I was reading some posts from some pros about how they never drink (alcohol). I can appreciate that for a pro. I am far from that…hoping to complete my first full in Florida in November. I have been contemplating giving up alcohol for the year. I know drinking can’t help my performance…so thought about giving it up. Wondering what you non-pros do…and a pro’s opinion (if they care to comment).
I did find this article, which makes me never want to drink again…regardless of training for an endurance event!!
I gave up alcohol (with the exception of very special occasions) training for my last race. I found I slept better and maintained my weight easier as I went into taper. This year I’ll probably allow myself one night of ‘drinking’ a week, and limit that to 2-3 drinks.
I gave up alcohol this year for my first full (Florida). I couldn’t tell you if it helped or not since I don’t really have anything to compare it with. I’d like to think it did cuz when I drink it usually ends up being a late night, which would have probably effected me waking up in the morning to train.
Balance. I enjoy having a few beers after my Saturday and Sunday workouts. It is part of the fun of the weekend and life. Some people may choice not to consume alcohol so that they can maximize recovery, etc. But for me, I am willing to potentially be a tad slower on race day in return for truly enjoying the training and making it a part of my lifestyle.
I rarely drink because I don’t want it to interfere with a morning workout.
Before I raced IM CDA a few years ago me and a friend had beer and pizza the night before the race. I don’t think it affected me one bit and my friend qualified for kona.
I don’t think drinking is that big of a deal if done in moderation.
Just a glass of wine or two at the end of a hard weekends training sometimes… as long as you’ve not got any key sessions that would be affected the next morning then it’s really not going to have much impact and can be a good way to de-stress. I read a good article on Cycling Tips the other day, (chatting to pro cyclists about their attitudes to nutrition) and the consensus seems to be that being too monastic about this sort of thing can lead to an even more unhelpful binge when you finally do ‘crack’.
The biggest benefit I’ve seen from, (mostly) stopping drinking is that it’s been easier to lose weight… not consuming empty calories, etc… also food choices after a few pints don’t tend to be ‘optimal’
Thanks…all of the things you have mentioned are also concerns to me. It turning into a late night (aka hangover), training impact, weight impact, negating my training benefits.
I employed a long day/rest day strategy on the weekends for a while - so one night I’d go out, drink, etc., no worries, then the other night was for taking it easy for the next morning. I preferred to do the workout first if possible, don’t remember a huge difference though.
I don’t really drink very often, a few nights a year with my friends when I let my hair down and then some social events where I feel I should have one or two; classic example is wife invites new friends to dinner, they already think I’m weird for doing triathlons and training all the time, and then it would be weird to sit there and drink water, which is my preference, so I’ll have a couple of 95 cal light beers. In all cases I plan for it in terms of cal intake and training… God, I am sad!
What?!?! for 99.99% of triathletes, its a hobby - nothing more noting less. If I gave up drinking and somehow could go 10:30 instead of 10:45 wtf difference does it make? Maybe if I gave up sex, alcohol, my job, red meat, ice cream, etc. and train 30 hours a week and slept twice per day, perhaps I could go 10:15. Once again, why bother? Its a hobby people! Unless you are drawing a full time paycheck from the sport, stop pissing on yourself during the bike and keep enjoying you beer. Its a fucking hobby!
I totally agree that it is a hobby…and I am slower than you are (5:30 70.3). I am concerned about going 140 miles, regardless of my time. It’s why I was asking about the impact alcohol has. I would do long rides and runs on Saturdays during my 70.3 training. Sunday was my rest day…which helped in case there was something going on Saturday night. I was just not sure I could get away with it for a “full”.
I quit drinking not because of triathlon but because things were out of control. I can say for sure that my training is going better since I quit drinking.
I was never a big drinker before triathlon and living in a muslim country it’s damned expensive anyway. What I do these days is not drink while I’m training then have a blowout for a few days post race on holiday somewhere about 3 times a year. It’s not something I deliberately set out to do, just a pattern that happened naturally and works fine for me at least
What?!?! for 99.99% of triathletes, its a hobby - nothing more noting less. If I gave up drinking and somehow could go 10:30 instead of 10:45 wtf difference does it make? Maybe if I gave up sex, alcohol, my job, red meat, ice cream, etc. and train 30 hours a week and slept twice per day, perhaps I could go 10:15. Once again, why bother? Its a hobby people! Unless you are drawing a full time paycheck from the sport, stop pissing on yourself during the bike and keep enjoying you beer. Its a fucking hobby!
First I found out the Tooth Fairy wasn’t real,then The Bunny,then Santa and now you tell me that triathlon isn’t the most important thing in the world…What the hell is there left in this God forsaken universe?!? I think I need a drink…
If you’re worried about the effect on IM training, it really comes down to just being responsible enough to not drink so much that you can’t workout (or meet other responsibilities, like work, etc. since you’ll be strapped for time as it is). Depending on your tolerance that probably allows for quite a few beers. And if it’s calories your worried about, eat less cake.
I havnt had a beer in over 300 days but I plan to get a bit lit on christmas eve, Ill be in Beijing with my girlfriend so we are going to hit up my favorite pizza place (havnt had pizza in over 300 days either).
I didnt stop because I thought I had a problem (although i was a 4 nights a week guy for awhile), I quit because I wasnt really enjoying it. When I first moved to Asia, I started drinking multiple times a day, over here, alcohol dosent have the stigma that it does in the west, booze is cheap…I mean CHEAP, readily available (as in available at 20 pots on each block) and EVERYBODY drinks at lunch and dinner so you dont have people calling you an alcoholic if you drink 8 beers after work.
One afternoon, I was in my apartment, I was just drinking away and I realized…I didnt even want the beers, I was just drinking them because I had them so I decided to stop for a month, it was easy, months went by.
Now I will drink if theres a reason too or if I feel like it. As I said, christmas eve, I plan to booze it up and gorge myself on pizza, I dont think a full out eating and booze binge will hurt me once a year. I think I heard Joe Boness killeda bottle of tequila every new years.
I gave it up for 6 months to train for Roth. That was fine but once in Roth, there were real German beer gardens and I was still lemonading. Like Scottie in Boogie Nights: I’m an idiot! Idiot!
I did like the break and the discipline though. It was oddly restful and helped my focus.
