What you put into your body directly effects what you get out of it. So, if you're cracking a beer before you grind out an 8-miler, you're doing yourself a disservice. You should wait and crack that beer when you get back (seriously).

BEFORE

• Caffeine -- A study at Vanderbilt concluded the following: Caffeine's use ... has been proven to increase physical endurance but has many side effects and precautions. However, caffeine's use for short-term endurance appears to have no affect on the athlete.

• Water -- If you're dehydrated, depending on how dehydrated you are, it could take as long as 24 hours to build yourself back to a rehydrated state. Further, on a shorter-term scale, you don't want to chug a bottle of water 5 minutes before you go running. Water is absorbed by your stomach and small intestine at 5ml per minute and 500ml per hour respectively, so you should be able to fully absorb most of a bottle of water if you chug it one hour before you plan to work out.

• Not sugar -- Whatever you drink, make sure it's not loaded with sugar. As extreme as some sodas claim to be, they offer only a short burst of energy which burns out and can cause you to "bonk." This happens when your body's energy stores (glycogen) are burned up and your metabolism isn't able to keep up and produce more. This leaves you with no energy, and a fairly wobbly set of legs to limp home on.

• Half-strength sports drinks -- Sports drinks, like Gatorade, are too concentrated as they are sold to be effectively and efficiently absorbed by your body. The reason it's effective at all, though, is because it replaces electrolytes that you sweat out during exercise. Just replacing water does not replace those ions (like sodium). And when you have those ions in your body, it is easier for it to retain water. However, to be most effective, dilute your sports drink by one half before drinking it to hydrate (that goes for after your workout as well)

AFTER

• Chocolate Milk -- Milk has water and electrolyte like sports drinks, but also includes protein which is key for helping you to recover after a strenuous workout.

• Protein shake -- A protein shake is potentially a better choice than milk if you're more concerned with getting the correct number of milligrams of l-carnitine than you are quaffing some chocolaty goodness. However, it's best if you go old school with protein shakes, too, and make your own using whole foods as opposed to buying prepackaged muscle-milk-type drinks.

• Beer  -- Researchers at Granada University in Spain found out something pretty cool a few years ago. When it comes to recovering and rehydrating after a workout, beer is a little better than water.

• Achy Breaky Heart - Billy Ray Cyrus
• Barbie Girl - Aqua
• Because I Got High - Afroman
• Cotton-Eyed Joe - Rednex
• Don't Worry, Be Happy - Bobby McFerrin
• I'm Too Sexy - Right Said Fred
• It's A Sunshine Day - The Brady Bunch
• Macarena - Los Del Rio
• Mambo No. 5 - Lou Bega
• Mickey - Toni Basil
• Mmm Bop - Hanson
• Mr. Roboto - Styx
• My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion
• My Humps - Black Eyed Peas
• Photograph - Nickelback
• Surfin Bird - The Trashmen
• The Lion Sleeps Tonight - The Tokens
• Tom's Diner - Suzanne Vega
• Tubthumping - Chumbawamba
• Who Let The Dogs Out - Baha Men

...I am hooked on the Olympics, I love all the back stories and true sportsmanship. 

 The Google Super Bowl ad has been on YouTube since November, but millions saw it for the first time last night.
What did you think of the  Letterman-Oprah-Leno ad ?

I have a date with Barney Stinson in October 2016 (and so will you). His number is 877-987-6401.

The Clydesdales made it. Didn't they do that ad a few years ago with a donkey? Like the exact same spot? After fans heard they wouldn't be making an appearance I guess Bud had to put a Clydesdale spot on the Super Bowl with a remake.

Taco Bell with Charles Barkley was the worst Super Bowl ad of the night. No, wait. Go Daddy with Danica Patrick was the worst and Taco Bell was second.

... Danica's image is being hurt by those ads. Does she need the money that badly?

We hope Denny's is ready for the rush Tuesday. Those chicken ads got a lot of buzz at my party.

The U.S. Census is defending its $2.5 million Super Bowl ad this way: If 1% of people watching the Super Bowl change their mind and mail back the 2010 Census form, taxpayers will save $25 million in follow up costs. If only the ad made sense!

Best moment of the Super Bowl: Drew Brees and his young son after the game.

WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON
REST OF TODAY Partly sunny. Highs in the lower 40s. North winds 5 to 10 mph.
TONIGHT Mostly cloudy. Lows in the upper 20s. West winds around 5 mph. Becoming southeast after midnight.

FRIDAY A chance of snow in the morning. Then snow. Sleet and rain in the afternoon. Snow and sleet accumulation of 2 to 4 inches. Cold with highs in the mid 30s. East winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent.
FRIDAY NIGHT Rain and sleet. Lows in the lower 30s. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent.

SATURDAY Cloudy. Snow and rain likely in the morning. Then snow likely in the afternoon. Cold with highs in the mid 30s. North winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation 70 percent.
SATURDAY NIGHT Cloudy. A chance of snow in the evening. Cooler with lows around 20. Chance of snow 30 percent.

... The tradition dates back to the 18th century, when winter was long and bleak, according to Bill Cooper, former president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. German folklore originally had the badger or hedgehog as the seasonal predictor, but in Pennsylvania, the groundhog became the harbinger of spring.

I can not be the only one ready for a little spring fever!!