Empty Stomach

For six weeks Owen pushed his fasted mornings much further than usual, stretching his first meal into the afternoon, until his days got worse enough that he gave the whole routine up.

A few minutes into a lot of Owen’s fasted runs, his energy quietly dips before lifting again on its own, and he’s stopped fighting it the way he used to.

The one time Owen tried a small pre-run snack instead of his usual empty stomach, it went badly enough that he hasn’t felt curious enough to try it again since.

Owen has flipped his coffee timing back and forth for years, testing a few sips before running against a full mug after, including one morning that went sideways on him.

Some mornings Owen drinks water before a run, some mornings he goes completely dry, and after years of running fasted he still hasn’t landed on one fixed rule for either choice.

Owen explains why running before eating anything settled into an easy habit for his own body, four years in, and why that’s a story about one stomach, not a method for anyone else.