I do drink. I kind of have phases of drinking a fair bit and then not so much.

In the last 6 weeks, I've had some drunken sessions. I had a rugby tour to go on. But, I've not had an alcoholic drink in more than a week. I've got a works leaving do a week on Friday and I'm thinking that I'll drive to that as I really can't be bothered with booze right now.

 

Try it for a month and see how you feel.

 

Drinking does affect your running quite a lot.
I am like carlwhitley I drink loads for a few days, and then nothing for weeks.
And when I mean loads, I am talking a bottle of bacardi (girls drink) a night

 

I have mainly given it up (odd glass every couple of weeks) as I can't run, workout at the gym properly when i have drunk alcohol and to be honest I feel so much better for it. I used to be a bottle of wine a night......3 times a week gal.

 

It certainly won't be necessary to stop drinking in order to acheive a sub-1:45 half-marathon - but you may find as you up your training that you may naturally drink less anyway.

 

i aggree with you on this, i like my glass or 2 off wine most eve but since i have my first half coming up i seem to be making sure i have more eve off the wine, just feel right which is prob good

 

I've not had a drink for months, I get pretty bad hangovers so I don't drink on work nights and I'm far to busy on my days off to be suffering.

 

Here are my thoughts on the matter (for what it's worth!).

I train 6/7 times a week (sometimes twice a day), have a very strict diet (most of the time), however I have a fairly stressful job and sometimes just like to come home and have a glass of wine or 3 to unwind. I suppose I drink 4/5 times a week, not very much during the week, glass of wine, or the occasional beer. At the weekend I probably get through the majority of a bottle of wine, nothing major (in my eyes!), but probably more than I should.

I would say cut down the booze a bit, but 2 or 3 times a week isn't too bad, see if you can cut it down to just Saturday night and cut it out through the week (champions league doesn't help, having a beer tonight!). Also (stating the bleedin obvious here), but don't drink the night before a long run, ideally 48 hours dry would help.

Ian

 

I get really drunk when I go out, but then I only go out about once a month, I don't touch a drink other than that.

 

I very rarely drink. If I'm out with friends than I'll work my way through the cocktail menu, or share a few bottles of wine, but unless I'm out, I don't drink. Mr Frog and I used to get the odd bottle of wine in, but we haven't done that in ages - not as a concious thing, we just haven't really thought of it.

I should add that I don't have many friends in Nottingham, so I don't go out much here. <sound of the worlds smallest violin can be heard in the distance...>

 

Dont really drink any more. Not worth it and its empty calories- id rather have a hot cross bun or similar!!!!

 

Used to drink 4+ bottles of JD, scotch or rum a week, plus extra strength lagers to get things going. I was not a drinker, I was an alcoholic

Now I might have a few beers after a race, but even that makes me feel sick. Just got no taste for it any more :d

 

If I have a long run coming up I won't drink leading up to it, but other than that I love getting home on a Friday and having large glass of red, my favourite day of the week.

I don't drink mid week, unless I am meeting up with friends and thats rare cos I don't have any. :lol:

 

Cue slightly larger violin!

A couple of glasses of wine a couple of times a week, plus occasionally getting silly on a whole bottle, but then I'm not much of a runner so I'm sure it makes no difference! :lol:

 

Thanks all ... some interesting insights there. I think for me, the way forward for the forseeable is to restrict drinking to a bottle of wine shared with the wife or a few beers just once a week. It seems for the stage I'm at that that wont have too much of an adverse effect on my training. I will keep reviewing this every month or so.

At some point I MAY experiement with a month completely off the booze, but I need to improve my willpower first! As Badz said, I have felt less inclined to drink too much of late anyway.

 

i never intentionally gave up drinking, but it got to the point where i cant handle it any more...

i seam to go from being sober to going beyond the happy stage in the space of about 3 slurps after 2 pints.

 

I was away over the weekend and went out to the pub with mates to catchup, I had 5 pints of Guiness and felt fine, woke up the next morning with a stinking hangover! Couldnt believe it. I don't really drink any more, not that I have stopped drinking just as others have said, I would prefer to feel fresh the next day for a good run rather than struggle due to the night before.

O.

 

I've found the older I get the less I can take or like, especially the day after. I don't think having a 6 and 3 year old helps with a hangover either! Tried it once never again, you don't get the option of turning over in bed and getting another 5 hours sleep to get rid of it.

I like to have a couple of drinks a week but its normally just one can or a couple of glasses of wine.

 

I must admit that i do drink more than i should but less than i did!

When i gave up the **** October 2008 i kind of started compensating that addiction with drinking everyday. At worst it was a bottle of wine or 4 cans of Stella on week nights and double that on weekend nights.

I do still drink Fri, Sat and Sun and it can be anything from just one glass of wine/can of lager to 1 bottle/4 pack.
I only started drinking at home when my going out days kinda stopped (been out twice in 2 years).

My rest days are on the weekend so i can't say alcohol effects my running, i also don't get hangovers - as long as i make sure i drink 2 pints of water before bed.

 

I have at least one night of a week - mondays - to prove I'm not an alcoholic.... usually 3 nights.

usually just have a pint or 2 of homebrew if i am drinking, can't handle much more . Fridays have about 5 pints, and am asleep by 9pm...

 

Used to binge drink every fri and sat night and sometimes have a few during the week. This year I have only got drunk 3 times perhaps.

 

Can't remember the last time I was drunk drunk......or am I always drunk and just don't know it?

 

I am currently in the process of trying to reduce my drinking but it's not easy with all these events my mates have planned! i.e football presentation night next weekend, mates birthdays, a leaving do, a stag do, a holiday! all these things make it very difficult to say 'im not going to drink for a month while i train'

I find that alcohol has a bad effect on my training, usually at weekends...if i run then drink it makes my legs feel *h*te the day after! and that day while im feeling *h*te eliminates any chance of a recovery run, so my weekends can b wasted if i decide to drink...and weekend training is something i really need to work on i.e getting some 10+ mile runs in