I like beer, no doubt. Not cheap beer, but GOOD IPAs. I also enjoy some wine. However, further research has me convinced that I need to take it down a notch as my training gears up.
Bummer.
I've researched a few articles, and they all say the same thing- dehydration.
Yea, I get that.
So my 3+ glasses of wine and beer drinking has to be limited to POST heavy workout days.
I do think that ONE glass of beer or wine at the end of the day helps me chill. It is my reward for a great workout, as well as maybe some pizza or chocolate!
My 3xweek run club meets at breweries, so it is tough to pass up.
Especially since I got the Against the Grain tattoo on my shoulder which gets me a free beer EVERY DAY!!! (See included photo).
Limitation is the key here.
Anyone else have these issues?
I found this questionnaire article helpful, as it actually quotes IM champs.
It also says that a post-race beer is good for you, since it has those immediate carbs you need!
Yay! I knew I was doing it right!
This article is good too, however not as optimistic.
As I read that article, I was reminded of when I did IM-Augusta 70.3 last summer....
John and I walked around most of the afternoon the day before, and we tried several local beers through the day. Albeit, I drank plenty of water, it was not a good idea.
My "alcoholic side" came out about 6pm and said,
"I'll just switch to Mic Ultra. It's basically water."
I was rockin' and rollin' through Augusta the next day, swim and bike were amazing.
By the time the run started, it had to be about 150 degrees with 1000% humidity.
I cramped.
Cramped badly.
So much so that I fell, had to have assistance to get back up, drank some RANDOM person's Gatorade, and had to walk most of the rest of the run portion.
I was pissed, especially since I was en route to complete IM-Aug in under 7 hours. (A PR for me).
Was it the beers the day before? Was I just not hydrating enough before the swim and on the bike?
I'll never know.
But I also know that I won't drink the day before IMLOU..... probably not even the week before.
While my beers will be taken down to a minimum over the next few months,
it will be hard, but it's part of the job! :)
Thanks for reading! Comment with your stories of cramps/dehydration/alcohol!
Here is this past weeks training. It was a recovery week and working thru my hip issues, so nothing too extreme or exciting.
I'm still dealing with the hip pain this week, but I'm currently in a heavy swim week. I just need to buck up and go to a doctor.
You would think that someone who works in healthcare would go to the doc, right?
Nope.
Stay tuned to next week when I talk about over and under training!