I know alcohol is discussed alot on this forum, but I have been thinking lately and thought I would throw this out here.
So alcohol thins blood, which should make it pump easier. Would taking a shot or two before a short race, where dehydration should not be worried about help?
I am curious....
sure, why not. besides, a little liquid courage couldn't hurt when you need that extra something for the final kick.
It's definately not a good idea, you would get hurt. And I'm pretty sure it's illegal to run in pubs anyway.
Look how great it worked out for pre.
No I don't beleive that works. Your putting in a chemical that your body immediately works to get rid of, your heart rate increases, and your blood may be thinner but one thing I read was (if I interpreted this right) is alchohol molecules attach to the red blood cells and hinder you're oxygen consumption.
Now I have to admit I have had one or two surprisingly easy and fast long runs after a hard night which may have been easy since I was in a zone, plus maybe some beer carbs. Probably just mental, kind of like being more focused on the golf course or shooting pool. But no, alcohol is no way a performance enhancer. In moderation it can help mentally break up the monotony of running 120 mile weeks and its a nice reward to have a few at the end of a hard day but if I would start all over, I would have avoided it because I usually didn't stop at a few.
I would have liked to have all those Sunday long runs back and re-do them refreshed and without starting out with a resting pulse of 85 from those Saturday nights.
This is simply anecdotal evidence, but I seem to run better with I drink 1-2 times a week in moderation during the season. I think that it helps me stay relaxed and happy.
At first, running might be more important then drinking. However, after strings of injuries, going out and having a good time with friends may start to become more important than running.
The choices become:
Fun or Pain. Hitting on girls at the bar, or talking about girls with your running buddies while pounding out painful mile after painful mile.
do both
Why do so many runners feel it is "either/or". Jeez, for the umteenth time, SEX is not a sin, regardless of what Dobson will tell you.
weed brownies wont hurt your running at all.
Are you serious? Alcohol is a depressant. How is a shot or two of a depressant going to help your race?
i know a few great runners in this nation and have seen them take down a pint or 2 or 3....
when your training that hard during the week and not necc. in championship racing season it helps you relax and reward yourself for your efforts...
it helps you from mentally burning out and helps you destress yourself from a hard week
Do the Kenyans drink Alcohol?...I rest My case. No or very little Alcohol if You want to run Your best, Don't believe all the hype about alcohol, which has destroyed so many lives and marriages etc.
slaps wrote:
I would have liked to have all those Sunday long runs back and re-do them refreshed and without starting out with a resting pulse of 85 from those Saturday nights.
Whoa, after one night of drinking too much wine and not enough water, I woke up with my heart feeling like it was going to pound out of my chest -- my resting heart rate was 160! Fortunately ,I quickly took my medication for an irregular heartbeat that also lowers bloood pressure. If I hadn't had that on hand to take, I'm not sure what would have happened. I haven't had a drink since. Stay away from that shit, your body doesn't need it, especially if you're trying to perform at the highest physical level.
"All I want to do is drink beer and train like an animal"
i do believe rono enjoyed a few and whoever the 1st guy who broke 27:00 for 10k was did as well. Probably not the 2 best expamples
Thinning your blood works to the opposite effect. Think about the premise of blood doping. You want as many rbc's as possible to carry as much oxygen as possible. By thinning your blood I would assume you would lower your rbc concetration and thus your VO2 max ect.
Yeah, but the thing is that Kenyans live in a country with a different lifestyle and so on. I would rather balance my running with enjoying a social life with some alcohol. If you're not an international athlete then I don't see why you would prioritise running over absolutely everything else. I'm not talking about going out and getting drunk to the point of oblivion, I'm talking about enjoying some drinks with a few friends over a meal, etc. I'm not going to cut that out in order to get 0.5 second faster.
RunninReds wrote:
Do the Kenyans drink Alcohol?...I rest My case. No or very little Alcohol if You want to run Your best, Don't believe all the hype about alcohol, which has destroyed so many lives and marriages etc.
thing is, none of us on this board are kenyan. also, i bet bekele knocks back about 10 everytime he sets a world record. in my running i've only seen a positive correlation between running and drinking. i think it helps you loosen up and grow up. if you're so uptight about life and running all the time, you're setting yourself up for high blood pressure and a negative experience. plus you can meet girls when you drink.
it has been noted that bekele likes a rum and coke...
also Mottram got hammered after beating bekele late in the year...
studies show that moderate alcohol consumption (1-2 drinks/ day) is actually good for you