First thing I do when I need to lose weight following some down time is cut out drinking. Theoretically, two glasses of wine should only be adding a few hundred calories but it's often times compounded by poor food choices accompanying the feel good high. Just cut it out for a month while you knock off 10 lbs and get the mileage back up to the point where you needn't worry about calories. Then it's time to partake of the vine again.
For what it's worth, I'm a 57-year-old. I would have a similar drinking schedule to the OP.
I ran 17:32 for 5k a couple of years ago (track). Recently had 5 months off to do moving/building a house/hamstring injury.
Started back up in February at 163 lbs. Now down to 153 lb. (best racing weight is about 150 lb). Ran 18:35 on quite a tough course a couple of weeks ago, and should soon be down to near 18:00 - have already got in 5x1000m with 2:30 recovery at 18:15 pace.
I've read the stuff on growth hormone disturbance, but have got down to running 14:55 5k age graded against a lifetime best of 15:22, so it's obviously not completely ruining me.
I believe the great masters runner Earl Fee has a glass or two of wine before dinner!
Maybe alternating a day on/day off would help with growth hormone/testostorone.
I guess I'm in trouble then with my nightly whisky shot, glass of wine and beer chasers. I can still run faster than you, though.
I'm 52, a sub 5min 1500m still (not amazing I know), and I drink half a liter of red wine every single night....religiously....and I don't care.
I don't think you should be concerned with drinking a few glasses of wine. I am a masters runner and enjoy a beer after a hard training session. However, if you want to run at your best age grade level you need to be trim. Perhaps, just cut back on the total overall calories and train a bit harder - give it a few months and I am sure you will see results. I run about 45 km per week, mostly on grass ( slightly hilly course) and do a lot of 1 km reps with a rest in between. I don't like long slow distances and avoid running on concrete if possible. I wouldn't worry too much about slowing down as a result of getting older. I am sure that you can still run a very good time if you approach it sensibly ( and still enjoy a few glasses of wine)
Has anyone shown beyond doubt that moderate consumption of beer or wine is bad for your running? I have known quite a few very good runners ; they all enjoyed a beer on a regular basis. From the biogs of past greats like Elliott and Halberg it is clear that they both enjoyed a beer. Steve Scott likewise. In his training book Marty Liquori points out some of the beneficial effects beer can have for runners, pointing to his own experience at the pre Olympic training camp in 1968.
Basically, forget the worries about a couple of beers or glass of wine. Train as hard as you want to or your body allows. You are going to slow as you age, youth can never be recaptured (it's taken me a long time to accept this!) so just run and enjoy life. If the occasional drink is part of this enjoyment go ahead. Don't listen to all those "experts" who say that a couple of glasses of wine a day is bound to lead you straight to hell.
mark b wrote:
Has anyone shown beyond doubt that moderate consumption of beer or wine is bad for your running?
The OP expressed concern about shifting weight. Too much weight definitely is bad for your running.
Cutting out wine would almost certainly help with weight loss. A couple of glasses of wine is say 400 calories (depends how big his "glass" is). There's no real nutrition for those calories, so it's a very bad way to take those calories if you're trying to lose weight.
Currently on vacation myself so my amount of microbrew and wine triples... I find i cant get the quality of sleep when I have even one drink that I can without. Therefore, I need to curb the alcohol just for the sake of my recovery from workouts and sleep. Not because of the associated weight...
On a side note, Big Spruce Brewing makes a great porter-ish stout if anyone in up doing the Cabot Trail Relay in the future.
pr100 wrote:
mark b wrote:Has anyone shown beyond doubt that moderate consumption of beer or wine is bad for your running?
The OP expressed concern about shifting weight. Too much weight definitely is bad for your running.
Cutting out wine would almost certainly help with weight loss. A couple of glasses of wine is say 400 calories (depends how big his "glass" is). There's no real nutrition for those calories, so it's a very bad way to take those calories if you're trying to lose weight.
Thank you. This is what I was looking for. Informative feedback. I know my title should've been more specific. But I couldn't write " I have an occasional beer or sometimes nothing and on several nights I'll just have a glass of wine or two" some posts were on the mark and informative. Some focused on alcohol. I go days without drinking any alcohol. It's not what I was really concerned about. It's just a part of me wondering if I could get thinner and faster without it. Or is this something that really doesn't matter.