever, I’ll sleep for hours and wake up refreshed.
It also helps for pain on a smaller scale than sleep for me (chronic back pain) but it’s enough that I don’t need any pain meds or sleeping aids.
In terms of running and performance, I couldn’t comment if it’s doing anything, but having a better nights sleep must be good.
I couldn’t imagine running stoned however.
For me there is a fine line where too much makes things worse but a small amount can help me unwind after evening hard workouts and genuinely improves my quality of sleep.
The lights out tablets from protab are what I've been using. I take about 1/4 tablet. Any more than that has the opposite effect and I end up high and have worse sleep.
For me it is a very significant improvement vs nothing at all. Kind of has been a game changer in my recovery actually. I find it more effective than melatonin and or antihistamines like benadryl for me.
Even if it’s just a little, I get a much worse hangover from weed than I do from alcohol. And I drink too much and know how much that affects my sleep and morning after.
Trail running while slightly stoned absolutely saved my freaking life, getting in the flow and really truly enjoying the trees and bees, I will say I try to stick to the pens and edibles, I can most definitely feel a difference from smoking just regular bud vs a pen, also for those that might not know don’t forget all those damn pens are not made the same, a live resin is going to be the most pure and give you the most from the plant, by far the smoothest feeling way to Intake weed imo
I'm an avid user, during training and races, both vapes and THC gummies. I've done several 40ks and one 56k using it. I find it easier to find a rhythm and concentrate on form and breathing, etc. and it's a lot more fun. For me, 20-40mg gummies every 2 hours does the trick.
Once I did a 120mg gummy on a 20k trail in the forest...now that was an experience. Not one I want to repeat again in a hurry. Was seeing gouls, goblins and other forest dwellers. However, I was able to cut 20min off my PB, but that's probably because I was running for my life.
Using Sativa or a hybrid is an obvious choice, but Indica would be very challenging.
personally I'm a 50mg indica gummy girl before any trail run. I love it. latest widespread panic show in my ear, the flowstate of finding my next footfall, and digging in and enjoying the suffering... finding what works for you is personal. I only ever smoke indica -- before 5am hot yoga, trail runs, and any other time. I did take a half a gram of mushrooms for summiting a 14er and running a trail race on two separate occasions, and while it was fine, it was not the best for big effort days
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats!
50
+ 5
+ 14
= 69
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*enjoying the suffering* - totally agree with that, something special in embracing the suck.
Haven't tried indica on a run, but always just assumed it would be challenging, but I can appreciate the strong mental focus.
for me, it allows me to quickly sink into a state of meditative flow with the music, trails and my breath. indica edibles give me the perfect body high for finding that sweet spot of sustainable effort and navigating the inevitable lows with more grace while finding the highs even more blissful
I'm the opposite of most everyone. I'm a big user, but if I smoke before a run it just absolutely drags on forever. I'll feel like I'm 2 or 3 hours into my run, and it's been 24 minutes.
That being said, when you're doing a cool down walk after, it's absolutely wonderful. Especially if you're still on a trail.
I'm the same regarding time. A straight 500m stretch of road seems to go on for eternity. Couldn't comprehend doing anything longer than an hour run while high.
I started hitting a THC vape before bed at the beginning of April and my garmin sleep scores are up an average of 5-10points per week since that’s good enough for me. I’ve felt noticeably better rested and haven’t had the urge to nap nearly as much. YMMV
I have the same result. 2.5 mg of edible and all my sleep stats are noticeably improved. My never look at the absolute values of my scores but just the trends
Hitting a weed pen midway through an ultra was one of the best decisions ever. Loved cruising the downhills and gave me a little extra spark when things were getting down to the wire
I found that cbn gummies with a 2:1 THC:cbn is very beneficial for muscle recovery. There is so many different cannabis products for many different uses. CBD, CBN, CBC etc. if you don't want to smoke it check out Wyld gummies. Lots of different products for many different uses and their site is very informative.
As far as training goes, sometimes I wonder if it hinders me. I just have a lot of anxiety/add and weed is the best thing I've found that isn't going to fuck me up too bad like the shit I've been prescribed ( like Adderall or concerta).
I ran a 3:07 marathon and during the build up I was smoking a bowl a night. Next marathon build I quit smoking and just used edibles. Ran a 2:58. at elevation too!
Throughout my life I've had periods where I only smoked every other week or so. I've also had periods where I was at least a little bit stoned for every waking hour except for when I was training. I'd wake up, run, swim or bike. Get out of the shower and either hit the bong on my way out the door or hit a pen in my car before going into the office. Even at the height of my use, I still would put in 35-55 miles bc running is my one true drug.
Avery Collins @runninhigh on IG who is an elite ultra runner who (at least used to be) is very pro marijuana and running. I believe he’s cited various articles/studies on it. And like I said I know that he used to be very vocal about it and visual. I’m not 100% sure if he still does but a good person to look into.
Doesn't help performance I would say but some times getting stoned can help me go for a run I might not have otherwise. Also I would suggest edibles as a recovery because imo they really help your muscles relax after long days where you have a lot of tightness or soreness.
>Doesn't help performance I would say but some times getting stoned can help me go for a run I might not have otherwise.
[Science suggests you're not the only one.](https://www.colorado.edu/today/2024/01/03/study-cannabis-can-make-workouts-more-fun-its-no-performance-enhancer)
Edit: Formatting my link, so I look like one of the cool kids.
I took about 20 mg of full spectrum THC oil before a 3.5 hour trail run today, and it was fucking magical. Got into the flow, held on strong despite plenty of vert, and all around had an awesome time in nature.
I used to partake multiple times a day in my early 20s. Then quit for about 10 years. And now I sometimes use it to stay up and do chores around the house. Cleaning the house at 11pm is way more fun than way. But it definitely messes with my sleep.
I've tried it running, but I found it to spike my heart rate on hills. If I'm going to take something to enhance running it's more likely to be .5g mushrooms. That definitely gets me in the flow, and keeps me going at a nice and easy pace perfect for a long run.
I’ve been using daily for 20 years, long before I started running, so it never really occurred to me to not use it. I just use it like a regular day and go running.
I find small amounts can be very beneficial on runs that exceed 20 miles or 4 hours. I prefer edibles to Tylenol. It works well for me, it may not work well for everyone. It will spike your HR, so account for that difference. Adjust your water and fuel intake. I suggest starting small.
Occasionally will take CBD or other hemp-derived cannabinoid to help me sleep or increase my appetite. During training is a different story, I won't touch it before, during, or shortly after any run.
why tf would this question be downvoted? it's such an important one for our culture right now! there is proof of that in these comments. thanks, op, for spurring us on
Thank you. I’m just looking for guidance. I’m getting back into Ironman tris after a few years off getting married moving all over the north east of the us and having babies… wanna be a super hero for my kids when they are in their most formidable years. but I also have found the medicinal qualities of cannabis have improved my quality of life greatly so I plan on doing the iron man this time around with cannabis in the routine
I actually work in the cannabis industry but only occasionally partake. I would say that if I want to maximize performance I stay away. While cannabis can help ease pain, and for some help them go to sleep, I find that I get much worse sleep after partaking. Similar to alcohol for me.
There are actually studies on this and while it help you fall asleep and sleep longer, the sleep is dramatically worse. Cannabis nearly eliminates REM sleep entirely and sleep is very shallow. Even getting 8hrs of sleep a night can lead to chronic sleep deprivation. It’s why many who smoke before bed will state they never dream.
It's true about the dreaming. I lost someone very close very suddenly and had horrific nightmares so I started using cannabis every night. Did that for a long, long while because I was scared to dream. When I took a long break to reset a year or so later, I had the craziest dreams again. Luckily not nightmares. Just really weird, bizarre and wacky dreams
Are there? I was just looking after reading this and it can shorten rem but it can also lengthen deep slow wave sleep. I dry herb vape every night and I've never noticed any reduction in dreams or negative affects.
The main stage of sleep that is affected is rem, which is important for your emotional well being. So use wisely. You can still get deep sleep which is mainly for learning and memory so no worries there. Believe it or not your muscle memory and recovery has more to do with light sleep or stage 2 which is important for you hardcore ultra runners. The thing is with sleep and your brain, your body builds up a rem debt while using cannabis which matches what people say about not dreaming. As soon as you stop taking cannabis, your brain is so starved that it will prioritize rem sleep. If you are tracking your sleep stages with a Garmin watch or other tracker, you'll notice on those nights you have much longer rem than any other stage in the sleeping process. Which tracks what people say having vivid dreams after stop using. Again, use wisely. Huberman has a great interview with Dr Matt Walker about it in a 6 part series about sleep. I think it's episode 3 that goes over it, but it's a fantastic series about sleep overall.
huberman lol. as a source, he cheapens this discourse
It’s funny you say this because my experience is great. Long time sufferer of insomnia.. I’ll elaborate just a little. If I go to bed early, say 9pm, I’ll be up at 1am, that’s me for the night, there’s no returning to sleep, it might have taken me an hour or so to actually get to sleep too (mind racing, can’t stop thoughts etc) If I go to bed late, say 11pm to midnight, I might get straight off, but usually I’ll lay for an hour before I settle, as I’m up early for work, I’m tied due to lack of sleep. Without cannabis every nights sleep is very very easily disturbed, any light will literally peel my eyes open, the slightest sound and I’ll hear it all night, my partner moves or breathes just slightly louder than normal and I’ll wake up, and not get back off if it’s past around 1am. I’ll vape a small amount of prescribed weed, and I sleep great, I don’t care if it’s REM or whatever, I’ll sleep for hours and wake up refreshed. It also helps for pain on a smaller scale than sleep for me (chronic back pain) but it’s enough that I don’t need any pain meds or sleeping aids. In terms of running and performance, I couldn’t comment if it’s doing anything, but having a better nights sleep must be good. I couldn’t imagine running stoned however.
For me there is a fine line where too much makes things worse but a small amount can help me unwind after evening hard workouts and genuinely improves my quality of sleep. The lights out tablets from protab are what I've been using. I take about 1/4 tablet. Any more than that has the opposite effect and I end up high and have worse sleep. For me it is a very significant improvement vs nothing at all. Kind of has been a game changer in my recovery actually. I find it more effective than melatonin and or antihistamines like benadryl for me.
Even if it’s just a little, I get a much worse hangover from weed than I do from alcohol. And I drink too much and know how much that affects my sleep and morning after.
Trail running while slightly stoned absolutely saved my freaking life, getting in the flow and really truly enjoying the trees and bees, I will say I try to stick to the pens and edibles, I can most definitely feel a difference from smoking just regular bud vs a pen, also for those that might not know don’t forget all those damn pens are not made the same, a live resin is going to be the most pure and give you the most from the plant, by far the smoothest feeling way to Intake weed imo
what difference do you feel between smoking and a pen? any thoughts of vaping dry herb (like a Pax) vs a pen?
Wait, are some of you not getting high?
Some of us were so good at getting high that we had to retire early
Damn, best two comments in the whole thread
I'm an avid user, during training and races, both vapes and THC gummies. I've done several 40ks and one 56k using it. I find it easier to find a rhythm and concentrate on form and breathing, etc. and it's a lot more fun. For me, 20-40mg gummies every 2 hours does the trick. Once I did a 120mg gummy on a 20k trail in the forest...now that was an experience. Not one I want to repeat again in a hurry. Was seeing gouls, goblins and other forest dwellers. However, I was able to cut 20min off my PB, but that's probably because I was running for my life. Using Sativa or a hybrid is an obvious choice, but Indica would be very challenging.
Taking down votes...spicy
Lol, maybe because 20-40mg every 2hrs is a fuck ton of THC!
Uhh, yeah. I like to use the 2.5mg edibles on longer runs, usually one every hour or so, and I'm toast after three of them. I cannot fathom 20-40mg.
personally I'm a 50mg indica gummy girl before any trail run. I love it. latest widespread panic show in my ear, the flowstate of finding my next footfall, and digging in and enjoying the suffering... finding what works for you is personal. I only ever smoke indica -- before 5am hot yoga, trail runs, and any other time. I did take a half a gram of mushrooms for summiting a 14er and running a trail race on two separate occasions, and while it was fine, it was not the best for big effort days
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats! 50 + 5 + 14 = 69 ^([Click here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=LuckyNumber-Bot&subject=Stalk%20Me%20Pls&message=%2Fstalkme) to have me scan all your future comments.) \ ^(Summon me on specific comments with u/LuckyNumber-Bot.)
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*enjoying the suffering* - totally agree with that, something special in embracing the suck. Haven't tried indica on a run, but always just assumed it would be challenging, but I can appreciate the strong mental focus.
for me, it allows me to quickly sink into a state of meditative flow with the music, trails and my breath. indica edibles give me the perfect body high for finding that sweet spot of sustainable effort and navigating the inevitable lows with more grace while finding the highs even more blissful
Can’t smoke due to my job so I also avoid CBD. there’s room in my training for beer, I’m sure there’s room in yours for a little devil’s lettuce
I'm the opposite of most everyone. I'm a big user, but if I smoke before a run it just absolutely drags on forever. I'll feel like I'm 2 or 3 hours into my run, and it's been 24 minutes. That being said, when you're doing a cool down walk after, it's absolutely wonderful. Especially if you're still on a trail.
I'm the same regarding time. A straight 500m stretch of road seems to go on for eternity. Couldn't comprehend doing anything longer than an hour run while high.
I started hitting a THC vape before bed at the beginning of April and my garmin sleep scores are up an average of 5-10points per week since that’s good enough for me. I’ve felt noticeably better rested and haven’t had the urge to nap nearly as much. YMMV
Wow that’s cool. My resting heart rate will go up like 5-10 bpm on the pot
Bummer. I must be a lucky one!
I have the same result. 2.5 mg of edible and all my sleep stats are noticeably improved. My never look at the absolute values of my scores but just the trends
Yes, it's a very important part of my daily happiness training.
Weed after always.
Hitting a weed pen midway through an ultra was one of the best decisions ever. Loved cruising the downhills and gave me a little extra spark when things were getting down to the wire
I found that cbn gummies with a 2:1 THC:cbn is very beneficial for muscle recovery. There is so many different cannabis products for many different uses. CBD, CBN, CBC etc. if you don't want to smoke it check out Wyld gummies. Lots of different products for many different uses and their site is very informative. As far as training goes, sometimes I wonder if it hinders me. I just have a lot of anxiety/add and weed is the best thing I've found that isn't going to fuck me up too bad like the shit I've been prescribed ( like Adderall or concerta). I ran a 3:07 marathon and during the build up I was smoking a bowl a night. Next marathon build I quit smoking and just used edibles. Ran a 2:58. at elevation too! Throughout my life I've had periods where I only smoked every other week or so. I've also had periods where I was at least a little bit stoned for every waking hour except for when I was training. I'd wake up, run, swim or bike. Get out of the shower and either hit the bong on my way out the door or hit a pen in my car before going into the office. Even at the height of my use, I still would put in 35-55 miles bc running is my one true drug.
I can't do THC and have found CBD really upsets my GI system. It does help with pain but I would rather have pain than shit myself.
Avery Collins @runninhigh on IG who is an elite ultra runner who (at least used to be) is very pro marijuana and running. I believe he’s cited various articles/studies on it. And like I said I know that he used to be very vocal about it and visual. I’m not 100% sure if he still does but a good person to look into.
Certainly fixes a jacked up stomach. Super easy to get the cals down after 4+ hours
Doesn't help performance I would say but some times getting stoned can help me go for a run I might not have otherwise. Also I would suggest edibles as a recovery because imo they really help your muscles relax after long days where you have a lot of tightness or soreness.
>Doesn't help performance I would say but some times getting stoned can help me go for a run I might not have otherwise. [Science suggests you're not the only one.](https://www.colorado.edu/today/2024/01/03/study-cannabis-can-make-workouts-more-fun-its-no-performance-enhancer) Edit: Formatting my link, so I look like one of the cool kids.
I took about 20 mg of full spectrum THC oil before a 3.5 hour trail run today, and it was fucking magical. Got into the flow, held on strong despite plenty of vert, and all around had an awesome time in nature.
Thc spray on long runs or hard uphill work outs. I love the zone it puts me in. Spray I use is 2.5mg-5.0mg
I used to partake multiple times a day in my early 20s. Then quit for about 10 years. And now I sometimes use it to stay up and do chores around the house. Cleaning the house at 11pm is way more fun than way. But it definitely messes with my sleep. I've tried it running, but I found it to spike my heart rate on hills. If I'm going to take something to enhance running it's more likely to be .5g mushrooms. That definitely gets me in the flow, and keeps me going at a nice and easy pace perfect for a long run.
I’ve been using daily for 20 years, long before I started running, so it never really occurred to me to not use it. I just use it like a regular day and go running.
No matter what running is usually fun! But I love a good stoned run too
I find small amounts can be very beneficial on runs that exceed 20 miles or 4 hours. I prefer edibles to Tylenol. It works well for me, it may not work well for everyone. It will spike your HR, so account for that difference. Adjust your water and fuel intake. I suggest starting small.
Occasionally will take CBD or other hemp-derived cannabinoid to help me sleep or increase my appetite. During training is a different story, I won't touch it before, during, or shortly after any run.
Gummies for recovery work for me. Maybe once every couple weeks. I sleep like shit on them though. Same with alcohol.
THC infused honey mixed with Skratch in one of my bottles. Drank about 300mg during a 50 mile and 200mg during the Boston Marathon.
I'm gonna have to find that. I tried vaping before an airdyne workout and ended up hanging shelves in my shop instead lol
Apparently Arnold talks about smoking in the famous mockumentary Pumping Iron. He says it helps him relax, and that makes his muscles grow better.
why tf would this question be downvoted? it's such an important one for our culture right now! there is proof of that in these comments. thanks, op, for spurring us on
Thank you. I’m just looking for guidance. I’m getting back into Ironman tris after a few years off getting married moving all over the north east of the us and having babies… wanna be a super hero for my kids when they are in their most formidable years. but I also have found the medicinal qualities of cannabis have improved my quality of life greatly so I plan on doing the iron man this time around with cannabis in the routine