Tripple of Questions

I have a few questions.

1. I like to work out with gum. I find it helps me not get cotton mouth as bad. My question is, when chewing gum do you loose energy while working out. I know it might not seem like a big thing, but i figured by chewing gum does it make it harder to breath or just simply by chewing, do you have to use more enegry and burn more calories as a result in exta hard work over a period of time.

2. My next question is, how long do you take to stretch after a run. I hate stretching. I know i should learn to love it, but i find my self to tired to strecth or simply to hot and want to cool down for a little bit. Is 10 or 15 minutes to late to stretch. The problem with that is sometimes I get to cooled down and don't evne feel like strectching. I know bad, but then again i just feel to tired to stretch right after a run or cool down.

3. My next question is, i had not run in a week and half consistantly as in probably 2 days with a 12 minute VO2 test which ended up being 53.3..... I can usually maintain a sub 8 minute mile pretty easy. I was running around that time today, like i said i had not run in a while but i looked at my hr and for a while it was 185. I am 24 so my max is like 195 or so...I felt like i was bearly moving but yet my Hr was pretty high. Is that because of the lack of work out, i still find it hard to believe that not pushing my self my Hr would be that high. I have rode my bike and swam for the week i have not really ran. I know it is different VO2 levels, but still find it hard to believe my hr was that high. Granted my avg hr said it was 136, i guess it averages out but i'm sure that is because the first 2 mles it was not high. I only ran for 30 minutes.

Just a couploe of question i had while running this morning.

Thanks for the help!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kendall