Daily runners: how much/often do you typically drink/smoke?

Drink every night.

I think it's safe to say your drinking and smoking interferes with your running. 10 beers a night over 50% of your days, how do you ever feel good enough to work out? And smoking anything obviously isn't good for your lungs. I hear vaporizers are healthier for you (I don't do pot so I dont really know)

I don't smoke anymore. I drink a beer occasionally. It isn't worth it. Smoking messes up your cardiovascular system, not just your lungs. If you insist on getting high, either use edibles or a vaporizer. It still might be bad for your mental health and hormonal balance though. I'm pro legalization but it's ignorant when when people ignore the potential side effects. 10 beers is just decadent. You should know that.

I just realized that was redundant. Ignorant when people ignore. You get the idea.

teahteshs wrote:

I think it's safe to say your drinking and smoking interferes with your running. 10 beers a night over 50% of your days, how do you ever feel good enough to work out? And smoking anything obviously isn't good for your lungs. I hear vaporizers are healthier for you (I don't do pot so I dont really know)

Actually I'm definitely exagerrating a bit there. In college it was probably that number. Now I probably drink 10 maybe once a week and then anywhere from 3-6 the other few nights a week I drink

I have never smoked anything. Not cigs, not clove cigarettes, not pot. I don't know how someone can take their running seriously and still smoke, running is hard enough without you giving yourself a handicap like that. I don't know how you can even be considered an athlete for that matter.

For drinking, I drink about 2 drinks per month. Usually in social situations. I am part Irish and part German so I am very lucky that I don't have any compulsion to drink, I don't think it does much good for people.

When I was competing in running I didn't drink, partly because I started at age 11 and partly because I wanted to be the best I could be.

To the OP: What do you consider sub-elite? I would say now in the last few yrs elite would be sub-13:40 / sub-28:20 and guys that are always making the final at NCAA indoor and out, and are multi-time All-America. The Collegians that place high at Stanford or Mt SAC.

Sub elite would be sub-14:00 / sub-29:10 and people that maybe make the NCAA finals and place high at Conference Championships. In other words, "National Class" but not at the top of Collegiate national class.

You could apply similar standards to the Steeple, 3k Indoor and 1500m.

Does your definition of "sub-elite" look anything like this?

I think runners tend to drink more, particularly beer, to get extra carbs. You'll outgrow the pot. It's all about priorities. If you want to improve, you know what the answer is.

Started running after I stopped drinking. Now average about 2 drinks a month.

I've never smoked tobacco or pot.

smoke pot and tobacco daily.

drink on occasion.

run 50 - 90 mpw. coupled with some smoke, its the best way to unwind.

I may be going to hell in a bucket, but atleast I'm enjoying the ride.

Great thread, and I believe most elites drink a little less than you do.

I think many vaporize pot on a more regular basis because it kills the pain of hard training and relieves boredom.

All are also supplementing thyroid and other stuff beyond the scope of this thread.

As for alcohol, I'd say anything less than a six pack a night with less than a twelve pack twice a week is acceptable.

1/10. nonzero since some people responded.

I rip bongs post-race. Pre-race. All the time. Drink 4-6 Heinney's while studying. A night. pr: 14:56

#boss

I have no opinion as to whether you're elite or not. However, my sense is that you can generally keep up your current routine and maintain the same level of fitness if the only two other things you have to do are run and rest (like in college). However, if you have to work and run you can forget about the drinking and smoking. No way you're drinking 10 beers and getting up at 5:00 a.m. to get 8-10 miles before work on an average workday. And then doing it again and again everyday, sometimes twice a day. Won't happen.

I never smoke, but go through about a case of beer (in cans) each week. Keystone Light is my current fav.

Team Camel, you drink too much to become elite. Back down on that. Try throwing a soda in after 3-4 beers and it will kill your itch to drink.

Or stop hanging out with drunks. You are on your way to being a drunk.

A bit of weed 3x a week is fine but don't smoke out for a few days prior to racing. And if you want to be elite, knock the weed down to a puff the night after the race.

I ran NCAA Div 1, I was a so-so miler, I know I'd have been a better runner if I wasn't drinking as much.

Team Camel wrote:

I consider myself to be teetering on the brink of elite.

I'm not sure what this statement means. To me that'd mean 3:39 13:15, 27:40. I doubt you are anywhere near those times

I'm not even close to being an elite, but here it goes anyway:

I never smoke, ever.

I drink 1-2 glasses of wine once per week.

Does this mean I'd be a better runner if I smoked and drank more?

50-70 MPW. 30's.

I'll have a maybe 4-5 beers a month...sometimes more if I'm on vacation. Never was elite. I drink soda and destroy pizzas weekly. If Oreos are in the house, I'm f___CKED.