D1 guys drinking hard training hard

The only thing about drinking is that is slows down recovery. If you are hurt and you drink regularly then your healing time will be much longer.

Went to a top D2 program. Yes, in Colorado. We drank, some smoked, we did A LOT of stupid stuff. But we were also 18-22 year olds just having fun.

I'm convinced there were very few programs who outworked us regardless of division (Yes I know, all programs feel this way). Running takes such an addictive personality imo. Those that run hard will also want to do other things "hard". Such as partying, doing well in school...essentially, just getting after it in all areas of life.

There are very few things I'd trade in place for most of my drunken memories. But a couple of second place finishes are some.

There was very little drinking between September and December. Track was a different ball game - track was individual. But if you f*** over the team at nationals because you were a drunkard you were going to get your ass beat. This just didnt happen, no one would dare, we cared too much about each other. Worked too hard.

Live it up, but remember, there is a reason why God invented summer time.

Base phase = drinking phase...if ya must!

I know NCAA champions that drank a little, and USATF National champions that drank a lot. I also know national champs that have never had a drink. Anecdotal evidence, everybody!

Was a D1 runner, drank fairly hard even during training. I always forced my self to run the next day after a hard night of drinking so that I wouldn't lose training. It never seemed to hinder my performance at meets but it is really a hard thing to quantify. In retrospect I wish I had drank a lot less and seen where my potential really was. Maybe it would have been the same but it is also possible I would have been a few seconds faster. Trust me brother there will be a lot of time to drink when you hang up your spikes. Everyone seems to feel in college like its the last time they will ever be able to have a good time but it really isn't true. I thought I was crazy in college but after I have had some times that make my college days look weak. Im not saying cut it out completely but I would recommend cutting way back in season just so you don't have any regrets when you are done.

pre did it.

uuuyyyttrrewq wrote:

pre did it.

yeah, why don't you ask him how that worked out.

Damn.

Slower recovery = more easy days and more time for more drinking. Perfect!

Slower recovery = more easy days and more time for more drinking. Perfect!

thor yagen wrote:

The only thing about drinking is that is slows down recovery. If you are hurt and you drink regularly then your healing time will be much longer.

D1 bro wrote:

I'm in college and the majority of my team drinks hard and drinks often.

How much does this effect training? Do most runners you know drink?

There are plenty of very good d1 runners who drink, and plenty who don't. From my experience getting drunk once a week isn't going to do anything except maybe make the first few miles of a long run uncomfortable. Once a week is fine, 3-4 times a week is going to cause some problems. And this is getting drunk, not just having a couple beers which won't do anything.

uuuyyyttrrewq wrote:

pre did it.

Good example.

I can't think of one person from my mid-80s D1 team who drank heavily in college during the season and is not currently a full-fledged alcoholic. Seriously, not one.

The sad, pathetic part is that back in college these guys would frequently claim that they were in control of their drinking, could scale back on the booze whenever they chose to, blah, blah, blah...but 25 years later, they're all still drunkards. Only difference is that now they're fat, diabetic, heart diseased, scary looking, depressed drunks.

Good point. You really don't want to get carried away with the drinking. Keep it at the 2-3 beers level a few nights a week which won't affect your training at all. What you really don't want to do is develop a drinking problem, which stays with you and likely gets worse after college. It will affect a lot more than your training too, almost all in a negative way.

From my experience in the 90s, drinking was a large part of my experience and success. I pledged and served in a fraternity and always had a good time. It forced me to focus harder and put more into my workouts because of the guilt I felt. Psychologically, I was able to leverage it. Physiologically, it probably wasn't wise as it does crush your liver and immune system. I usually pounded the night after the race(s).

I became a d1 all American in the 800 but loved the longer stuff more. Bc I drank, I look back with some regrets but mostly fond memories of my time in college. Full disclosure, I still compete (multisport, road races) and still hit the sauce with my college teammates when we have a good night together. I drink very little outside of that.

My advise, have fun, drink enough to remember the next day, and get after it when under the lights. Too many kids give away "balance" in college.

There is a reason for the term "getting wasted". Getting sloppy drunk every weekend and sometimes during the week will waste your college experience. You will be able to party the rest of your life (I have many friends who do so into their eighties), but you will not be able to immerse yourself in a course of study and compete at high level ever again. Focus on running and studying, and not partying. I focused on partying in college and wasted 4 years.

Don't waste college wrote:

There is a reason for the term "getting wasted". Getting sloppy drunk every weekend and sometimes during the week will waste your college experience. You will be able to party the rest of your life (I have many friends who do so into their eighties), but you will not be able to immerse yourself in a course of study and compete at high level ever again. Focus on running and studying, and not partying. I focused on partying in college and wasted 4 years.

I feel the same. It's one of the biggest the biggest regrets that I have. I didn't know how to balance and no one on my team did either.

I went to Mid-Major D1 Program and I feel that the partying and drinking mentality of program hindered the accountability that an individual should have.

Sure you should totally get wrecked after the last meet of the year and you should enjoy the social aspect of college. But, it will certainly hurt training and that shit makes you fat.

Basically I think that if you are OK with being OK then drinking is fine. But if you want to reach that next level of commitment and performance then you should take it down a notch.

I was at a D1 program. We drank very little during xc season. Probably only 4 or 5 times until after regionals. We drank every weekend rest of the year though until maybe the last few weeks of outdoor. If you aren't enjoying life you won't run well anyways.

In my experience, going out and getting pretty drunk once a week is fine, in fact I would recommend it. Getting drunk several times a week will hurt your ability to recover from and benefit from training and I would not recommend that for anyone even somewhat serious about running. There's plenty of time for partying on the weekend and in the off-season, it's not worth it to try for more than that.

coming from a d1 NCAA qualifier (top 20 if that helps at all), we do not party during the season. period. however, on the weeks we have off between season and during summer, there is some drinking. quite few guys don't drink ever so it's only the ones that do.

basically if there is structured workouts or races coming up soon, no one drinks unless it's lightly,like 3 beers one a saturday night and so it doesn't hurt much.

Here's the deal kids. Whether we admit it or not, we all know many of our men & women drink to some degree, whether it's just a glass of wine with the parents on a special occasion, a few beers at the occasional team party or a case a weekend throughout the season. You guys may all think that you're all pretty discreet about it but here's the thing: Every team has a mole. Hell, we don't even need them now with facebook...the stuff you guys put on there & think we can't see? There is always a way, whether it's from a mutual "friend" who has access to your profile or just plain stupidity on your part. Now that most athletic departments require us to monitor facebook for all sorts of NCAA infractions & to communicate this to you, you're all getting smarter...but that doesn't always mean your friend who's tagging everyone Sunday night is...

Does this mean we think you should NEVER consume adult beverages? Not most of us. Will it come up at the next day's practice if you're still running well & we don't have 100% undeniable proof? Not usually. But you'd be fooling yourselves if you don't think we tuck it away in your file for when it comes time to discuss next year's scholarship. If it doesn't appear it's negatively impacting your performances, you *may* be alright at that time, but then you have to live with the "what if's" after all the miles you've laid down in the first place.

Most of us want you to get out & enjoy the "college experience" (whatever that is - let me promise you though, it's been greatly inflated by all forms of media since we were in college) at an end-of-season party or in between the seasons in the summer & winter in a limited, responsible fashion (take that as you may, but it sure has hell still doesn't mean a case a weekend). But if you're job depended on the athletic performance of 18 - 23 year-olds, what would you do?

Here's my advice - socialize during your college years but be very smart about the right times to do so & with moderation & responsibility. If you want that "college experience" that all of your non-runner buddies are living, don't be stupid enough to get married & crank off a couple kids straight out of college. "Live it up" once your running career is over. As other posters have mentioned, there is still plenty of time for it after your eligibility is over. All of a sudden you have a lot more disposable income to throw a real party - and no meaning to go back to during the week day. Cheers!