Alcohol and Ironman training

During training for my first half marathon last year I didnt drink for 1 month prior to the race, during my first marathon training I didnt drink for 2 weeks prior to the race...

I am fully immersed in training for Outlaw but I dont seem to have cut down much on drinking. I work shifts so when I am on nights no drinking so there is always a natutal break each month...When I do drink it is relaxing time with Mrs BP and especially now during IM training I think if I didnt we would both be much more stressed.

I'm not sure if I will have a break before Outlaw...if I do maybe 3 or 4 weeks. I know training wise it would be much better if I didnt but emotionally/to keep me sane I think it is helpingimage

What is everyone else doing/what does everyone else normally do during IM training?

BP (not officially an alcoholicimage)

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Comments

  • the odd drink isn't going to kill you!  Relax and train to live, not live to train.  Its a hobby FFS.

  • Man Utd managed to draw with Arsenal on Sunday despite a two day bender from Monday night.  So I wouldn't worry about it.

  • M..o.useM..o.use ✭✭✭

    I rarely drink, so IM training makes no difference to me.

    I have some friends who decide not to drink at all when they are training (so that can mean up to six months off) and others who cut down a bit and others who carry on as normal.

    Sometimes it makes a difference what their objectives are.  Are you intending to win the race?  Or your age group?

    You're a grown up, I am sure that you are capable of making a reasoned decision.  If it's not making any difference to your ability to train, then it's probably not a problem.  If you can't do your long bike rides because you're still bolloxed from the night before, then maybe it is.

    I agree with PSC.

  • I'm not worried as such maybe my post came across like that, I am having funimage Just wantI'd to see what everyone else does during training as well.

  • I've had a couple of erm rather large nights out in the last month and I've got Lanza in 3 weeks.  Probably wasn't the best idea but I did have a bloody good laugh!  No more mad nights out now though till after Lanza but I'll still have a glass of wine on the weekend.  I think lack of sleep is worse that having a few drinks ....

  • AliBear30AliBear30 ✭✭✭

    I had a few lagers yesterday which was the first time in a few weeks. Since I'm following Fink so Monday is rest day , Sunday is usually the only day I'll have a drink and it's usually lager  now a days as anything else is too strong.

  • I was wondering the same myself actually.  I've never gone out of my way to avoid alcohol when training for a marathon etc, and it's never done me any harm, but as I gear up to start training for an ironman, I was beginning to wonder whether I should be more conscious about alcohol intake.

    But then I read IronHolgs book, and if Dave can still have a session on the Guinness whilst training, and still complete an ironman, then bollocks to it, so can I!

  • a couple of beers won't hurt you BP... the biggest issue is dehydration - so going out on a big bender and then trying to do a long run the following day probably won't feel good.  Sleep is another issue, booze can spoil sleep patterns apparently!  Not sure how that works as I fall straight asleep after a few glasses of red!!

    Like everything in life - in moderation is fun.  

    Now if you are at the pointy end of the field then perhaps some abstinance might be a good thing........

  • Eh.....  Don't use me as an example...

     

    i do cut back in the week before a race, Saturday I only had one beer and a small glass of red as I was racing yesterday 

  • Idecided 4 weeks ago no drinking till after Outlaw, I lasted 3 weeks and the need to have that down / relaxed time become to much and gave in last weekend

    We try and make it once a week after all training is done on Sunday

     

  • give up alcohol just because you're IM training??  are you having a laugh??  image

    OK - moderation won't do any harm, the occasional bender won't hurt either (bar the following day!), but to give up completely is unncessary in my view but if you want to, then that's your call.

    the night before Outlaw in 2011, a few from around these parts had a piss-up and managed OK - well, most did......image

  • M..o.useM..o.use ✭✭✭

    Do you mean 2011 or 2012?

    (Or maybe both??!??)

    image

  • I tried completely stopping the alcohol.

    It was a shite idea.

    I like a drink.

    Life's too short.

     

    I don't drink much anyway, bottle of wine a week.  And I always have more drink free days than drinking days each week.

     

  • Interesting the rate of responses to this thread in such a short space of time, and all with more or less the same answer image 

     

     

  • Drinkers with a triathlon problem

  • M..o.use wrote (see)

    Do you mean 2011 or 2012?

    (Or maybe both??!??)

    image

    ooops - 2012...

  • In Switzerland in 2009 ... we drank the bar dry of beer a few days befor the IM

  • WildWill..... wrote (see)

    In Switzerland in 2009 ... we drank the bar dry of beer a few days befor the IM

    image Now that was a great weekend!! Great party afterwards as well!! image

    I'm not a big drinker so I don't see any point in cutting down. I do tend to have a couple of beers/ glasses of wine at weekends but that is it! I'll also have small drink the night before a race, it helps me sleep! image

     

  • WildWill..... wrote (see)

    In Switzerland in 2009 ... we drank the bar dry of beer a few days befor the IM

    likewise IM France in 2008.....

  • the guy in switzerland had to go down the cash and carry and get tins of lager in .......they were still warm as he couldn't get them in his fridge quick enough to cool down before the pirates were knocking them back.......

    I think the only reaswon to cut back is if you have extra weight and you know from experience that stopping the booze will be an easy way to lose the flab....

    otherwise its what keeps most of us sane

  • Nice progression from "the odd drink isn't going to kill you" to "In Switzerland in 2009 ... we drank the bar dry of beer a few days before the IM" and "likewise IM France in 2008"

    Triathlon is a lifestyle image

     

  • H0NKH0NK ✭✭✭

    My motivation for training for an ironman was to lose weight and lower blood pressure so when a few people posted they were giving up alcohol as they signed up for outlaw I thought I would attempt the same.

    I used to be a pretty heavy drinker, but I found with training and the motivation to lose weight I didnt really miss not drinking, my weights down to a BMI of normal from a BMI of obese so as long as i can mantain that I'm happy.

    I'm now having the occassional drink but not very much and not very often, can't see myself drinking the bar dry before outlaw but would maybe have a couple.

  • Fortunately I don't drink so its not an issue for me image

  • Rafiki wrote (see)

    Fortunately I don't drink so its not an issue for me image

    A scotsman not drinking!!!!! What is the world coming to?

  • Cheers for all the comments pretty much what I thought, looks like a good mix of opinions/habitsimage.

    I'm not going to be at the'pointy end' of any race so it s not going to affect my finish time too much, now next question what does high5 4/1 carb drink taste like mixed with gin and is this going to assist my outlaw? image

  • Depends why you are giving up.

    I eat too much so tend to give up drinking in IM training as a way to cut calories and allow me to eat and train. Plus drinking during training is bad idea - especially cycling and swimming. So as part of a calorie reduction not drinking helps a lot.

    Getting hammered every night clearly doesn't help training.

    Requiring alcohol to unwind is maybe a bad place to be. I would try to find a different reward mechanism instead.

    Drinking as part of sociallising to unwind may be a better place to be.

     

    Looking at it a different way:

    Is there any absolute evidence that giving up alcohol whilst training will give a bigger training benefit than consuming a small amount of alcohol. No.

    So to give up isn't required and probably doesn't help at all.

  • I don't get hammered every night, and I don't need a drink to unwind. That said, I work 12 hour shifts nights and days and as well as IM training I feel I've sort of earnt it. I enjoy having a few beers/glasses of wine with Mrs BP.

    i may feel differently after outlaw and if I 'consider' doing another IM I may knock the drinking on the headimage

  • The Silent Assassin wrote (see)
    Rafiki wrote (see)

    Fortunately I don't drink so its not an issue for me image

    A scotsman not drinking!!!!! What is the world coming to?

     

    Oh, the shame  image

     

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