The cinnamon challenge...Seriously, don't try this at home

Fridays tend to be the most relaxed day of the workweek at Triathlete Magazine and I'm sure it's the same at most offices around the country. Today seemed particularly lax, so myself and Oli, our graphic designer, spent a good bit of the afternoon scouring YouTube for hilarious videos. We stumbled upon a series of videos depicting the "Cinnamon Challenge" and decided someone in our office should give it a try. It's a simple challenge really. All you have to do is swallow an entire tablespoon of ground cinnamon. To get an idea of just how difficult that is, check out this video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=5hMSWwimVgM

I ran across the street to CVS and picked up a jar of cinnamon and then lobbied the rest of my coworkers to partake in the challenge with me. Much to my surprise, the only person who agreed to do it was our publisher, John Duke. We decided it would be best to attempt the challenge in our parking lot, as many of the YouTube videos concluded with the "actors" puking their guts out.

Both John and I dug our spoons into the 99-cent jar of CVS brand cinnamon and had at it. John only lasted for about 15 seconds, during which time it looked like his head was going to explode. I struggled with the cinnamon drying out every square millimeter of my mouth for about five minutes, but eventually I was able to get it down. My stomach, throat and sinuses have never felt worse. And in case you were wondering, no, cinnamon does not have any carbs.