Drink and run...

We are another week closer to the big day, and another half marathon completed – Sunday 8th March saw Dan completing the Milton Keynes half marathon...just before the torrential rain, which was great timing (and a great result, but you’ll just have to wait to hear about that)!

I enjoyed my long run in a very different environment this week too – I was visiting my Nan in Lowestoft, so spent my Sunday morning pounding 17 miles on the tarmac in the Suffolk/Norfolk borders. Running on the flat, on the hard road and on my own was certainly a different experience for me, and not altogether enjoyable. The one thing that made it bearable was the glorious sunshine. It has to be said, I am certainly looking forward to getting back to the hills, softer paths and company that I get on Sunday mornings in Richmond.

This week’s topic is certainly a controversial one...unsurprising, considering where we work and how much we all enjoy our drink!

I’ve come to the pretty speedy conclusion that drinking and running definitely don’t go together! I’ve become so much more conscious of the effect of alcohol on my body since I started training for this marathon. Right now, I know that I can’t have more than two small(ish) glasses of wine without causing myself issues.

I definitely can’t have half a bottle (or more) – and YES, I am fully aware that a full bottle is about 9 units (at 12% abv), and that a girl should drink no more than a maximum of 2-3 in any one sitting, so half a bottle completely blows this limit and that I should only have one 250ml glass MAX in a day yada yada yada.

I have to be careful what I drink too – I ended up with a cracking two day migraine after enjoying a couple of glasses of Aussie shiraz a few weeks ago. Definitely one to be avoided! Pinot Noir doesn’t seem to have the same effect though, and neither have the majority of white wines I’ve had.

One thing I really notice however, is the effect that a few glasses of wine has on my legs – on both recovery days and run days. For some reason (and if anyone knows something scientific about this, then please do share it!), the day after a couple of glasses of wine, my legs feel like lead – very heavy, sore, tired...now this could (in part) be due to how far I’ve run, but the feeling is different... I’d definitely be intrigued to know more!

Dan:
I decided last year that if I was going to do this seriously then it was best to give up the booze full stop. Since I came back from Oz in the first week of Jan I have not had a drop of alcohol at all and am feeling pretty healthy and also pretty chuffed. It’s amazing how well you feel and the effects that booze really does have on the body. Temptation and craving have ceased and I can now happily go to the pub and order a soft drink without feeling left out.

One tip I can give you all is the discovery of a non alcoholic lager called Bavaria 0.0%. This tastes unlike any other alcohol free drink on the market such as Kaliber etc... It’s like the real thing, costs half the price and tastes awesome. It will most likely become a regular feature in the fridge to be honest.

I must admit I am looking forward to the first pint when I finish the Marathon because it will be just so much more satisfying knowing it will have been 4 months since I have had one. It’s also aiding weight loss so its wins all round. Come on ladies you know it makes sense!

Amy:
I think I was a little deluded when, inspired by Dan who gave up drinking when he did, I thought I should give it up too. After about a week I realised that it really was quite a long time until the marathon, and I do have that whole extra month compared to the others (this is my long standing excuse on any topic related to the Marathon). So I decided to just ‘cut down’.

Then I went skiing, and of course I was on holiday so had a break, a break from which I haven’t quite managed to bounce back from... I am in total agreement with Gemma with regards to the fact it makes quite a difference to your running. My tip of the day for girls off the sauce when in the pub is to order a tomato juice. If my self-discipline is out in force this is what I’ll order as it takes about the same length of time to drink as a glass of wine (particularly if you get it very spicy) rather than a coke which I will generally finish in about 2 seconds. Plus you feel extra smug about all the antioxidants you’re taking in. And you don’t feel 10 years old.

Kate:
Everybody, but everybody I know, has taken great delight in telling me that I will have to give up wine for at least a month before the marathon: the assumption is that I will find this impossible! But after extensive google searches I can’t find any conclusive evidence that supports this, a month is after all a very long time...In fact I’ve actually found lots of blogs from people who even drink a glass of wine before a big race day (they are however mostly winemakers).

Though to be honest since I started training I have cut down a lot, I have probably been drinking more frequently but a lot less in quantity, which is a far healthier approach to drinking in general. Though it’s going to sound terrible, a glass of wine is quite often my reward for going running, but I don’t like chocolate or have a sweet tooth so I figure we’re all allowed a vice!

However I’ve just read Dan’s blog so now feel really bad, perhaps I could try one month.....

Simon:
So far I haven’t really moderated my alcohol intake so I have little to judge performance against. I managed 13 miles on Sunday morning and felt good for more and that was after a normal Saturday night (i.e. plenty of wine with friends for dinner).

I really should try a week without to see if it makes a difference! I do have every intention of cutting right down in the last couple of weeks and then completely by the last two. If nothing else this will give me the extra focus to finish the race and crack open some Champagne. Kate – I think our training schedules/philosophy are quite similar, is that very bad?