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.

I'm interested in getting more serious about diet, but when I do a self assessment I guess drinking is the first issue that needs some consideration.

Male
Age 42
I will end up with 2700/1000 bike/run miles for the year, plus a bunch of skiing and hiking.

Typically I have 10-15 alcoholic drinks per week.
Usually 1-2 per day (5-6 days per week) and then 2-3 times per month I have 3-5 drinks in one sitting.

Most drinks are (craft) beer, usually 6-8% abv, so 2 of these may be more like 3 servings. Occasional glass of wine, maybe 1-2 cocktails per week (I like my High West Rye Manhattens and Cadillac margaritas)

My doctor wasn't too concerned (his big thing is trying to keep sugar intake less than 19 grams per day), but I feel like I probably drink more than the average recreational athlete.

How much might cutting back to say, 3-5 servings per week help my performance? I also get concerned that maybe I lack discipline, because although I seriously could go cold turkey with no real problem, I just don't want to.

Tell me about your drinking?

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.

I get home from work around 6-6:30

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

You are an alcoholic.

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!

You are an alcoholic.

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.

How much might cutting back to say, 3-5 servings per week help my performance?

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.

....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.