on the HR thing I have a good comparison for that...
I had to go and get an ECG in 2004 - i was recorded with a resting HR of 43, and was quizzed about it (as a low heart rate can apparantly be a problem in some cases as opposed to just being a side effect of being reasonably fit).
In 2005 I had to go back for another (in a similar state of fitness) however the night previous I had a really heavy night and was at my local GP's feeling like dirt. On the ECG my resting Heart rate was 59 which the doc proudly proclaimed was far more normal :-)
So it definately effects heart rate - but for more than a morning or one day? No way.
most times though it's not alcohol per se that causes the increase in heart rate, but dehydration secondary to its diuretic effect.
a couple of pints of diarolyte before bed should do the trick, unless you're stupid enough to try hooking yourself up to a saline drip. my flat-mate once tried to do this while wasted and managed to stick his radial nerve, the idiot.
Ph - I believe it was down to 91%. I have had it down as low as 68%, which would normally be enough to cause panic, but I was at about 4500m altitude so 68%, in the words of the nice American doctor who did the measurement "makes you a rock star".
Simon, couldn't agree more. If I was just a spring marathon runner I could manage the tee-total start to the year quite happily, but I have more marathons in May, October and possibly November if I can talk anyone into a trip to Greece. Have to draw the line somewhere.
I used to live in a shared house of medical students, and I've heard the tales, but it was thankfully never attempted by anyone I knew.
The medical students plugging themselves into drips thing isn't an urban myth but, as ergophobic points out, trying to site a drip cannula when you're seeing everything in quadruplicate and it's whirling round is not straightforward.
Escapism, stress relief, fun, a break from being an exercise freak once in a while...
Well. those are the reasons I can think of. I'll indulge around once a month normally and sink 6-8 pints. This will make me loud, giggly, somtimes a bit silly but can still walk/talk and have a fair idea of what's going on around me, and be ok to run about 6 miles the following day to get rid of it from the system...
wonder why we seem to be one of the few countries that finds relief in binge drinking. I'm sorry, but I find one or two pints of Guinness enjoyable. Drinking for the sake of getting down as many as you can still seems a bit off the wall.
But hippo - careful who you ask. Repeating 'I don't do medicine. I've never stuck a needle in anyone. I'm dyspraxic. That would be a really, really stupid idea.' when staying with a friend & houseful of medics is bad enough. Being the only sober person in sight at a MEDSIN conference is scary at times. (heard army medics use this a lot too).
hi Hippo Yes i did a marathon after the 2004 London. I ran the 2006 london marathon. This time i did improve my time by half an hour and i managed not to get plastered 3 days before it. This time i got plastered 9 days before it and i didn't smoke the night before. So it was a moderate improvement. The bottomline for me is that i took up running in 2003 wanting to move away from the alcohol and smoking binge lifestyle that was my life. I have not fully succeeded and am frustrated with the lack of progress i am making in my running. And when i read of 47 year olds having heart attacks it makes me think i am setting myself up as a prime candidate. Or am i just a hyochondriac?
Thanks Hippo Good advice. I'm gonna quit the fags and up the running. I love a few pints but nothing beats the high after a good run. anyway i am in training for the Richmond half marathon in 6 weeks. Can't wait. Just wish i could get the weight down. Been stuck on 96kgs for years! Should be about 85kgs.
I was thinking about 'binge drinking' the other day. I think it's important to distinguish between two very different situations:
1. Drinking entirely for the sake of drinking, fully intending to get absolutely paralytic. Possibly having to down a few 'chasers' to make sure you get there.
2. A social occasion which in all likelihood will involve you getting rather drunk, simply because you're in a drink-serving establishment for a long period of time with a group of people you'd like to be with.
I think even in my headier student days, I never got drunk just for the sake of getting drunk (well, maybe...) but if I'm going out directly from work on a Friday evening and end up having a late night, there's a good chance I'll visit a few different pubs over the course of many hours, and quite possibly drink 10 pints, get drunk and wake up with a stinking hangover. I'll also socialise with two or three different groups of friends (getting just as drunk as me) in the process and thoroughly enjoy myself.
Comments
I had to go and get an ECG in 2004 - i was recorded with a resting HR of 43, and was quizzed about it (as a low heart rate can apparantly be a problem in some cases as opposed to just being a side effect of being reasonably fit).
In 2005 I had to go back for another (in a similar state of fitness) however the night previous I had a really heavy night and was at my local GP's feeling like dirt. On the ECG my resting Heart rate was 59 which the doc proudly proclaimed was far more normal :-)
So it definately effects heart rate - but for more than a morning or one day? No way.
a couple of pints of diarolyte before bed should do the trick, unless you're stupid enough to try hooking yourself up to a saline drip. my flat-mate once tried to do this while wasted and managed to stick his radial nerve, the idiot.
Ph - I believe it was down to 91%. I have had it down as low as 68%, which would normally be enough to cause panic, but I was at about 4500m altitude so 68%, in the words of the nice American doctor who did the measurement "makes you a rock star".
Simon, couldn't agree more. If I was just a spring marathon runner I could manage the tee-total start to the year quite happily, but I have more marathons in May, October and possibly November if I can talk anyone into a trip to Greece. Have to draw the line somewhere.
I used to live in a shared house of medical students, and I've heard the tales, but it was thankfully never attempted by anyone I knew.
Well. those are the reasons I can think of. I'll indulge around once a month normally and sink 6-8 pints. This will make me loud, giggly, somtimes a bit silly but can still walk/talk and have a fair idea of what's going on around me, and be ok to run about 6 miles the following day to get rid of it from the system...
but of course I never got that bad;)
Repeating 'I don't do medicine. I've never stuck a needle in anyone. I'm dyspraxic. That would be a really, really stupid idea.' when staying with a friend & houseful of medics is bad enough. Being the only sober person in sight at a MEDSIN conference is scary at times.
(heard army medics use this a lot too).
I never understood why people had to get drunk to have a good time. Maybe it's a personality thing!
Have fun though you drunkard!
Yes i did a marathon after the 2004 London. I ran the 2006 london marathon. This time i did improve my time by half an hour and i managed not to get plastered 3 days before it. This time i got plastered 9 days before it and i didn't smoke the night before. So it was a moderate improvement. The bottomline for me is that i took up running in 2003 wanting to move away from the alcohol and smoking binge lifestyle that was my life. I have not fully succeeded and am frustrated with the lack of progress i am making in my running. And when i read of 47 year olds having heart attacks it makes me think i am setting myself up as a prime candidate.
Or am i just a hyochondriac?
but i reckon a run will make you feel better
Lose the smoking and dont stop running
yes your lifestyle isnt ideal-but at least you are running
Good advice. I'm gonna quit the fags and up the running. I love a few pints but nothing beats the high after a good run. anyway i am in training for the Richmond half marathon in 6 weeks. Can't wait. Just wish i could get the weight down. Been stuck on 96kgs for years! Should be about 85kgs.
you too Jonathan
One final question. Do you think having a protein shake after a run is a good idea to aid recovery or is it just a waste of money?
1. Drinking entirely for the sake of drinking, fully intending to get absolutely paralytic. Possibly having to down a few 'chasers' to make sure you get there.
2. A social occasion which in all likelihood will involve you getting rather drunk, simply because you're in a drink-serving establishment for a long period of time with a group of people you'd like to be with.
I think even in my headier student days, I never got drunk just for the sake of getting drunk (well, maybe...) but if I'm going out directly from work on a Friday evening and end up having a late night, there's a good chance I'll visit a few different pubs over the course of many hours, and quite possibly drink 10 pints, get drunk and wake up with a stinking hangover. I'll also socialise with two or three different groups of friends (getting just as drunk as me) in the process and thoroughly enjoy myself.
if you can take it in, which i cant
Only any need for that sort of thing on a long run though
some people take Slim Fast-it has quite a good protein ratio, and is cheapwer than your SIS products and so on