Sounds familiar.

+1, but I'm fat and slow, so that may not help.

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Oui, mais pas de femme toute de suite (yes, but I am not ready for a woman straight away) -Stephen Roche's reply when asked whether he was okay after collapsing at the finish in the La Plagne stage of the 1987 Tour

I drank too much in university.
As a grown up didn't drink very much at all....1-3 per week maybe.
2.5 yrsago I had a head injury secondary to a bike crash and it was recommended I refrain from alcohol during recovery. I haven't had a drink sinse and honestly do not miss it at all.

 That sounds like a lot to me. Cutting back on your alcohol consumption would immediately get rid of a lot of empty calories and improve your nutrition.
I'll have a glass of wine if I go out to dinner or a special occasion. Or I might have a beer with Mexican. There's some red wine in the house but it's pretty much collecting dust.
I just can't justify the calories and I value my liver function. You say that your doctor isn't too concerned with the amount you stated. That's surprising to me considering all the downside of heavy alcohol use.

I typically have two glasses of red wine with dinner and two large rum and diet Cokes every day.

I don't drink at all. Don't see the point myself. Not one to cave in to peer pressure either.

Not really directed at you, Dilbert, but at the other 99% who claim the same thing to be true:

And we don't run any Stop signs of any kind either....

Hello alternative reality!

No point in having an orgasm either... except it feels good...

I'm actually interested to see the results...

I drink about 1-2 glasses of red wine most nights. I never drink more than 3 drinks in a sitting; rarely drink socially... Usually just have a drink or two with dinner as it helps wind down before bed. Honestly, I don't know if the fact that I drink to get a good night's rest is a good thing or a bad thing...

Used to drink quite a bit when I was studying at university but since I've graduated (and started doing triathlons) I think on average the past year I had 1 or 2 alcoholic beverages a week (Belgian beers, glass of whine or whisky). 60% of the time I think I didn't drink anything alcoholic.

I've been dry for a month or Lent off and on for years. Love a nice wine or martini, but my alcohol metabolism is poor and I pay for it.

Am now trying for a dry year. It's been a month so far and the 5:00 craving is dwindling.

This time I'm going for tea as an alternative -- you can geek out with it as you can wine so there's that, plus it's a bit more special than water just because it's hot.

When friends are getting a round of drinks I'll have tea -- which also seems to 'disappoint' them less than water.

I rarely drink. Usually about once every two months. I only drink socially and end up binge drinking as I have very little tolerance and think I can drink like I was 20 again.
Some context. I didn't drink much through my early 20s either as I was bodybuilding but I still went clubbing at the type of night club that doesn't serve alcohol.
That was a long time ago. I miss my "clubbing" days. I don't miss drinking regularly.
Weirdly I do like to drink a beer the night before a race. That's because I won a race about 9 years ago after drinking a beer and slept well. Weird superstition.

I don't drink at all. I was a massive drinker until age 35-ish and then fortunately stopped and been dry ever since (11-12 years). I don't miss it at all. But i'd be lying if i said i didn't sometimes miss the ability to enjoy people's company with a few drinks.

Sounds like a lot to me.
How much it does performance wise i would not know.

I feel like there is 2 kind of drinking habits: The go to town and drink maybe 15+ in one night.
Or the ones that drink 1-2 beers/2 glasses of wine each day for say dinner.

I'm in category 1 (not at all every week, but maybe every third). For me alchohol is something social, i would never be able to just drink at beer at home alone, that would feel so wrong to me. Then i might as well take a coke/chocolate milk/water.
But perception is alot, if you say you enjoy 2 glasses of wine at dinner with your wife, people would find that totally okay. But if you just go home after work and drink 2 beers people would maybe say you have a drinking problem.

I understand the 1-2 beers, but every day, does beer really taste that good to you?

I've never had more than an ounce of an alcoholic beverage at once, and that less than 10 times in my life I've probably never drunk more than 10 ounces of beer and wine TOTAL in my entire life, and less than one ounce of anything harder.

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http://www.jt10000.com/

Part of what makes me good things and potentially bad things is that I don't moderate Anything well. Due to this I over Drank in college and now for the past 15 years I do not drink at all. I was a Collegiate athlete but I noticed that when I quit drinking my resting heart rate lowered, my blood pressure lowered and my recovery was so much better. Another thing that I noticed was that my attitude and mood was much more stable which helped me improve the consistency and effort in my training. I know not everyone is wired this way but removing alcohol from my life what was absolutely a wonderful thing for me.

I've had 5 beers in my life (4 of them was because i couldn't drink the water), 1 margarita and one other drink (can't remember what one).

I don't think it's bad I just don't like the taste of alcohol.

jaretj

10-20 per week is quite a lot.
10 craft beers (330ml bottles) of 6-8%ABV seems a bit too high if it's every week. 10 large bottles (500ml) is worse and 20 of anything is very high consumption IMO.

I'd sometimes have a couple of drinks Monday to Thursday but that would be the exception - maybe a glass of wine with dinner, or perhaps 1-2 beers watching a movie. Occasionally I'd have quite a bit more at the weekend if I was out with friends or whatever. But a couple every night is a dangerous habit. I used to drink a bit more. Often 2 or 3 glasses of wine or a couple of craft beers a few nights a week, but I realised the number of nights was increasing gradually so I decided to avoid drinking on Monday to Thursday nights in general. I didn't find it difficult, it was just a habit that needed breaking. To be honest I probably enjoy it more now that I indulge less frequently.

I'm amazed that your doctor is fixated on 19g of sugar a day but not bothered by the alcohol. They have many similar effects, and at that quantity I'm pretty sure the alcohol will be much more relevant.

I'd be more concerned about general long term health, but if athletic performance is a concern, cutting back will almost certainly make a significant difference. Alcohol isn't great for your heart. It also contributes a lot of calories to your diet that tend to manifest themselves as fat. If you are at all overweight, cutting back should make it considerably easier to hit race weight. You'll also get better rest and generally feel better. Alcohol interferes with proper sleep. You may get to sleep, you may even find it easier to get to sleep, but the quality suffers. Also alcohol is a depressant....

If I may make a suggestion?
Cut back substantially for a few weeks and see how you feel. At the very least you'll prove to yourself that you can cut back. If you can't there's a more serious problem than sports performance! If you feel better and start performing better, you can decide whether you want to go back to what you're doing now. It will of course take longer if you're planning to reap the rewards in terms of body weight. Either way, cutting back should be beneficial for long term health.

I love wine and good beer and I'm not planning to give them up. However, I do think it's wise to keep them in moderation.

I'm pretty sure everyone IS wired that way. The severity may differ substantially but the effect of alcohol and other substances is similar for virtually everyone.
Having said that, it doesn't seem necessary to me to completely obstain in order to avoid 99% of the downsides.

In a normal week I have I 3 to 8 craft beers. 5 spread over Friday, Saturday and Sunday this past weekend but did have company in town.

I don't mind having a drink, but when I'm serious about training, I pretty much cut it out completely. Not like a conscious no drinking policy. More of a not grabbing the beer because I have to wake up early to run. And when the whole week is laid out and I have family obligations, there are very few nights it's worth drinking.

Now when a rest day falls perfectly on the day after my wife and child might be out of town, or I'm visiting friends....I end up drinking as much as I can that night, haha. Udually with bad results.

I know what you mean about winding down but in reality although it might help you relax, it might not help you end up feeling rested. The quality of sleep you get after drinking is not as good. I'm not sure how much impact 1-2 glasses of wine would have - it may not be terribly significant.

I only drink on Saturday and Sunday night. Maybe 2-3 beers each of those days. No alcohol during the week.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Once a month usually - for the monthly work social. Even then, its just 3 pints, maybe 4. I dont like the morning after groggy feeling, knowing I have a big run/bike session. Plus, I think the wife appreciates it when i'm sober on the other 353 days of the year.

I'll do 3 - 6 drinks one day, sometimes two days per week. Used to drink 2 - 4 daily, but cut it out most days of the week.

I don't moderate well either. If it's worth doing, (sometimes) it's worth overdoing. It's a gift and it's also a flaw.

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New Training/Racing Log - http://www.earthdaykid.com/blog --- Old Training/Racing Log - http://colinlaughery.blogspot.com

I grew up not drinking. Now maybe 1 to 2 gin/tonics on a weekend. Eating too much sugar and being fat has a much bigger detriment on my running/biking.

I drink most days or rather since Louisville i have - same as you but wine

I do wonder whether it affects my performance though I am at the top of my AG generally so who knows

I do intend to cut down in the new year and will for sure as of my athletic peers (when we go out) I drink far more

I think a 2 to 3 glasses of wine three to four times per week is ok , better than binge drinking

Plus I enjoy it , never get drunk and I am britIsh so it’s genetic

If it’s a weight loss issue then yes it’s empty calories and you need to cut down

Cheers

I drank a lot in my twenties- had a real problem with it. I was in and out of detoxes... so now I don't drink at all and haven't for 17 years. I tell people that alcohol and I have a one way relationship- I love it, and it doesn't love me back.

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"There are two ways to slide easily through life- to believe everything and to doubt everything- both ways save us from thinking "- Korzbyski

None. 46 yrs old. Straight edge since 91.

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-shoki

I don’t drink at all (Crohn’s Disease). While I do miss the occasional drink, at this point I know I’m not missing much. 10-15 drinks a week sounds like a lot to me. If you’re drinking in the evening, there’s a chance it’s impacting sleep quality. Dropping to 3-5 sounds reasonable to me. Potential weight loss, improved sleep quality, and maybe athletic performance. Give it a try.

I'll have a couple of drinks, on average, once a week. Almost always socially, either the occasional glass of wine with my wife after kids are in bed, or at a social function. I think I've had a beer or some other drink by myself maybe 3 or 4 times in the last 5 years.

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Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

Wow, a lot of non-drinkers here.

For what its worth my intake sounds similar to yours and Im not concerned about it.

29y male
Generally 1-2 per night and then on weekend there is usually a day with more. Average around 10-20 drinks per week.

Approx 5000/1400 bike/run miles this year. Not worried about weight (145lbs and 5'9").

 
http://www.camh.ca/...king_guidelines.aspx

Drinking guidelines (Canada), has 3 per day (max 15) with one day off. I would like to say I drink less than this most weeks but 150ml for a glass of wine? Mine are more like 300ml. But I love to drink, not to get drunk, I just enjoy it. Beer with friends, wine while watching a movie. All good.

Most doc's won't get too excited about 1-2 day, that is pretty low.

My natural tendency is pretty much exactly the same. Mostly beer, but I like red wine, too. Very, very rarely a scotch nightcap at the end of social evening.







Yes. Yes, it does. I tend to prefer a good Munich- or Vienna- style Lager, but my range is pretty wide.





Interesting idea. I'll give it a try when my annual post-holiday "get back down to race weight" push begins. When losing weight, I've found cutting down substantially on alcohol (I'll still do one glass of red wine 3 times a week) is a double-win because I not only save the calories in the drinks, but I'm less likely to cave to the late night snack crave.

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"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"

Zero, zero zero

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

Interesting these threads always come up when I'm questioning my level of consumption.

I have been in the 1-2 per day with weekends ranging from 4-6 in the summer to much more than that when not training. I usually limit to Friday and Saturday only during training blocks, and will have a beer on Sunday if I do all my workouts for the weekend.

I was able to successfully cut WAAAAY back leading up to Rock n Roll Savannah, and amazingly had my best marathon ever (not time, but it was the most complete race I have run). I would have 1 beer after the long run, and maybe 1 glass of wine with dinner if we had company.

Since then, it's back to every day and I'm really starting to wonder if it's worth it. Going out with friends and it's easy to let a day of football watching creep up on you and all of a sudden you have overindulged.

I turn 40 next year and I have already decided I am going to train like I did for Savannah. I'm really curious what I can do if I truly focus and not get de-railed because I skipped a long run Sunday after too much fun Saturday.

I'm a 28yo male, about 125 lbs. In the off-season I'll get fairly sloshed once every 2-3 weeks. For my size "fairly sloshed" equates to about 5 drinks, never more than 9, over the course of a night.

Paradoxically, all of my KOM's and best 20-min FTP tests have been achieved about 3 days after a night of heavy drinking. Also, usually 6-7 days following intoxication, I'm able to push out a long ride with a much higher average power and less fatigue than I'm ordinarily able to. I have absolutely no idea to the mechanism behind this phenomenon. My best guess is the acute testosterone increase that typically follows alcohol intoxication. It's a slippery slope though...the occasional low dose of ethanol leads to a short-term increase in testosterone, but habitual abuse can decrease the baseline over time. some articles posted below

Testosterone increases in men after a low dose of ethanol:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12711931


Testosterone increases in the rat brain following ethanol intoxication:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12544003


Testosterone increase in men during midluteal phase following ethanol consumption:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3122772

Actually a lot of alcoholics here.

About 10-15 alcoholic drinks per year. Typically at a social event. Maybe a beer or a glass of wine. Alcohol is OK, but I certainly don't understand the attraction. I'm 60.

D'Wife: "You know, if you stopped drinking beer, you could probably run further & faster"
Me: "But if I stopped drinking beer, why would I bother to run at all?

By the end of the week, I run more miles than beers I drink, so I'm good

I think it was Warren Zevon [or maybe Alice Cooper?] that said: "An alcoholic knows exactly how much there is to drink in the house and precisely how long it will last"

And finally

http://blog.trainerroad.com/...-not-getting-faster/

I'm also a 28yo male.

I go through stints bouncing between months totally abstaining and a week or two of having a few beers on the weekend.

Honestly, drinking any amount of alcohol puts me into a slight depression for 2 or 3 days after. I'm not excited to train, I'm tired, and I tend to get very irritated and anxious in the subsequent days. When I don't drink at all I tend to be more balanced emotionally. Someone told me that it could be that my body doesn't "digest" alcohol normally, but I don't really know how much truth there can be with that.

Plus, alcoholism is rampant in both sides of my family, so I'm okay with keeping my distance.

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@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri

Those guidelines are pretty high. I assumed you'd misread it and that it would be 3 units per day, not 3 drinks. But followed the link and yes, they say 3 drinks.

Crucially however, they do define 1 drink as follows:

• 341 ml (12 oz.) bottle of 5% alcohol beer, cider or cooler
• 142 ml (5 oz.) glass of 12% alcohol wine
• 43 ml (1.5 oz.) serving of 40% distilled
• 
  

All drinks are most definitely not equal!

A 12oz bottle of craft beer with 7%ABV for example would be 1.4 "drinks" so following those guidelines you're suddenly down from 3 to 2!
If it's a US pint (473ml) of craft beer with 7%ABV it would be 1.95 "drinks" and if you're in the UK or Ireland and have an imperial pint (568ml) of craft beer with an 8%ABV you're having 2.67 "drinks" in the one glass. So 3 drinks becomes 1.

On the wine front, 12%ABV is fairly low. Many whites and most reds are higher than this. Plenty reds are 14-15%ABV. So you could easily be having 1.25 "drinks" per glass even if you're sticking to their 142ml serving size.

So it would be very easy to read those guidelines and consider your 3 pints of strong beer per night to be perfectly alright while in reality you could be drinking well over double their recommended maximum!


Also, you'll find the recommendations elsewhere are much lower. Which to follow?

In Ireland the recommended maximum for men is 21 and 14 for women. The UK was the same but has recently reduced their recommendation for men to 14 units per week, the same as women.
One unit in this case is 10ml of pure alcohol. So a US pint of 6%ABV would be 2.84 units. So the UK recommends no more than 5 pints (US) of 6%ABV beer a week. That's not a huge amount really, is it?

10-20 alcoholic beverages a week over 1-3 days on average. Mostly hard liquor, tequila, rum, vodka, whisky, etc. When I'm not training for anything the alcoholic beverage amount and days per week of drinking usually go up. I grew up in Mexico where going out to clubs and bars several times a week is what you do. I now live in Austin which has tons of bars and "clubs" walking distance from me because I live downtown. Ill go out a few times a week with friends, I really don't hang out with triathlon people outside of training. I know I could perform better if I stopped drinking or drank less, but I enjoy going out and I don't make my living from triathlon. I'm 6'2 and 160 so weight isn't a concern of mine.

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2x Deca-Ironman World Cup (10 Ironmans in 10 days), 2x Quintuple Ironman World Cup (5 Ironmans in 5 days), Ultraman, Ultra Marathoner, and I once did an Ironman.

This is me, (+3yrs, +2200mi/yr bike, etc). But instead of skiiing/hiking, I row a 1x.

And after 20+yrs of required dieting (for rowing), I feel ZERO desire to cut my alcohol intake back, except the weeks prior to A-races. And the extra cals from alcohol are the only way I can stay above 73kg. ETA: 70%/30% beer/wine, most of the time.

Keep it up!! You're in good company.

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no sponsors | no races | nothing to see here

I'm somewhat similar to what you describe, although I only drink beer and love the taste. Several things I've noticed and changed.

- Alcohol is not just alcohol, the quality matters a lot, not only in terms of enjoyment but how you'll feel next day. Craft beer not only tastes better but quality of ingredients tends to be higher. A couple of cheap commercial beers can leave me with a headache the next morning (not related to alcohol volume).

- Sleep and overall nutrition are far more important than cutting a beer here and there (just to make sure we're clear, we're talking about moderate consumption, not getting drunk, which we can all agree is not advisable or fun).

- I cut off drinking some days and tend to spread my beers more towards the weekend (1-3 per night) not drinking anything early in the week (again, no noticeable difference particularly if it's just one beer, but good way to give the body a rest, and I've found that when I do have a beer it increases enjoyment).

- You mention 6-8% abv (probably mostly IPAs), maybe try some beers with lower abv. Some session beers are pretty good and german lagers or pilsners tend to be very pleasant and high quality with, say, 5% abv (two of my favourites: Weihenstephaner and Warsteiner - if you like dark, Guinness is always good and low abv). Pairing different beers with different types of food also makes for good combinations.

I get the depression as well, but instead of anxiety/anger it's extremely intense feelings of sadness, despair, guilt, and shame, though it's gone by day two. I did a lot of research, turns out it's a result of neurotransmitter dysregulation, mostly basement level dopamine as a symptom of alcohol withdrawal. Typically only present in people predisposed to alcoholism.

Cultural upbringing will I think affect what you consider to be an acceptable level of drinking. I grew up in England and from age 15/16 was going to the pub once a week a drinking a few beers. It was a social atmosphere - and yes we did get drunk from time to time. The University years were one long piss-up - how else to celebrate the various important events such as football games, end of exams, Wednesdays! First job was in construction industry - lunch may have included a pint of Guinness now and again. The pub being the social hub for many people may seem to indicate that everyone in England is a heavy drinker, but for many the pub will be at the end of a 5 mile walk with the dog along a canal path, or a bike ride with friends, etc - the drinking is not the primary goal but a part of the entire experience and can be a family event.

Living in the US now for 15 years and drinking culture is very different. It seems that the bars are filled more with heavy drinkers and that if you even are drinking at a restaurant with your kids you may get the side eye as if you are leading them down the path of damnation. I know couples that hide their alcohol when parents come to visit and will drink out of tumblers because alcohol is a taboo - these are grown people in their 40's! Because we all know that doing things in secret is a healthy way to live.

Does alcohol impair performance - yes, they are empty calories and add nothing nutrition or performance wise. Do i drink 2 or 3 beers most nights - hell yes, because I enjoy a good stout, porter, or ale. Before big races do i taper that drinking back for between 2-4 weeks and see a difference in weight and performance - yes. But for me this is a hobby/past-time/lifestyle and balance is needed in all things so that I enjoy all aspects of my life.

If you find you are hiding any aspect of your drinking from your family/significant other then you need to consider what and why you are drinking.

Slightly older than you, bike more, run less.

2 Bourbons a day, every day except weekends when it could be more.

I also drink 3 coffees a day, every day.

If i lost those "empty calories" that taste great, I'd lose weight and my wife already says I'm too thin.

Almost same here - I was dry for about 4 years after a TBI. I now drink only on Friday and Saturday, one beer each (and sometimes none if I have to drive that evening), and very occasionally socially (poker nights). Never more than 2 a night.

I did allow myself a beer last week after a particularly epic Tuesday bike ride. Trying to not make that a habit.

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Citizen of the world, former drunkard. Resident Traumatic Brain Injury advocate.

You are an alcoholic.

I have thoroughly enjoyed a glass or two of red wine a few evenings a month. It tastes good to me, and I treat it as dessert.

I used to drink quite a bit more, but have had a handful of times over the past 10 years where I ended up alone, hammered and shocked that nothing terrible happened to me. I've just moved across the country solo, and not knowing my way around the city has me paranoid about driving even after one drink. I've even stopped doing work happy hours (or at least drinking at them) since I always end up 3-4 drinks in, feeling shitty and skipping a workout. Not to say I won't enjoy alcohol on vacation or every now and then, but it's just not a huge part of my life, nor do I want it to be.

twice per week. 3 if I am on vacation
Mostly times if I am having pizza or a burger

I very rarely drink on weekdays. I get home from work around 6-6:30 and I'm in bed by 8:30 and most of the time between is taken up with the kids. Maybe twice a year I have a work happy hour or something and I'll have a drink.

On the weekends I'll typically have a beer or two on Saturday and/or Sunday. If there's something social it might be a tad more, but never really a lot.

But that's now that I'm old and smelly. In my 20s it was a lot different.

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https://markmcdermott.substack.com

Interesting. I will definitely be looking into this.

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@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri

Tri_yoda I was in a similar boat after college, especially as most recent grads don't jump into tri. This is kinda silly, but I've taking a liking to La Croix. It is fizzy and I can have the same ritual as a fancy dinner drink - pouring it into a glass.

Definitely not a substitute but if the ritual is part of winding down, this has helped me not drink during the week.

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https://www.strava.com/athletes/228137

I don't drink a lot, maybe 3-4 beers Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoon.

What I have noticed as I approach 50 is it takes just 1 sometimes to feel sluggish the next day. Also, more often now, I don't get the happy, relaxed buzz I used to and instead get grouchy and tired but don't sleep well after a drink.

Definitely doesn't help quality of training.

Getting old doesn't come alone I guess but I like my craft beer too.

One thing about running in the morning, is that you have to wait 12-14 hours for that post-workout beer

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

none. Have not had any alcohol in about 15 yrs. No particular reason just stopped and have not missed it.

I'm done running every day before 6am. That's a bit early for beer these days. So yeah.

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https://markmcdermott.substack.com

No you are not, by any standard.
Ignore the Trolly, he/she is just bored and tried to stir shit.

What people lose sight of is the consumption #'s are only part of it. Behaviour associated with alcohol is also an important factor.

Your stats (age, workout, and drinking) are eerily similar to mine. Other than that, I got nothing for you!!

A claim too fantastic for you to believe? Why is that? Do you know?

....or maybe you're not.

That line I've put in bold is the suspect one.
Do you reckon there's ANY alcoholic who hasn't said exactly that and believed it?
If you want to know that you can stop.....stop.

As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I found myself in the habit of drinking several times a week a few years ago. Probably not quite as much as you but not far off. Maybe a couple of glasses of wine or a 1-2 beers most nights with or after dinner. I decided to cut back and although I might really fancy a glass of wine some evenings, I found that it was a habit, not a compulsion. Thankfully, I didn't find it difficult to get out of that habit.

The fact that you started this thread in itself suggests you may be worried something is not right.
It's so, so easy to confirm you can stop by just doing it.
Don't deceive yourself by pretending that's a choice you simply don't want to make, but could if you chose. That's the lie all alcoholics hang onto. The fact you said that doesn't guarantee you are an alcoholic, but it does makes it seem more likely to those reading this.

Judgmental much???

We aren’t 8th graders here. No one is pressuring me to have 1 craft beer on a Tuesday night with my family at dinner. There are plenty is reasons to drink-some good; some bad. Personnaly, i like the taste. I’m not trying to get drunk or be cool 99% of the time when i consume

I'm male, 62, and get about double your bike miles and about the same run miles. I have a beer first thing when I get home from work...every single day. I might later have a glass of wine with my wife during dinner. During the warmer months of summer, not uncommon to have a 2nd beer and might even have 3 beers on Sat and Sun.

I'm still very competitive and even have a hard time holding my weight up so I don't worry about the alcohol since I have to force myself to eat more just to maintain my weight.

If you are trying to lose weight, then yeah, cut back on a few beers per week.

That's the theme of a song I wrote for SuperSize Me: The Musical ... "It's Easier to Give Up Than to Quit"

Unfortunately, in the 10 years since I wrote it, I've forgotten the words and lost my notes, so I can't tell you how it goes

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

I'm almost impressed. You got 3 pages in before someone rode in on their high horse and called you an alcoholic. Now this will devolve into an argument about who is a drunkard and who isn't.


Personally I think we all handle it differently. I couldn't imagine cutting back would hurt you. There was a thread here some time back started by someone who hits it pretty good. I think he said he was drinking a bottle of wine a night. Still managed to qualify for Kona an insane amount of times. I keep meaning to look that up, hoping for an update.

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"I think I've cracked the code. double letters are cheaters except for perfect squares (a, d, i, p and y). So Leddy isn't a cheater... "

Unless your coffee is full of milk/cream and sugar they're not really comparable.
I drink a fair amount of coffee most days (say 2 to 5 cups). According to most current research that's not a health concern. In fact, I'm pretty sure there's some recent reports it actually reduces risk of coronary artery disease and strokes. I drink most of mine black with very little sugar (<1g per cup) plus the occasional cappucino.
There's not many calories in coffee unless you add them. Alcohol itself is very calorific and then there's any additional sugars in beer, wine or other drinks that contribute to the flavour.

"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day."

Dean Martin

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I reject your reality and substitute my own!
Adam Savage

I travel a lot for work, and end up drinking socially quite a bit with customers. That being said, one thing I notice is that my RHR tends to spike by a good 30 or so BPM when I've had a couple of glasses of wine anytime after 20:00. That's my n=1 results from drinking. I've thought about stopping all together, but I enjoy wine much too much!

I used to be a train hard/party hard type (hence the username). I gave up alcohol for 2017 because we have a new baby and I figured that with the energy required to be a parent, work full time and continue to train for triathlons I had to find that extra time and energy somewhere. I decided that the energy spent on drinking was what I would give up so that I could still race (parenting comes first and as much as I would like to give up working I can't do that unfortunately). I'm almost to the full year without even a sip and I haven't missed the alcohol one bit. I actually wonder why I didn't give it up sooner. The only disappointment is that I didn't get any faster, but I think raising the kid has caused that more than anything else. I don't see myself going back to drinking anytime soon, life is great as is!

I’d bet a lot of money that when your child gets a bit older you will start drinking again.

+1

good advice.

I don't know, I feel like I've already had my share of booze for one lifetime. How much you wanna bet? I like taking people's money from them =)

I'm somewhat the same. 1-2 beers a night, and often wine with the meal and maybe with a dark chocolate after dinner. Closer to 70 than 60 now and after years of that regime plan on keeping it. Stress relief and truly living is more important to me than sacrificing the beer for a better placing, although I often podium after 2 beers the night before. Relaxation and staying with your norm is important. As I'm in the frigid midwest, I usually opt for a nice Porter or Stout in the proper glass.

I used to be similar until I started training over the past few years.

Once I completely filled my fridge with beer & had to drink space for food.

Now I'll have a few (normally 4 or more) on Friday and that's it.

I probably drink about 10-12 servings 6-8 months of the year (probably more between Thanksgiving and New Years). I cut back my alcohol consumption to 2-5 servings/week the other 4-6 months. I like to almost completely cut out alcohol before my big race stretch. I feel like it is pretty easy for me to shave 5 lbs of useless weight when I cut back this much but I still really enjoy a dark heavy beer post long run or hard brick in the summer. I like craft beer. I like red wine. I LOVE Bourbon. I don't want to cut them out completely but I really try to significantly modify my diet when I want to hit a key weight.

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https://www.strava.com/athletes/23685202

Looks like another person rode in on their high horse.

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"I think I've cracked the code. double letters are cheaters except for perfect squares (a, d, i, p and y). So Leddy isn't a cheater... "

I recall watching the Tonight Show many, many decades ago (I know, I'm old) with Dean Martin as a guest. Martin to Carson: "I feel sorry for people who don't drink because when they get up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day."

The problem with that line of thinking, is that both the alcoholic and the non-alcoholic will say exactly the same thing. So, it doesn't really work as a litmus test. An alternate way to phrase that is:

Do you reckon there's ANY non-alcoholic who hasn't said exactly that and have it be true?

The real test is, is a persons alcohol consumption interfering with other aspects of their lives: personal or professional commitments, social and/or health problems, etc. All the general aspects addiction driven behaviors.

Its not "how much" someone drinks that defines an alcoholic...its "when" and in "what context."

I've consumed alcohol at varying levels in the last 50 years. From 4-5 every night to zero for months on end. I drink what I want, however much I want, and when I want...or don't when I don't want. These days, I generally don't consume alcohol Sun-Thu. If I DO have a drink on weeknights, generally its 1 (or rarely 2) glasses of wine or Bourbon (although the bourbon probably would count as 2 standard drinks). Fri-Sat I might or might not consume alcohol...mostly depending on what training I have planned the next day. If I do, I might have 1 or even 6 "standard drinks". On those days, I really don't care. I'm at home and I do what I want.

ETA: I know you said "suspect", not "definitive." But, given that it really contains ZERO information useful for discriminating between either case...I don't really find it useful.

Whatever you do, do NOT get on Untappd

Last year, I got into some trouble with D'Wife, because I was getting too wrapped up chasing down new brews and collecting badges

As triathletes, we have a predisposition to be obsessively competitive, and express "Got it, Got it, Need it, Got it" behaviors

YMMV

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Nor, under and circumstances, should you begin brewing your own beer. There's nothing worse than having 10 5-gallon batches of various home "craft" brew freely available at any one time, with 3-4 more on the way.

I ride about 8 to 9 k miles a year. I am just like you with drinking, 1-3 beers a day and my minimum is a lager like Yuengling (light beer = shit). I even have one or two the night before a race. I don't care about the buzz, I just really enjoy the taste of beer. If I wanted to get drunk I'd just slam a couple shots.
Some of you from what I'm reading here would be surprised at just how much really fast riders I know drink every day.......

LOL!

Yeah, D'Wife got me a brew kit for Xmas last year. I haven't fired it up yet, much to her dismay #ironic

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Too much. Avg of probably 2.5 "fda" guideline drinks per night. Then extra on a Friday or Saturday. Less or no on a hard training night.

I bet I could get from a 3.4w/kg to a 3.7 just by stopping drinking. No joke. That's where pretty much any of the fat/weight left is coming from.

I know a LOT of extremely fast runners who drink a lot of beer too. In fact, I seem to remember Pre put a few away, and Shorter did before his gold medal marathon win.

The Beer Mile WR is 4:33.6

https://www.flotrack.org/...e-world-record-again

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

My habits are pretty similar to yours. But if I am trying to lose weight or have an A race coming up, I cut out alcohol almost entirely. I have found that wine, in particular, inhibits my recovery, so I essentially don't drink wine for half the year.

Hello RandMart and All,


I have observed that my alcohol drinking (and that of my age cohort) has followed Lew Hollander's Quality of Life curve as we age .... generally drinking less and less (approaching zero) as time goes by. Typical of triathlon training ...... on occasion I have increased the volume too rapidly have suffered from over training and seen my performance degrade ..... (and my wife get angry).





Alcohol (ethanol) is prohibited In-Competition only, in the following sports. Detection will be conducted by analysis of breath and/or blood. The doping violation threshold is equivalent to a blood alcohol concentration of 0.10 g/L.

• Air Sports (FAI)
• Archery (WA)
• Automobile (FIA)
• Powerboating (UIM

Interesting to note that in competition alcohol above 0.10 is restricted while racing aircraft, motorcars, boats, and using bows and arrows ..... but it appears firing guns is OK when using alcohol?

In keeping with the spirit of the beer mile ..... how about adding a class of sports where the athlete's alcohol has to be above 0.10 to compete .... sky diving, rock climbing, trapeze, high diving, figure skating, .......

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Cheers, Neal

+1 mph Faster

I forgot this existed. Damnit damnit. I was trying to drink less! Now I may have to go try this on the running path behind my house. Hide one behind each 1/4 mile marker. I'm sure the wife will approve of that.

I have done a 100mi brewery tour bike event before. You got 3 or 5 minutes or something taken off your time if you got a beer at each of the 4 stops. The last stop being the finish, so everyone got that one.

I will have a beer or other drink on occasion just being social. I, too, don't see the point.
Wish I could say the same for chocolate.

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Team Zoot So Cal

Hey, is the sun past the yard arm yet? It doesn't matter, because I started a 16 week run training plan at the beginning of November (Macmillan) and decided to go dry for the duration. Am finding alcohol free beer is my friend, especially Bavaria Wit, San Miguel 0.0%, don't know if you have those is USA?

• 341 ml (12 oz.) bottle of 5% alcohol beer, cider or cooler
• 142 ml (5 oz.) glass of 12% alcohol wine
• 43 ml (1.5 oz.) serving of 40% distilled

Those are not good standards or examples even though the beverage alcohol industry would like you to think so.


Distilled spirits often 86 or 90 proof sometimes 100 and I have seen 110 "barrel proof" whiskey. 12% wine is less and less common. Lots of table wine comes in a 14% and they are allowed (i think) 1.5% inaccuracy. I have seen some CA wines and Amarone declared at at over 15% on the label so might be over 16%.


And a "serving" or "glass" of wine might be more like 6 ounces in full service restaurants (or at home!).


Malty/craft beer I suspect might be higher too. But I work mostly with wine.

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don't just do something..... sit there

I rarely drink. Not really opposed to it, but alcohol hasn't been much a part of my life since college. I drank way too much in college, and could have easily developed a lifelong problem, but my college roommate was a functioning alcoholic - until he stopped functioning. He had several drunken scrapes with the law, managed to get out of them without any serious consequences, and got a job with the same large firm I went to work for. He was fired within a year when management realized he was showing up at client meetings drunk or hung over. Cleaned up my act pretty quickly during that first year as a real adult.

Anyway, I'll have a glass of wine at dinner or a beer at a ballgame a couple times a year at most. Last time I had an alcoholic beverage was March or April of this year.

sigh....yoda, Yoda, YODA....where do I begin?

Do I really need to remind you that 3 for a PB is not just a "proven" theory *, but a way of life!!!

Some friends of yours *MIGHT* look down upon you for starting this thread. Some from above.

You've been warned ;)

p.s. I'm at least in the same good company as you in regards to your non-multisport habits. I will say though, I spent years where I hardly drank at all. Admittedly, I was a much younger man with extremely high ambitions during that time of my life. I will say though, at the time, I could see a significant difference in my performance the day after nights I went out (just ask Thor). However, it's hard for me to take masters athletics so seriously that I avoid having a good time and enjoying life. And yes, I enjoy having wine or beer on a nightly basis.

* 3 for a PB may not actually result in a PB.

The one thing I will say is that I could (and do) say the exact same thing about coffee. I've had people try to passive-aggressively tell me "well if you can quit coffee, prove it and do it!". Except that of course it has no noticeable negative effects on my life, I have one stronk mug per day, and I have no reason to give up something I enjoy that isn't hurting me. The crusaders are gonna crusade, though, and insist that my unwillingness to quit coffee means it's ruining my life somehow.

Now, coffee ain't alcohol, but I'd want to see his life before judging.

---

The point is, ladies and gentleman, that speed, for lack of a better word, is good. Speed is right, Speed works. Speed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.

I've been a called a lot worse;)

Interesting reading the responses to my question. Not surprised to get confirmation I am on the pointy end of the alcohol consumption curve with this group. I only had one beer last night. I'm thinking I will abstain until Friday. I got a double deucer of this Belgian Style holiday ale that I'll save until then. This is also a total rest week before I start Boston training next week, so I need to watch the calories (I've been eating a lot of cookies).

I was renting a spare room to home brewer for a while. We always had two pony kegs on tap. Come to think of it, when he lived with me was when I probably kicked up my habit a bit. I actaully brewed a few kegs of cider under his tutelage.

The guy was a friend, living away from his life for a while. It was like a civilized fraternity house for middle-aged men. We would take turns cooking dinner, and just drink a few few beers and chill after work. We actually had a great bromance going, we re-watched The Wire together and then had a "tournament" playoff among 32 characters from the series.

Sadly he is now divorced from his wife and he moved out of state. We still meet up a few times a year when he is in the area for work. He buys the steaks and picks up some craft brew selections and I always have a spare room for him.

Because pretty much all the time, humans cheat themselves.

It is human nature, and has been a large contributor to our success!

And besides, several of human's greatest achievements have been conceived or were born in drug fueled states.

My last post was written after enjoying a bottle of Italian Chianti....

I'm not good with moderation like a few others here. I stopped drinking almost 4 years ago and my quality of training (and life) has definitely increased as a result. Not trying to moralize, I submit to you the case of Samuel Wanjiru which is as interesting as it is tragic. The amount that he reportedly drank (and ran the following morning) was truly staggering:

https://www.newyorker.com/...12/05/21/finish-line

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Coach at TriForce Triathlon Team: https://www.triforceteam.com

To be clear, %proof is not %ABV.
The figures in the list above are all given as %ABV

%ABV is simply percentage alcohol by volume.
Originally proof was defined in terms of flammability and later specific gravity. In the USA, proof has a different definition which is based on %ABV and it's simply double the %ABV. So an 86% proof Whiskey is 43%ABV. I've no idea what the point is in having two measurements that tell you the same thing with one just being double the other.

%ABV is used in Europe, Canada and, USA.
I think %proof is printed on bottles in the USA in addition to %ABV. I don't know if it's still printed on bottles elsewhere. I haven't been paying attention.

And I'm not judging either.
I was simply pointing out that claiming, and believing, that one can quit whenever one wants, does not mean one is not alcoholic. I hope I was clear that I wasn't suggesting it means one does have an alcoholism problem either. It's just not a distinguisher and if anything making this statement would seem to make it more likely there is a problem since non-alcoholics who have any concern may well have tried and succeeded in quitting or changing their habits and thus not feel the need to say this.

My comment was specifically in response to sebo2000's statement that the OP was an alcoholic. I was in fact pointing out that we have no way to know that one way or the other.

Normal week would be two pints of craft/real ale (one Friday, one Saturday).

Even at party season, three drinks in a night is my maximum...

Hmm,decided to wait a little and look at this one over a few days. My normal night is 2 double gins before dinner, then maybe a glass of wine with dinner.
Formal dinners, different kettle of fish.

Last night:
2* champagne,
2* red,
2* white,
n* port.

End of season phase for my employers, so a good celebration night.

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/...Screening%20Tool.pdf

This is the screen we use in a hospital I work in. I think most hospitals do. Something to consider. When I was pregnant I asked my midwife if one drink every once in a while was OK. Her answer was - “maybe- probably. But there are lots of beverages you could be drinking that are healthier for the baby- things with the protein, vitamins and minerals the baby needs... why would you not simply choose one of those?” I thought that made sense- and I did not drink at all while pregnant. While drinking now and then probably won’t hurt your performance- it won’t help it either- so maybe it might be better to choose something that might be more beneficial....which would probably be just about any other substance.

Alcohol is a neurotoxin- it causes cancer, interferes with mood and sleep and can lead to addiction. That said, I see the appeal. It is relaxing. During the season, I limit myself to the nights before off days (about once every 9 days). Things got a little out of hand during the off season when every day was an off day... now I am getting back on track.

There's a lot of conflicting studies on which drinks prevent or cause disease and cancer and to which amounts of those it would apply.

So let's not get into the "alcohol causes cancer" bit. Or the "it prevents cancer/disease" bit. It's both known and accepted that moderation of kinds can help/prevent things and that excess of most anything is bad.

I think the idea here is that if it is keeping you from what you really want, or if you're ok with what you have.

I'm dialing back for a while, not because I think it's the boogey man but because I'd rather get to 3.7w/kg before next May instead. When you're doing climbing intervals and training, it's kind of hard to justify "extra" treats when you see your VAM and w/kg numbers.

There are a bunch of threads like this

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/...=post_time&mh=25

Draw your own conclusions

---

"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/866727
https://www.cancer.org/...-use-and-cancer.html
https://www.cancer.gov/...lcohol-fact-sheet#q2
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/...r/alcohol-and-cancer

Alcohol causes cancer. Full stop. The alcohol industry would like to muddle this point, or suggest that maybe there is some kind of conflicting evidence - there is not. Now lots of people are not really into "science" or "evidence", but for those that are, the science is clear on this point and pretty much every leading national cancer organization has stated this.

People can choose if this is a risk they want to take, or how much risk they want to take - that is fair - quality of life etc... but the science demonstrating a causal link between alcohol and cancer is clear. I would encourage a look at the first article.

Funny I was thinking, Wow. But Wow there are a lot of people who drink a lot on here. I am surprised at the number of people who say they drink 2-3 drinks a day. That sounds like a lot. Especially for athletes.

Perhaps with some fresh fruit or herbs [like a Mojito or Mint Julep]???

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

none. i had a problem moderating, so about 5 years ago i stopped altogether. i feel a lot better. i miss it sometimes, but i can also remember the parts i don't miss, and ultimately have decided to do without it.

What you quoted has been known for decades..........if you drink heavily you'll get liver, mouth/throat, rectal cancers.

Yeah, I don't drink more than the guidelines in those posts on a daily basis. That means the ones posted show you can have 24oz beer a day or the equiv in wine. I exceed the daily guideline maybe once every other week.

Do you use mouthwash with alcohol in it? Gargle? I don't. I find it a bit offensive on the mouth.

That's not actually what the science says. For example:

"The more alcohol someone tends to drink, the higher the risk.[3] One review found that people having four or more drinks (where one drink has around 1.5 units of alcohol) a day had about five times the risk of mouth and pharynx cancers compared to people who never drank or drank only occasionally. And the same review also found that even lighter drinkers of no more than one drink a day had a 20% higher risk.[4]"

It's not just about "heavy" drinking.... the more you drink, the higher your risk - but any drinking at all increases risk, because alcohol is carcinogenic.

Again - people like to drink - they like to socialize - they like to relax... these are all completely fine reasons to drink in my book... but I think it should be clear that alcohol, any alcohol, causes cancer. Light drinking causes less cancer than heavy drinking - but it still raises risk. You might say that this is "old news", but I think lots of people are under the false impression that unless they drink heavily, they are not at increased risk.

I absolutely didn't want to offend you. You got a lot of responses form other alcoholics. It was quite a lot of them, I'm not surprised about that at all.

Alcoholism is an addiction, many people are "functional alcoholics", they drink entire life and appear perfectly normal to society and their families. They do what is expected from them, work/kids/home the whole works, but they drink, in many cases they do not smash themselves, they have few drinks a day entire life. They look and function perfectly normal and they are normal, but they have addiction, they are alcoholics.

Having said that: 99% of people here are addicted to sports, they depend on endorphins produces during workout. Others are addicted to social media, instagram, text, jerking off, sex, shopping, reading, praying, cheating, working, gambling, internet, etc ....
There is a lot of addictions, I'm addicted as well to quite a few things.

Some are "good" and some are "bad" I guess once your addiction starts interfering with your life in negative way people start to notice, and only then we call it "addiction" before that nobody gives a @#, people are addicted to cell phones now, is anyone calling them addicts? Not yet (because phones have to sell, and there is a lot of $ behind it), but wait few years (millennial are already F#$# because of cellphones...). Once you realize and start asking questions, it could be breaking point and great you have noticed it. That does not change the fact about you being alcoholic, you are functional alcoholic. Call any AA group and ask the same question you have asked here.

Alcohol can also lower your risk of cardiovascular disease so how it affects your overall risk of dying is not as clear cut.

I'm way worse about coffee. I likely drink way too much and don't think I could cut it out if I wanted. I drink about 50-60 oz of coffee per day. I prefer pour over. I need my afternoon coffee or I function poorly on anything afternoon workouts. I do cut off any coffee by 4 pm.

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https://www.strava.com/athletes/23685202

I don't do much of any form of exercise anymore, and when I do it's just running. I was drinking a thousand to 1500 calories per day every single day. A little over 3 months ago I quit completely, and have now dropped 38 pounds with no other changes. It sure makes it easier to run without hauling more than two extra bowling balls around on me.

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I miss YaHey

I use two rules of thumb to keep myself in check: 1) the Alice Cooper/Warren Zevon guideline I posted earlier and 2) if you find yourself sneaking or covering up

By that token, knowing exactly how many miles I need to run to achieve a certain weekly/monthly goal, to maintain a streak or what have you [equivalent to #1 above], or going out for a 10 miler when D'Girls are still sleeping on a weekend morning but only admitting to a 5K [see #2] could be perceived as "a running problem"

I guess I could be considered an Endorphin Addict, and as I've said before: Endorphin Withdrawal is a terrible thing to experience, and horrible to watch

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

I was going to defend you against those who called you an alcoholic, but there's no defending anyone who calls a 650ml/22oz bottle a "double deucer." Only a raging alcoholic would use such a term.

Cut him some slack ... he did NOT say "in a proper glass"

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

I always thought I'd heard it attributed to Frankie instead, but I guess they were good drinking buddies anyway...

Kinda fun to see the range of responses. I definitely drink too much these days, not any set ritual but often have a beer when I get home (sometimes if I'm feeling particularly cheery or dour I'll mix up a cocktail instead) and beer or wine w/ dinner depending on what goes better w/ the cuisine du jour. Maybe a beer in the garage later if I'm wrenching on the bike or some other manly activity, or a Scotch nightcap if we're watching a movie. It's situational, but I can cover a wide range of tastes depending on the context. Maybe once every week or two I'll meet the boss after work for a couple beers, which I like to joke is easier and more fun than actually working harder at my job to stay in his favor. It's also seasonal; in the summer I'd meet a different drinking buddy for dog walks and we'd end up on a bar patio down the street drinking margaritas in the sun, or in the fall watching football w/ the guys it's easy to drink 5-6 beers over several hours ~ which sounds like a lot (cuz, well, it is) but it's leisurely and social and w/ plenty of food so it doesn't feel like really DRINKING like in college when you'd pound that many (or more) in a tiny fraction of the time just to get hammered.

Like others have mentioned, it really boils down to a core personality trait ~ we tend to be obsessive behavioral types here and I certainly recognize that in myself whether it's drinking, or working out, or fishing, sex, darts, boating, or whatever other activity (this includes a lot of people who seem to get rather militant about NOT drinking or other similar 'avoidance' behaviors, simply applying the same compulsive mindset in reverse). For me they all tend to ebb & flow over the years too ~ When I went through phases of racing a lot more, I'd frequently cut down drinking significantly up to and including cutting it out entirely closer to big races, but mostly it was about simply eliminating the biggest & most obvious source of empty calories in order to drop weight; it was less about performance impairment aside from being lighter since I *could* often still drink a lot and ride a lot in the off-season. When I did cut it out, I didn't miss the drinking itself or the buzz so much (although I honestly do enjoy savoring a good cocktail or wine or beer just for their own sake) but I definitely did miss the social aspects of hanging out w/ certain friends when drinking was part of our regular habits.

In contrast I have a few other friends who don't drink much or at all, and they're good for talking about certain things or sharing various other activities, but then it's readily apparent the same kind of internal discipline or whatever mindset it is that goes along w/ not drinking also makes them more risk-averse and dull in general when it comes to pushing any other envelope. I can think of one pal in particular; great guy and when he found out I was a serious cyclist (at least more serious at the time) he wanted me to take him out riding on several occasions (we also ran together as well) but despite him being younger and appearing to be in better overall shape than I was (easily leaner; 10 out of 10 people would pick him as the better endurance athlete just looking at the 2 of us standing side by side) I was surprised how easy it is to dust him whenever I felt like it, and it wasn't simply a matter of conditioning or specificity ~ it always looked like he could crank it up if he really wanted to, yet never did; he just seems like he's perpetually stuck in a mellower cruising gear and doesn't attack things with the same sort of zest I and others I know are capable of. I've known him long enough now that's just how he's wired: super chill, not to go 110% or binge on anything. He's a super solid dude, but at the same time if I wanna go have a night out I've got other friends who are more fun cuz they have a switch that can readily be flipped to Go Big when the situation is ripe for it, with little to no encouragement. Drinking is merely one facet or outlet of that behavioral type.

Hello OneGoodLeg and All,

Is there any truth to diamond jeweler Kay's "every kiss begins with Kay"?

Or is it likely that more kiss's begin with beer?

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Cheers, Neal

+1 mph Faster

GCN had a term for this that went along with other cyclist terms like "wheelsucker" or "halfwheeler"........it's called a "soft pedaller".

Cruising along at pace with a smile and nose breathing.

Then again, I know thin folks who put in tons of hours in Z2 with some Z3/4 (power zones out of 5) for maybe a min or two. Not personality I guess, just maybe not in their goal set.

Then there's me.......segment you know up a 3 minute hill comes on the route......oooooohhhhhhhh ohhhhhhhhh let's bomb that shit and try for top 10 on the leaderboard! Crest the top about to vomit. Do it a few more times on the ride.......get to the house nursing a cramp you got right at the end of the last gut buster.......then remember it's fun to do an all out sprint at the bottom of the hill near your house where it flattens up for 1/8 mile before your driveway. Turn off the ride on the Bolt to save your epic average speed with all those hills and circle the cul de sac like a 4 year old on a tricycle for 5 minutes cooling down. Then hope you can stand up long enough to finish taking a shower.

Fortunately, its easily cured with substantial alcohol.

Another vote for Frank

****

In regards to the very wordy post that followed ...

"Write drunk, edit sober" = Hemingway

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

http://riotfest.org/...rummer-ran-marathon/



Joe: You shouldn’t really ask me about my training regime, you know.
Q: Why?
Joe: Because it’s not good and I wouldn’t want people to copy it.
Q: Don’t make me beat it out of you.
Joe: Okay, you want it, here it is. Drink 10 pints of beer the night before the race. Ya got that? And don’t run a single step at least four weeks before the race.
Q: No running at all?
Joe: No, none at all. And don’t forget the 10 pints of beer the night before. But make sure you put a warning in this article, “Do not try this at home.” I mean, it works for me and Hunter Thompson but it might not work for others. I can only tell you what I do.

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Heh, so I'm not the only one :)

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"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"

Seasonal or holiday parties. That covers it. When we have a XMAS party, or 4th of July party or birthday party. No bars or social drinking at dinners for me. Typically have to drive so I don't even bother--I'd go for coffee instead, water. The Mike's Hard Limeade is pretty awesome, or any of those Smirnoff flavored beverages. Not a beer/wine/hard liquor guy either. Rare I'd have one, but it does happen a few times a year. In total, I drink a dozen times a year which is the number of parties I may be at or host.

+1 on the I'm fat and slow. BOP Clydesdale
I will never give up my scotch no matter how fast I think it would make me. I race for the fun and being with all the people ahead of me.
2 to 3 drinks 5 times a week.
Mho drink high end scotch and enjoy life.

I probably drink 2-3 on a weekday, there are times were i don't drink anything. This is typically towards the end of the night, after the kids are in bed and I have done whatever work out I am doing - so usually around 9pm or so. On a weekend it really depends. I have been working on toning it down but it could be upwards of 7 or 8 throughout the course of the day. I like to get a run/bike in and then I am in yard work mode. I like to think that makes it better, but it doesn't :(

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I was a drunk until about 3 years ago. Back in 2010-2012 when I was racing my best, I was drinking at my best too. Minimum of 6 high alcohol IPAs every night, sometimes a half bottle of red wine too. I was hungover maybe once a week. Slept 5 hours a night, trained 14-18 hours a week. Won the first national aquabike, VA state 40k title in 51:20, and 2nd master at AG nats in Burlington. The hardest part was not drinking for a couple night before major races. It's really ridiculous when I write it out like that. I pissed away a lot of talent, and race weight was a bitch. Not recommended.

Funny you should say that. I've been away from the forum for a while - maybe those 3 years. And it seems to me you're a lot more agreeable than you used to be. But that could also be me misremembering.

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Citizen of the world, former drunkard. Resident Traumatic Brain Injury advocate.

Oh no, you remember perfectly. I was banned three times I think. I was a train wreck, but I was also good at stuff, so I could get away with it. So much of my training was alcohol fueled. I am happier on the coaching side of the sport now.

ha !
in dry spells, I fill a beer bottle with water, and camouflage myself that way..

usually go dry for Lent, just to make sure I still can.
the rest of the year, a beer or 2 glasses of wine with dinner on most days.
since 11/9 I seem to have developed a whisky nightcap habit, it helps to stop thinking..

Going dry for the forty days of Lent has no effect on anything - sleep, rhr, weight, race times, etc. I've been doing this for decades now and the training logs are consistent..

People have a hard time believing everyone else isn't exactly like them. I know people who honestly believe everyone drives drunk ("tipsy") because they do. There are people who think everyone smokes weed, everyone litters, and everything else. This is reinforced because people tend to socialize with others like them. I can absolutely assure you there are people who don't drink (and no, that's not me). But maybe do some introspection and think about why you can't imagine someone not doing it.

Heck, I once went on a (one!) date with a girl who seriously believed I was lying when I said I didn't like Chik-fil-a and just made myself avoid it because of racing. No, it's disgusting and also crap, and I'm honest about the unhealthy food that I crave but avoid.

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The point is, ladies and gentleman, that speed, for lack of a better word, is good. Speed is right, Speed works. Speed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.

I whole-heartedly disagree; people do things to celebrate their superiority or uniqueness

People who regularly drive drunk, don't do it because "everyone does it" they do it because they see themselves as the best at it

People who get high at work do it because they are the best at working while high AND the best at not getting caught

I pride myself at being the only 50 year-old skatepunk, doing finance at the real Stark Industries

People who litter are just lazy, and most people are, so I'll give you that one

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin