Runningmonkeys

Umeboshi is the Japanese Pickled Plum.  They are eaten by the Japanese in many different situations.  A lot of Japanese people eat a couple with their breakfast every day.  Many Japanese Obento (lunch boxes) have a small Umeboshi on top of the rice.  They are used as fillings in rice balls and other recipes and you can even get tea made from umeboshi.

What does Umeboshi have to do with running?  Apparently they are the best friend of many Japanese athletes.  When I race bikes there are always umeboshi being passed around.  At a Japanese marathon there will often be umeboshi served at a drink stop later in the race.  Japanese sportspeople treat umeboshi with a fond reverence.  Some even call it the Japanese Miracle.

Umeboshi is said to ease digestion, stop food spoiling, promote long and healthy lives and bring athletes back from the dead.  The first three I cannot confirm but the last one I can.  Umeboshi has a very distinct flavour.  It is sour and bitter, sweet and salty all at once.  To some people the taste is repellent, to others including me it is an exquisite flavour.  Its flavour alone is enough to fire up a failing runner in much the same way that smelling salts would.  On top of this they are loaded with salt and goodies which seem to sort out cramping muscles.  Their intense flavour breaks the monotony of insipid sports drinks and the good ones are so soft that they hit your empty stomach but take no effort to get down.

All in all umeboshi is an excellent fuel additive for runners.  I can’t confirm that it is actually a miracle cure, but so long as it remains off the list of banned substances, it is worth a shot if you can find it.