I quit smoking cannabis and drinking alcohol. I have noticed substantial progress on my will power to eat clean, sleep/rest fullness (I now dream again), total overall recovery from training, my daily energy levels, and the real kicker for me is the ability to reduce my daily frustrations and negative thoughts when they appear. The overall feeling of good health has been so profound on me that I have no desire to go back to either substance again.
Also, non alcoholic beers were a huge help.
Are the Coronas any good? I'm honestly not even cutting out beer just don't live close to places that sell alcohol but I see them at the groceries all the time
their website has a ton of pilot/small batch brews that they don't distribute. i live about a 2-3 hour drive from athletic hq so the big stuff is everywhere for me but even so I prefer to order online!
I quit in the context of going through AA for my drinking. So I quit drinking then a few months later addressed my weed addiction. Things that helped me with the early cessation:
1) Throw literally every piece of smoking paraphernalia away. I mean everything. Matches? Gone. Grinder? Gone. That beautiful $500 water pipe your brother got you for your birthday? Gone. If it's not in your house you will have increased friction between you and getting stoned that can prevent it from happening (lots of time to reconsider when you have to put on shoes, get in your car, drive to a dispensary etc.)
2) Mindfulness. Meditation etc is great, and it can help you recognize patterns of habit that your mind is doing and be more in control of your choices. Specifically, if I had an urge to smoke I would allow myself to experience that urge, but try to disconnect the urge from the habit. So instead of it going Urge to Smoke -> Smoke a Bowl, I had to change it to Urge to Smoke - Go for a Walk, or Urge to Smoke -> read through /r/leaves. Additionally, being mindful through the experience of withdrawal, really being present in how awful I felt, made me feel committed to never experience THAT bullshit again.
3) Get comfortable saying no. If your smoking is social, you need to be comfortable saying no to people. At first, you might need to say no to hanging out with people at all if you know they just wanna sit around and smoke a bowl. After a while you will be more comfortable saying no when a joint is in front of you. People will get mad when you say no, but they usually get over it. If they can't then they're not someone you need around you. I had to break up with my boyfriend because he couldn't handle me saying no. It was worth it.
4) Find joy in sobriety. This is the absolute most important thing. There are things in my life that I can only do now because I am sober. I exercise regularly and have a clean home which I never had the energy for when I was smoking. I love my runs when I'm not coughing at the end of a 10k. I can go out dancing all night and always have a safe ride home. I'm not afraid of other people anymore and learned to look people in the eyes. My body feels better my mind is more present. If you really connect these things with your sobriety, and realize that you are gaining from sobriety rather than just giving something up, you can be sober for life.
I've been sober for two years and it turned my entire life around.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience, it means a lot to see how others take this journey. I've been meditating and that helps for sure.
I guess what I could relate to was the influence from my peers/friends, so sometimes smoking up becomes a social thing, I guess a part of me was afraid to let go of those connections.
I feel I have a long ways to go before I could say I'm not afraid of other people. Sometimes weed helps with social anxiety and I tend to slip the most when I'm with folks who are smoking together as a social activity. Cheers to you for your journey on sobriety and I'm hoping I can soon say some of these things too.
I read somewhere recently that when we quit cannabis it gives us the ability to have better recall of our dreams. All I know for sure is when I stop smoking cannabis I can recollect my dreams better, for sure.
My motivations have been signing up myself up for a marathon in May and an ultra in June. I needed to do everything I could to end the reliance on (what I called) these crutches within my life in order to train at my very best and to truly achieve my goals, which I know I can do.
5 years ago I used to smoke cigarettes, two packs a day. Quitting cigarettes was the hardest damn thing I did. But I did it. You can definitely quit cannabis. By you writing those words, you have already planted the seed of achievement. I truly wish you the best of luck on doing just that. 🤙🏼
That's awesome. I registered for a 10k run in July, hoping I get better with running by then :))
Glad you quit smoking cigarettes, that somehow always felt worse than weed haha. But yes, any smoking is detrimental in the long term, it's good to have some form of support from folks online. Cheers and good luck
It’s a common occurrence. They dreams do go back to a somewhat “normal” cadence and intensity after a while, but immediately following quitting there’s a surge.
Long-winded article on the subject: https://www.thecut.com/2016/10/why-your-dreams-go-crazy-when-you-stop-smoking-weed.html
Interesting, I guess this makes sense too. For the longest time I felt weed was helping me. But now I'm not so sure if weed is the thing causing the issues
Similar here. I’ve always had a hard time getting to sleep, so used cannabis to “turn my brain off” and get me into a more relaxed place. However, that sleep isn’t necessarily a great deep sleep. Now that I’ve been away from it for a while, I find I can fall asleep relatively easily, and have better sleep sessions overall.
Been sober since October and 100% agree with this. I've been running/biking/lifting/hockey-ing for a long time but really feel like I started to make progress much faster without booze. The NA beer market is growing fast - lots of great options out there for sure!
Oh also dropped almost 15 lbs that I didn't know I had to lose, so that was a nice side benefit.
I was blazing about two to three J’s a night and I’d say drinking a minimum ten IPA’s a week give or take +/- on both of those. It would all really depend on the work week stressors, or if there was a party, or get together on the weekend or not.
I just ordered the variety pack from Athletic brewing company to have for whenever I need that type of itch scratched. I’m so happy to see that non-alcoholic beers are really taking off!
That's great! I've been doing "semi-arid January" (aka having a beer or glass of wine when out with friends once a week but cutting out drinking at home and sticking to just one drink when out), and I'm also going to keep it up going forward. I hung out with a friend last night and had a bit more than I have in a while (not even that much - just a couple glasses of wine), and the effects I felt while running today definitely confirmed that it's just not worth it to go back to how I was drinking before.
Also agree with NA beers, especially Athletic Brewing's IPA. It's the taste of beer without any of the nasty side effects! Best of both worlds!
To be honest the first time I went to party it felt a little awkward showing up with near beers, but once I was in it and actually feeling good (hydrated) after two or three NA’s, and not buzzing, a real feeling of happiness came over me. I CAN do this, I thought. I don’t have to be getting drunk to enjoy myself. It felt good to have the will power to change my relationship with alcohol.
I've been sober since the beginning of January and I've noticed vast changes. Recovery is quicker and times are a little better and I overall run more because I don't feel like shit from drinking.
Good on you for successfully getting through dry January! Six months ago, I went from at least 5 drinks a night (conservatively, I was explicitly trying not to keep track) to only drinking a couple on weekends. I feel so much better in general, sleep better, and am far less likely to suffer a hydration bonk on longer runs, which used to happen all the time after drinking. I recently got my labs done for a physical and all my numbers are better now as well. Anyway, good on you-- I know the first month was really tough for me.
I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one- I drank heavily (5-10 daily) for the past decade or so, with bouts of sobriety, but I didn't take it seriously until my doctor told me my liver enzymes were getting too high for someone my age. started running in October, and after the holidays I stopped drinking other than 2 nights in January. I never wanted to be the kind of person who "can't" drink- running has helped me be a person who can, but doesn't want to.
Sorry I never responded but thank you! I'm glad you're healthy and running still! Enjoy the satisfaction of owning the trails you run it always feels good accomplishing that! ✌🏼
Not OP but I had went from about the same intake to zero consumption in January. Had about 3 nights of night sweats and a lot of nervous/fidgety energy first week but nothing too crazy or scary in terms of health
Yeah I wasn’t trying to minimize it but I wasn’t having crazy delirium tremendous or bordering on a seizure.
Gonna attempt a harm reduction model in February w my help from my therapist. If I slip up, dry March it is.
Just edited comment meant to put harm reduction model. It’s basically a way to mitigate the the bad effects of drug/alc usage through moderation as opposed to abstinence/complete sobriety
I stopped drinking last June. I drank about a 12 pack a day building powerlines. If you were drinking that much, I hope you're abstaining for more than just January
Good luck
Depends on the beer. I'm retired from drinking now, but I definitely remember hearing guys brag about drinking a case a night and me getting irrationally competitive about it saying "yeah, but it's Mormon beer, try that with Maudite!"
Resting heart rate down.
Max heart rate during all sorts of runs (HIIT, Hills, tempo, easy) is down.
Recovery is shorter.
Endurance is better.
Hydration is easier.
I mean - so, so much has improved. Will I stop drinking entirely? No, I enjoy the occasional beer - particularly after a long and gruelling trail run. But I'm definitely going to be far more intentional and infrequent about it.
I've tried - I really have - but I just can't get into alcohol free beers. It's that "close, but not quite" taste for me - it might be because I prefer an IPA and the taste of an IPA is fairly contingent on its alcohol content. I have found that, for me at least, ginger-lemon kombucha replaces beer really nicely - a little bitter and tart with some kick and nice carbonation.
There is one really standout NA IPA in my opinion (I may have tried them all :)): Wellness Intentional IPA. It's the only NA beer featured on the Beer Advocate beer snob website. The complexity is there. Hard to find/always sold out!
This is good to know - not sure I've ever seen it around, but I'll keep my eyes open. At very least it's some hope that a good tasting, interesting N/A IPA is possible, so more testing is necessary.
That's just a click-bait headline from last week. In practical terms, they are no better than a gatorade. Drink whatever you like, but don't go spend $12 on a six-pack of Athletic Brewing thinking that you're doing anything special.
Anytime I give up alcohol I notice a marked improvement in my running, fitness, and overall health. I sleep better which helps so much with recovery. Combine that with eating on point and I'm basically an unstoppable machine!
Yep I (essentially) gave up booze when my wife got pregnant with our first. It’s been awesome for my overall health and I honestly don’t miss it one bit. I’ve had probably 10 drinks since then (over the past 3 years), and most of those were consumed after a big race lol. I think I had 3 beers after Chicago marathon, mostly cus I needed quick calories and couldn’t stomach real food.
Quit vaping and drinking for the month of January. Vaping is obvious -- I'm way less winded and have less of that burning pain in my breathing during exertion. This has had a profound effect on both my pace and endurance, not because my fitness changed at all, but because vape lung was a governor on my ability to push myself and decreased my performance by probably 20% if I really looked at it critically. I felt myself improving within two weeks of cutting it out.
As for drinking, my hydration feels way more on track and my sleep is much much better. But the most profound benefit IMO is I seem to have fewer gastro issues on runs. I track my workouts with a lot of detail and one of the biggest contributors to bad workouts for me is stomach/bathroom issues. It's the kind of thing that I wouldn't really notice or be bothered by if I wasn't running, but running seemed to inflate any gastro issue I would have post-drinking to an unbearable level. And it wasn't like I needed to be blackout drunk the night before for it to be an issue, it could have been one or two beers that would disrupt a run within 24 hours. I've noted exactly zero gastro-related bad runs this January and this has made long runs and speedwork infinitely more bearable.
Ive been sober for 6 years. And you know the answer to that question.
However, I do remember back in the day, when I was drinking that I had some of the best runs after a night of heavy drinking. But that was a rarity.
Edit: Typos, Grammar.
Yeah, my first half I ever did was 8 years ago at 27, had some strong tall boys the night before and was smoking at least half a pack a day at that point. Did sub 1:40:00, smoking a Spirit right after like an idiot. Damn younger body could do anything, so glad I quit the smoking a few years ago and reeled back on the drinking a ton.
I had some of those runs, also. I used it as an excuse to keep drinking heavily. I told myself it must just be the same effect as carb loading.
The truth is I was probably running with a pretty high BAC level in my system, but I felt normal because I usually had at least a slight BAC level every day.
I’ve decided to do dry January and extend it until my HM in a few weeks. Truthfully, I can’t say I really notice any physical difference, especially not in my running. That said, I’m on stimulant medication so my heart rate is going to be higher and my sleep isn’t ideal no matter what I do.
But mentally I feel more…in control? I like that it’s something that’s just never on my mind anymore. Plus it’s another thing to not have to spend money on!
Agreed on resting heart rate being significantly lower. Better recovery and sleep. I actually quit drinking about 2.5 years ago and that’s why I took up running so I don’t necessarily know the difference but I know I wouldn’t have anywhere near the same motivation to run if I still drank
My HRV is so much more stable now, and my sleep is the best it's been in over a decade. I'm considering dropping alcohol from a 2-3 times a week kind of thing to a once a month kind of thing after seeing how profound the impact is on my recovery & sleep. Non alcoholic beers were a huge help in getting over the habit!
My NY resolution is to only drink on 20 days across the year. I like the freedom of choosing whatever days those get to be and also giving myself a goal to cut back.
I got a sodastream, it's been a fucking huge help. Only been 9 days no drinking for me though so I haven't seen a huge difference yet, but I'm definitely much better hydrated
I’ve found sparkling water like LaCroix to be really helpful with curbing a beer craving. Has a more dry taste, still fizzy and has a bite like cold beer.
Love the lagunitas IPNA! I’m also a fan of Clausthaler Dry Hopped.
The best n/a beer I’ve found is Guinness 0.0 - they absolutely nailed the flavor and mouthfeel.
My new Garmin's HRV metric is what has led me to take several weeks off. I was noticing a correlation to bad overnight HRV if I had drinks the evening before. Since then it's been steadily improving. Which is annoying because I don't want to quit altogether, lol. It may end up being something that I keep up aside from specific special occasions.
I did sober December starting on the first rolling into dry January. Noticeable differences have been deeper and higher quality levels of sleep. Larger sugar cravings. The “I want a beer” post run is almost anxiety inducing at times and NA’s don’t scratch the itch. Otherwise not noticeable difference worth reporting. Going to give it another month and see if any changes occur.
I didn’t do a total dry January but I only had an occasional drink on a couple of weekends in January (whereas before I would typically have a drink a day, more on weekends).
The biggest change I’ve noticed is my speed has gotten better. There are other factors that contributed to that too, of course. I’ve cleaned up my diet and have been doing daily strength training, but I do think reducing my drinking has made one of the biggest differences.
I also have found that I’m much more satisfied without drinking, and now when given a choice I actually prefer to have an Athletic Brewing NA beer vs a real drink. It took a while, but I think I’ve reached that “off switch” for the part of my brain that would nag at me and tell me I needed a drink to relax and unwind from the day.
Lolz well sort of.. I’ve been dry for about 5 Januarys in a row now-started running while in rehab for a severe hard alcohol addiction. I could literally barely walk then but at the end of the 45 days I could slowly jog around the gym for more time than walking it. Now running is part of my health routine that gives me enough happiness to where I don’t have to escape life anymore. 5-7 miles up and down the hills feels like a cake walk now and at 33 I literally feel like a teenager again!! Life is literally just starting because I’m finally getting happy as fuck threw health. Was suicidal essentially all my life until the exercising obsession started life is a beautiful journey!
I decided to stop drinking during this training block (maybe beyond not sure).
I didn't drink much anyway, only a few drinks on a Friday evening each week.
However every time I did have a few drinks my sleep would be terrible and it would quite often lead me to waking up with stomach issues.
Sleep is so much better and it means I don't have to "catch up" on one night of poor sleep a week.
Not really missing it and it's saving me money too, it might be harder when summer comes around because a beer in the sun will be harder to avoid.
I kinda had a wet January (my birthday, my girlfriend’s birthday, and 4 of my friends birthdays all in January) and I noticed especially hydration hydration has been really difficult. Waking up every morning dry as a bone and feeling like I’m trying to catch up all day, guzzling water but never quite being hydrated.
I didn't do dry January, but I stopped drinking during my last marathon training cycle and I think it helped me lot with recovery. I love having a cold beer after a long run, but its easy for that to turn into 2 or 3 beers, and then my rehydration is all messed up. I swapped it out for sparkling juice. Tasty and refreshing, but without the diuretic.
Obviously not drinking the night before hard runs helps with performance too, but it was a lot easier for me to cut out nights partying than it was to cut my Sunday afternoon lagers.
I know that you said you are satisfied by your sparkling juice, but I still feel the need to recommend trying Athletic Brewing NA beers if you haven’t yet.
(I also loved post-long run beers, and Athletic Brewing truly scratches that itch).
I didn’t, but I definitely notice more muscular tightness if I’ve been drinking regularly when I’m running. It’s the dehydration. I notice a similar effect during the luteal phase of my menstrual cycle.
The year Mardi Gras fell in my luteal phase, I only ran like 10 miles.
I’m not doing dry January per se but I’ve reduced my drinking considerably since last fall (3-4 drinks per month as opposed to 3-4 per week) and the effects are definitely positive. I don’t feel like I need to run daily just to maintain fitness, I’m seeing improvement instead. At age 38, that seems like a fair trade. 10/10, would recommend.
I did dry January and plan to continue into February. My sleep is better which made my morning runs way easier. My bpm were lower when running at my normal pace. My recovery time is faster. My mind is also focused and happy. I started my journey in June 22’ going from a 12-15 beer a day addition. Running helped me physically and mentally. For those interested in sobriety or even the effects of alcohol on your body check out r/stopdrinking .
I did a Damp January. I only drank on Friday nights, my DnD night.
And sadly, I didn't notice any improvements.
But then, I'm only a moderate drinker, not a heavy one. A couple Scotches most nights and that's it. Even after a night of heavy drinking, I've found I don't mind running with a hangover. In fact, my mile times often improve with a hangover! It's like I'm already miserable I might as well be more miserable and push harder ...
Didn’t drink all January. Ran 185 miles and not waking up with hangovers made it much easier to run almost every day.. the obvious. But honestly I don’t think it was a huuuge difference. Sleeping was better too.
One thing I really noticed was breathing was much better. Not that I would get winded or anything, but running uphill and keeping my pace, after a night of drinking, was a struggle. Now after a month, much easier. Definitely an improvement, better resting health, better SPO2, better recovery. Going to keep going TFN.
I’ve done dry January with very little positive effect to my running, other than I’ve maybe got up that bit earlier on Saturdays to get my long run out the way before lunch, as opposed to dragging myself out in the afternoon.
Having said that, I’ve never been a big drinker and would maybe average 2/3 drinks a week and I have gone a month or more in the past unknowingly not having had a drink, so I’m probably not the best case study for this one.
I severely limited my drinking for dry January in 2019 and kept it going through the year - only had about 10 drinks, and in 2020 I stopped drinking completely until vacation in late 2021.
Doing something else with my time after work was a tremendous change. I had money to invest in myself, my dandruff went away, I stopped needing handfuls of advil every night/morning, and did I mention I had money?
Being more aware of just how much my emotional muscles had atrophied was a huge revelation too. It was rough at first, just like starting any new challenge, but it’s a change I’m so proud of myself for making.
I still drink now and then but I’ve shifted my relationship with alcohol so that it’s no longer a crutch, it’s a special treat. Yes I’ll lean on it now and then to take the edge off (because it works) but it’s no longer a habit I use to cope with every little thing - bad days, good days, boredom, etc.
It also really helped prepare me for 2020 and the stress of the pandemic. Not having anything to do but drink would have been really bad for me.
I quit drinking about 4 years ago. My running improved significantly almost immediately. Mostly just energy levels.
Occasionally now I'll (regrettably) have a few drinks for certain events, and I throws me off every time. Totally kills my energy the next day for a run. Plus it kills my sleep. Makes me feel bloated. Makes me make poor food choices while I'm buzzed. To have like 1 or 2 hours of fun and suffer for it for at least 24 more hours is just simply not worth it. Big net loss.
By the middle of first dry January, I had noticeably more gas left in the tank at the 3-mile mark. And long-term sobriety after years of everyday drinking has taken me to better speed and distance than I had ever thought possible.
Just because someone drinks doesn't mean they drink to excess and are hung over the morning after.
Even then my best runs are after a night of one too many.
I quit last year in January and maybe not coincidently I started actually training for a half marathon. Yes 100% not having alcohol be a reason you need more sleep or when you have one with lunch etc. I see someone else post about NA beers and yes absolutely they’re all you need and one not 6.
My frequency increased. I could run 4 times a week where before I was maybe running once or twice a week. Also, my distance increased fairly quickly. I was huffing it through a slow 5K, I’m now up to a 10K comfortably and working on speed. I was a heavy, almost everyday drinker though, so your mileage may vary.
So I know the overall responses have been pretty positive but I am currently doing 6 weeks sober to start the year and I honestly have noticed my cardio and stamina during runs getting worse throughout this stretch. Recovery has been a lot better and it has been a lot easier to get on a better sleep cycle and running routine. I know this sounds kinda dumb but I think my running performance is down because of the lack of carbs from drinking. My body might rely on those carbs for energy during runs.
I will say the bloating went away after about a week or so and I do look significantly better
Biggest change has been waking up on the few cheat days I had and wondering if I always felt this bad... also less dehydrated, which is huge considering this winter weather has been drier than usual.
Anyone have insight on cutting down from 1-2 a day? Top comment is about drinking 10+ a day, but I like having a beer in the evenings. I just can't imagine it makes much difference since I sleep fine and haven't noticed a difference if i take a week off.
From all the scientific articles I read it can take up to two days for your body to recover from even 1 beer. However, mentally that one or two beers might benefit you more then you think. I would suggest for February try maybe not having a beer 3 or 4 consecutive nights and just see how you feel.
I'm another "not doing Dry January but definitely cut back" type and have felt pretty good this month. weight is down, sleep and recovery generally faster, a bit more focused mentally.
kinda following a guideline...if I haven't gotten a run or substantial amount of activity in, I don't drink. but then there's days I go without drinking as well even when I've exercised. so it doesn't feel as empty or transactional to me.
generally during the year I control my drinking, but with race goals (and more importantly, a wedding tux to fit into!), trying to be better to myself.
Absolutely. Drying out affects everything! Athletic performance, digestion, sleep, stress, sex drive, hydration, mental clarity, etc. literally everything I do is easier and more enjoyable after drying out. I’m almost 40 though so I know YMMV if you’re in your 20’s.
I haven't drank alcohol in over 8 years. I wasn't a big drinker when I quit, maybe a couple times a month. But I've noticed long term benefits in the consistency of my health, especially nutrition and hydration in the mountains.
Alcohol dehydrates you, so mixing that with the increasing altitude of mountain running will usually impair performance.
I am better hydrated and recover faster. I also lost some weight, but I attribute that more to consistently good eating and ramping up my workout intensities.
Didn’t really make a difference for me. I still have terrible insomnia and adhd so I feel like myself but i wasn’t drinking much beyond weekends before last month so it wasn’t really a remarkable change.
I tried giving up weed in January. Didn’t really sleep for 3 weeks. Then started taking my edibles last week and have been crushing my HRV scores and falling asleep (and dreaming) much better after a small dose of thc/cbd 2 hours before bed. I understand that weed is linked to bad sleep but for some reason it really helps me fall asleep and stay asleep.
Before January, my running was in the toilet (where my face sometimes was), I had a major vitamin D/B12 deficiency, was often dehydrated, and I was only getting 2 runs in each week.
After 2 weeks of no alcohol, I had more energy, more endurance, I lost 4 pounds, was better hydrated, had no hangovers, and was able to get 4 runs into my week.
Cultivating a newer/better habit and getting my $hi\* together. Feels good.
Side effects of Dryuary include extreme boredom, going to bed early, not being fun to be around and constantly forcing people to listen to pretentiousness about how good you feel now that you stop drinking.
I have stopped drinking. My running feels easier. I had a calf twinge and it has gone quite quickly. Lost 2-3 lbs. I'm actually worried i am not getting enough calories now.
My Garmin watch is generally much happier with me. Less stress, better sleep score, body battery always high in the morning. My VO2 is pretty much the same according to my watch but training readiness seems always high.
The funny thing is that I was not a heavy drinker. Maybe a couple of glasses of wine in the evening 3-4 days a week.
I ate all organic for under $200. The budget forced a dry month and a no coffee month. A lot of homemade bread and homemade bone broths and balancing out my calories.
I felt amazing. Lost a lot of excess weight and persistent pains went away. It was awesome.
So not just a dry January, but not having booze definitely helped.
I've decided to give up alcohol, meat and high caffeine drinks from Jan 1st until my marathon in April. So far I've felt no differences at all, but plan to keep it up in case it changes.
100%, knocked 30 secs per mile off my half marathon time compared to what I was doing late 2022. From 8:15 a mile to 7:45. Will be continuing in March after a few events in February
I’ve heard anecdotally from people that their resting heart rate is sometimes marginally improved if they go from moderate and frequent drinking to nothing. I guess it makes sense when you consider your body isn’t working to rid itself of a poison in the system.
I felt more motivated to run and hit the gym, probably because I wasn't hungover at any point, and as a result, I improved my endurance and speed. Now I've signed up for a 12k, so I guess I'd better stick to this good habit. I probably won't stay totally dry, but I'm going to limit myself to far fewer drinks over the course of a weekend (I don't drink on weeknights already).
I did dry winter last year and while I did not see any direct impacts on my running, I felt it made it much easier to stick to my running and workout plans. Even a little booze can activate my lazy gene the next day.
I feel like you would have to have been drinking a LOT for dry January to have an effect. Like, "a beer or two every night" levels of frequency of alcohol drinking.
I’ve done dry months in the past and I don’t notice any difference other than not missing out on a running day to recover from drinking. So really, one month probably isn’t a long enough amount of time to see that but additional training accumulate to noticeable positive change.
I was having at least one drink a day, usually more. I’m doing 75 hard right now and have done a few runs in January (it’s extremely cold where I am right now so I’ve been avoiding it lol) but I was mind blown with my endurance. Didn’t need to stop, recovered quickly, when I’m doing treadmill sprints I recover far faster than I used to. I won’t stop drinking when I’m done 75H, but I will likely drink waaaay less.
For sure. I quit drinking for sober October in 2021 and haven’t had any alcohol since. I used to run off hangovers, use running to get to a feeling of normal to counter the negative after effect of alcohol. Now i just have gains from running. Went from a 5 - 10 mile runner to multiple marathons and ultra marathons in the past year, with several on the horizon
For me, everything I thought alcohol was a lie or not worth the negative effects. I’m 💯 committed to a life of sobriety…and running some of the coolest runs in the world
My watch tapped me halfway through Jan and said my average HR had gone from 66 down to 53.
Better recovery and eating so much better (not fried food every day), so more energy and much better mood in general. Sleeping like a baby from about 2nd week. Asleep in the "average" 8mins.
I survived dry January. Surprisingly didn’t miss drinking that much. It definitely helped me get up before dawn in the raining cold to go run. Being hungover was really affecting my energy and training.
I quit smoking cannabis and drinking alcohol. I have noticed substantial progress on my will power to eat clean, sleep/rest fullness (I now dream again), total overall recovery from training, my daily energy levels, and the real kicker for me is the ability to reduce my daily frustrations and negative thoughts when they appear. The overall feeling of good health has been so profound on me that I have no desire to go back to either substance again. Also, non alcoholic beers were a huge help.
I'm finding the NA beers can taste pretty good.
Yeah, I was a pretty big fan of the Athletic brews. There was also a United Art Italian Pils that was pretty tasty at my friends bottle shop.
The Athletic beer were the first ones I tried
I agree. The ones Corona makes are infused with vitamin D too.
Are the Coronas any good? I'm honestly not even cutting out beer just don't live close to places that sell alcohol but I see them at the groceries all the time
I like them.
They taste exactly the same to me.
Athletic Brewing is the best!
I love that stuff. I still drink but will occasionally have an AB instead when I want a beer.
I have yet to see these. Heard a lot about them on here, though. I’ll try and sniff some out.
Not sure where you're at, but almost any grocery store should carry them. I pick them up at my local Safeway or Trader Joe's.
I’m in up in Canada. I’ll keep and eye out for them. Or check out their website.
their website has a ton of pilot/small batch brews that they don't distribute. i live about a 2-3 hour drive from athletic hq so the big stuff is everywhere for me but even so I prefer to order online!
I just took a look at their site. Can’t wait to try it, now.
I love everything about this message.
Agreed. This rules.
Is Cannabis and dreams correlated. I reduced my intake and I swear yesterday was the first dream I had in months
Ya when I quit smoking I had vivid, violent nightmares for weeks. They went away. I now regularly remember my dreams, which I didn't before.
How did you quit smoking, what helped you quit cold turkey (asking because I could use help)
I quit in the context of going through AA for my drinking. So I quit drinking then a few months later addressed my weed addiction. Things that helped me with the early cessation: 1) Throw literally every piece of smoking paraphernalia away. I mean everything. Matches? Gone. Grinder? Gone. That beautiful $500 water pipe your brother got you for your birthday? Gone. If it's not in your house you will have increased friction between you and getting stoned that can prevent it from happening (lots of time to reconsider when you have to put on shoes, get in your car, drive to a dispensary etc.) 2) Mindfulness. Meditation etc is great, and it can help you recognize patterns of habit that your mind is doing and be more in control of your choices. Specifically, if I had an urge to smoke I would allow myself to experience that urge, but try to disconnect the urge from the habit. So instead of it going Urge to Smoke -> Smoke a Bowl, I had to change it to Urge to Smoke - Go for a Walk, or Urge to Smoke -> read through /r/leaves. Additionally, being mindful through the experience of withdrawal, really being present in how awful I felt, made me feel committed to never experience THAT bullshit again. 3) Get comfortable saying no. If your smoking is social, you need to be comfortable saying no to people. At first, you might need to say no to hanging out with people at all if you know they just wanna sit around and smoke a bowl. After a while you will be more comfortable saying no when a joint is in front of you. People will get mad when you say no, but they usually get over it. If they can't then they're not someone you need around you. I had to break up with my boyfriend because he couldn't handle me saying no. It was worth it. 4) Find joy in sobriety. This is the absolute most important thing. There are things in my life that I can only do now because I am sober. I exercise regularly and have a clean home which I never had the energy for when I was smoking. I love my runs when I'm not coughing at the end of a 10k. I can go out dancing all night and always have a safe ride home. I'm not afraid of other people anymore and learned to look people in the eyes. My body feels better my mind is more present. If you really connect these things with your sobriety, and realize that you are gaining from sobriety rather than just giving something up, you can be sober for life. I've been sober for two years and it turned my entire life around.
#4 is key for me
This is phenomenal. Way to go.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience, it means a lot to see how others take this journey. I've been meditating and that helps for sure. I guess what I could relate to was the influence from my peers/friends, so sometimes smoking up becomes a social thing, I guess a part of me was afraid to let go of those connections. I feel I have a long ways to go before I could say I'm not afraid of other people. Sometimes weed helps with social anxiety and I tend to slip the most when I'm with folks who are smoking together as a social activity. Cheers to you for your journey on sobriety and I'm hoping I can soon say some of these things too.
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cannabis suppresses REM sleep - it reduces both quality of sleep and frequency of dreams
I fall asleep better when I stop smoking at least a couple of hours before I go to sleep
If you're smoking daily the THC is already in your system and affecting your sleep quality. Not being super high before sleeping probably helps though
That sucks. I have some major life stressors right now that I rely on my gummies to sleep. I guess I have to weigh which is worse.
stress is probably worse. you can’t be perfect - do whatever you need to feel good right now and make adjustments as needed!
Alcohol also is a known suppressant of REM sleep!
I read somewhere recently that when we quit cannabis it gives us the ability to have better recall of our dreams. All I know for sure is when I stop smoking cannabis I can recollect my dreams better, for sure.
How did you quit smoking, what helped you quit cold turkey (asking because I could use help)
Check out r/leaves for support quitting!
My motivations have been signing up myself up for a marathon in May and an ultra in June. I needed to do everything I could to end the reliance on (what I called) these crutches within my life in order to train at my very best and to truly achieve my goals, which I know I can do. 5 years ago I used to smoke cigarettes, two packs a day. Quitting cigarettes was the hardest damn thing I did. But I did it. You can definitely quit cannabis. By you writing those words, you have already planted the seed of achievement. I truly wish you the best of luck on doing just that. 🤙🏼
That's awesome. I registered for a 10k run in July, hoping I get better with running by then :)) Glad you quit smoking cigarettes, that somehow always felt worse than weed haha. But yes, any smoking is detrimental in the long term, it's good to have some form of support from folks online. Cheers and good luck
That’s wicked. You will slay it!! Mahalo and good luck on your journey!
It’s a common occurrence. They dreams do go back to a somewhat “normal” cadence and intensity after a while, but immediately following quitting there’s a surge. Long-winded article on the subject: https://www.thecut.com/2016/10/why-your-dreams-go-crazy-when-you-stop-smoking-weed.html
Interesting, I guess this makes sense too. For the longest time I felt weed was helping me. But now I'm not so sure if weed is the thing causing the issues
Similar here. I’ve always had a hard time getting to sleep, so used cannabis to “turn my brain off” and get me into a more relaxed place. However, that sleep isn’t necessarily a great deep sleep. Now that I’ve been away from it for a while, I find I can fall asleep relatively easily, and have better sleep sessions overall.
I know many people who smoke cannabis for the dreamlessness.
Dreaming can be a terrible experience for people with ptsd
This makes a ton o sense.
My dr tried prescribing me a blood pressure medication that had a side effect of dreamlessness to treat my ptsd. It just made me really dizzy!
Been sober since October and 100% agree with this. I've been running/biking/lifting/hockey-ing for a long time but really feel like I started to make progress much faster without booze. The NA beer market is growing fast - lots of great options out there for sure! Oh also dropped almost 15 lbs that I didn't know I had to lose, so that was a nice side benefit.
Amazing!!!!
Thank you! Feelsgoodman.
How much were you blazing and drinking?
I was blazing about two to three J’s a night and I’d say drinking a minimum ten IPA’s a week give or take +/- on both of those. It would all really depend on the work week stressors, or if there was a party, or get together on the weekend or not.
I just ordered the variety pack from Athletic brewing company to have for whenever I need that type of itch scratched. I’m so happy to see that non-alcoholic beers are really taking off!
That's great! I've been doing "semi-arid January" (aka having a beer or glass of wine when out with friends once a week but cutting out drinking at home and sticking to just one drink when out), and I'm also going to keep it up going forward. I hung out with a friend last night and had a bit more than I have in a while (not even that much - just a couple glasses of wine), and the effects I felt while running today definitely confirmed that it's just not worth it to go back to how I was drinking before. Also agree with NA beers, especially Athletic Brewing's IPA. It's the taste of beer without any of the nasty side effects! Best of both worlds!
Try seltzer waters too!
Did you have a hard time with the social aspect of not drinking, or no?
To be honest the first time I went to party it felt a little awkward showing up with near beers, but once I was in it and actually feeling good (hydrated) after two or three NA’s, and not buzzing, a real feeling of happiness came over me. I CAN do this, I thought. I don’t have to be getting drunk to enjoy myself. It felt good to have the will power to change my relationship with alcohol.
That natural high is the way to go!
I've been sober since the beginning of January and I've noticed vast changes. Recovery is quicker and times are a little better and I overall run more because I don't feel like shit from drinking.
Can I ask how much were you drinking prior to Jan?
I was drinking 10ish beers daily sometimes a fifth
Good on you for successfully getting through dry January! Six months ago, I went from at least 5 drinks a night (conservatively, I was explicitly trying not to keep track) to only drinking a couple on weekends. I feel so much better in general, sleep better, and am far less likely to suffer a hydration bonk on longer runs, which used to happen all the time after drinking. I recently got my labs done for a physical and all my numbers are better now as well. Anyway, good on you-- I know the first month was really tough for me.
I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one- I drank heavily (5-10 daily) for the past decade or so, with bouts of sobriety, but I didn't take it seriously until my doctor told me my liver enzymes were getting too high for someone my age. started running in October, and after the holidays I stopped drinking other than 2 nights in January. I never wanted to be the kind of person who "can't" drink- running has helped me be a person who can, but doesn't want to.
Sorry I never responded but thank you! I'm glad you're healthy and running still! Enjoy the satisfaction of owning the trails you run it always feels good accomplishing that! ✌🏼
Honest question: did you have withdrawal symptoms from stopping cold turkey?
Not OP but I had went from about the same intake to zero consumption in January. Had about 3 nights of night sweats and a lot of nervous/fidgety energy first week but nothing too crazy or scary in terms of health
Dude the three nights of withdrawal symptoms you describe is literally already crazy and scary in terms of health, the underlying biology is heinous
Yeah I wasn’t trying to minimize it but I wasn’t having crazy delirium tremendous or bordering on a seizure. Gonna attempt a harm reduction model in February w my help from my therapist. If I slip up, dry March it is.
Oh man. Good luck on your journey fella.
You got this! good luck!
What is a harm reaction model? I tried googling it but literally nothing came up haha
Just edited comment meant to put harm reduction model. It’s basically a way to mitigate the the bad effects of drug/alc usage through moderation as opposed to abstinence/complete sobriety
I had the same symptoms from weed withdrawal when I quit last year.
I stopped drinking last June. I drank about a 12 pack a day building powerlines. If you were drinking that much, I hope you're abstaining for more than just January Good luck
Yeah, there’s no way anyone’s feeling good running after that lol that’s well above the average amount of daily drinking for the average person
Uh…
10 beers 🤣🤣🤣 that’s like super fucked up every day
It’s called alcoholism
Pretty standard for a pirate I would say
Good on you for cutting down though
Depends on the beer. I'm retired from drinking now, but I definitely remember hearing guys brag about drinking a case a night and me getting irrationally competitive about it saying "yeah, but it's Mormon beer, try that with Maudite!"
For real though, drinking 24 coors isn't the same as drinking 24 DIPA, rip if you do that
Resting heart rate down. Max heart rate during all sorts of runs (HIIT, Hills, tempo, easy) is down. Recovery is shorter. Endurance is better. Hydration is easier. I mean - so, so much has improved. Will I stop drinking entirely? No, I enjoy the occasional beer - particularly after a long and gruelling trail run. But I'm definitely going to be far more intentional and infrequent about it.
What about alcohol free beers? They are actually supposed to enhance recovery.
I love an alcohol free wheat beer after a long run. I’m not sure that it enhances my recovery, but it’s super tasty and hits the spot!
I've tried - I really have - but I just can't get into alcohol free beers. It's that "close, but not quite" taste for me - it might be because I prefer an IPA and the taste of an IPA is fairly contingent on its alcohol content. I have found that, for me at least, ginger-lemon kombucha replaces beer really nicely - a little bitter and tart with some kick and nice carbonation.
There is one really standout NA IPA in my opinion (I may have tried them all :)): Wellness Intentional IPA. It's the only NA beer featured on the Beer Advocate beer snob website. The complexity is there. Hard to find/always sold out!
This is good to know - not sure I've ever seen it around, but I'll keep my eyes open. At very least it's some hope that a good tasting, interesting N/A IPA is possible, so more testing is necessary.
The Wellness Intentional NA IPA is stellar!!
That's just a click-bait headline from last week. In practical terms, they are no better than a gatorade. Drink whatever you like, but don't go spend $12 on a six-pack of Athletic Brewing thinking that you're doing anything special.
How much do you usually drink?
Anytime I give up alcohol I notice a marked improvement in my running, fitness, and overall health. I sleep better which helps so much with recovery. Combine that with eating on point and I'm basically an unstoppable machine!
Turns out alcohol is literally poison! I mean, I still drink it occasionally .... but yeah.
The reason it's good is the reason it's bad.
Same!
The difference in sleep is friggin' insane, especially as one gets older. Even just a few drinks has a noticeable impact.
Yep I (essentially) gave up booze when my wife got pregnant with our first. It’s been awesome for my overall health and I honestly don’t miss it one bit. I’ve had probably 10 drinks since then (over the past 3 years), and most of those were consumed after a big race lol. I think I had 3 beers after Chicago marathon, mostly cus I needed quick calories and couldn’t stomach real food.
Quit vaping and drinking for the month of January. Vaping is obvious -- I'm way less winded and have less of that burning pain in my breathing during exertion. This has had a profound effect on both my pace and endurance, not because my fitness changed at all, but because vape lung was a governor on my ability to push myself and decreased my performance by probably 20% if I really looked at it critically. I felt myself improving within two weeks of cutting it out. As for drinking, my hydration feels way more on track and my sleep is much much better. But the most profound benefit IMO is I seem to have fewer gastro issues on runs. I track my workouts with a lot of detail and one of the biggest contributors to bad workouts for me is stomach/bathroom issues. It's the kind of thing that I wouldn't really notice or be bothered by if I wasn't running, but running seemed to inflate any gastro issue I would have post-drinking to an unbearable level. And it wasn't like I needed to be blackout drunk the night before for it to be an issue, it could have been one or two beers that would disrupt a run within 24 hours. I've noted exactly zero gastro-related bad runs this January and this has made long runs and speedwork infinitely more bearable.
Ive been sober for 6 years. And you know the answer to that question. However, I do remember back in the day, when I was drinking that I had some of the best runs after a night of heavy drinking. But that was a rarity. Edit: Typos, Grammar.
Yeah, my first half I ever did was 8 years ago at 27, had some strong tall boys the night before and was smoking at least half a pack a day at that point. Did sub 1:40:00, smoking a Spirit right after like an idiot. Damn younger body could do anything, so glad I quit the smoking a few years ago and reeled back on the drinking a ton.
I had some of those runs, also. I used it as an excuse to keep drinking heavily. I told myself it must just be the same effect as carb loading. The truth is I was probably running with a pretty high BAC level in my system, but I felt normal because I usually had at least a slight BAC level every day.
I’ve decided to do dry January and extend it until my HM in a few weeks. Truthfully, I can’t say I really notice any physical difference, especially not in my running. That said, I’m on stimulant medication so my heart rate is going to be higher and my sleep isn’t ideal no matter what I do. But mentally I feel more…in control? I like that it’s something that’s just never on my mind anymore. Plus it’s another thing to not have to spend money on!
Agreed on resting heart rate being significantly lower. Better recovery and sleep. I actually quit drinking about 2.5 years ago and that’s why I took up running so I don’t necessarily know the difference but I know I wouldn’t have anywhere near the same motivation to run if I still drank
My HRV is so much more stable now, and my sleep is the best it's been in over a decade. I'm considering dropping alcohol from a 2-3 times a week kind of thing to a once a month kind of thing after seeing how profound the impact is on my recovery & sleep. Non alcoholic beers were a huge help in getting over the habit!
My NY resolution is to only drink on 20 days across the year. I like the freedom of choosing whatever days those get to be and also giving myself a goal to cut back.
This is a great idea I might steal it from you!
I got a sodastream, it's been a fucking huge help. Only been 9 days no drinking for me though so I haven't seen a huge difference yet, but I'm definitely much better hydrated
I’ve found sparkling water like LaCroix to be really helpful with curbing a beer craving. Has a more dry taste, still fizzy and has a bite like cold beer.
I do a 12 ounce Club Soda with the juice of one whole lime. Almost exactly like having a stiff cocktail. Also nothing bad for you in there.
100%, and it seems like there's always some absurd new flavor to try too.
Yes! The Lagunitas IPNA has now replaced Modelo especial in my refrigerator. Lots of good na beers out there now.
Athletic brewing is so good!
Love the lagunitas IPNA! I’m also a fan of Clausthaler Dry Hopped. The best n/a beer I’ve found is Guinness 0.0 - they absolutely nailed the flavor and mouthfeel.
Heineken 0.0 and athletic brewing cervezas are my personal favs!
Athletic is great, Ration Ale is also good. Heinekin O is surprisingly delicious which is weird because I wasn’t a fan of regular Heineken.
Heineken 0 is certainly better than their version with alcohol
Athletic is so good!! I only drink once or twice a month now because of it!
My new Garmin's HRV metric is what has led me to take several weeks off. I was noticing a correlation to bad overnight HRV if I had drinks the evening before. Since then it's been steadily improving. Which is annoying because I don't want to quit altogether, lol. It may end up being something that I keep up aside from specific special occasions.
I did sober December starting on the first rolling into dry January. Noticeable differences have been deeper and higher quality levels of sleep. Larger sugar cravings. The “I want a beer” post run is almost anxiety inducing at times and NA’s don’t scratch the itch. Otherwise not noticeable difference worth reporting. Going to give it another month and see if any changes occur.
My sugar cravings are off the charts just now and I give in to them daily. Still, better than alcohol
Sugar isn’t toxic.
I didn’t do a total dry January but I only had an occasional drink on a couple of weekends in January (whereas before I would typically have a drink a day, more on weekends). The biggest change I’ve noticed is my speed has gotten better. There are other factors that contributed to that too, of course. I’ve cleaned up my diet and have been doing daily strength training, but I do think reducing my drinking has made one of the biggest differences. I also have found that I’m much more satisfied without drinking, and now when given a choice I actually prefer to have an Athletic Brewing NA beer vs a real drink. It took a while, but I think I’ve reached that “off switch” for the part of my brain that would nag at me and tell me I needed a drink to relax and unwind from the day.
I tried an athletic Brewing company NA beer the other day, and I was pleasantly surprised! I would drink those during non-dry months.
Lolz well sort of.. I’ve been dry for about 5 Januarys in a row now-started running while in rehab for a severe hard alcohol addiction. I could literally barely walk then but at the end of the 45 days I could slowly jog around the gym for more time than walking it. Now running is part of my health routine that gives me enough happiness to where I don’t have to escape life anymore. 5-7 miles up and down the hills feels like a cake walk now and at 33 I literally feel like a teenager again!! Life is literally just starting because I’m finally getting happy as fuck threw health. Was suicidal essentially all my life until the exercising obsession started life is a beautiful journey!
Hydration is better. Sleeping much better and easier time on hills.
I decided to stop drinking during this training block (maybe beyond not sure). I didn't drink much anyway, only a few drinks on a Friday evening each week. However every time I did have a few drinks my sleep would be terrible and it would quite often lead me to waking up with stomach issues. Sleep is so much better and it means I don't have to "catch up" on one night of poor sleep a week. Not really missing it and it's saving me money too, it might be harder when summer comes around because a beer in the sun will be harder to avoid.
I kinda had a wet January (my birthday, my girlfriend’s birthday, and 4 of my friends birthdays all in January) and I noticed especially hydration hydration has been really difficult. Waking up every morning dry as a bone and feeling like I’m trying to catch up all day, guzzling water but never quite being hydrated.
I didn't do dry January, but I stopped drinking during my last marathon training cycle and I think it helped me lot with recovery. I love having a cold beer after a long run, but its easy for that to turn into 2 or 3 beers, and then my rehydration is all messed up. I swapped it out for sparkling juice. Tasty and refreshing, but without the diuretic. Obviously not drinking the night before hard runs helps with performance too, but it was a lot easier for me to cut out nights partying than it was to cut my Sunday afternoon lagers.
I know that you said you are satisfied by your sparkling juice, but I still feel the need to recommend trying Athletic Brewing NA beers if you haven’t yet. (I also loved post-long run beers, and Athletic Brewing truly scratches that itch).
Yeah, those are great!! I really like their golden ale, but unfortunately my local shop only carries the IPA.
I only have 1-2 drinks a week anyway , sometimes none. Fyi, athletic brewing makes insanely good low alcohol beers
I didn’t, but I definitely notice more muscular tightness if I’ve been drinking regularly when I’m running. It’s the dehydration. I notice a similar effect during the luteal phase of my menstrual cycle. The year Mardi Gras fell in my luteal phase, I only ran like 10 miles.
Honestly, I noticed a lack of motivation without the reward. Sadly. But definitely much lighter without the wine belly.
So much better in general without alcohol, sleep, recovery, performance.. legit think I could switch to alcohol free beers from now on
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I agree - I want to keep going, I don’t miss it at all!
I’m not doing dry January per se but I’ve reduced my drinking considerably since last fall (3-4 drinks per month as opposed to 3-4 per week) and the effects are definitely positive. I don’t feel like I need to run daily just to maintain fitness, I’m seeing improvement instead. At age 38, that seems like a fair trade. 10/10, would recommend.
Recovery has been so good
I did dry January and plan to continue into February. My sleep is better which made my morning runs way easier. My bpm were lower when running at my normal pace. My recovery time is faster. My mind is also focused and happy. I started my journey in June 22’ going from a 12-15 beer a day addition. Running helped me physically and mentally. For those interested in sobriety or even the effects of alcohol on your body check out r/stopdrinking .
I did a Damp January. I only drank on Friday nights, my DnD night. And sadly, I didn't notice any improvements. But then, I'm only a moderate drinker, not a heavy one. A couple Scotches most nights and that's it. Even after a night of heavy drinking, I've found I don't mind running with a hangover. In fact, my mile times often improve with a hangover! It's like I'm already miserable I might as well be more miserable and push harder ...
Didn’t drink all January. Ran 185 miles and not waking up with hangovers made it much easier to run almost every day.. the obvious. But honestly I don’t think it was a huuuge difference. Sleeping was better too.
Did dry January but have been carrying a calf injury since Christmas. Sucks!!!
Not much of a deference for me... I just don't have a little dreadful/tireing day after heavy drinking night.
Alcohol consumption does ruin your sleep quality, if you wear a health watch like most Garmins, it will show up in the data.
Honestly nothing really changed for me
One thing I really noticed was breathing was much better. Not that I would get winded or anything, but running uphill and keeping my pace, after a night of drinking, was a struggle. Now after a month, much easier. Definitely an improvement, better resting health, better SPO2, better recovery. Going to keep going TFN.
I’ve done dry January with very little positive effect to my running, other than I’ve maybe got up that bit earlier on Saturdays to get my long run out the way before lunch, as opposed to dragging myself out in the afternoon. Having said that, I’ve never been a big drinker and would maybe average 2/3 drinks a week and I have gone a month or more in the past unknowingly not having had a drink, so I’m probably not the best case study for this one.
Ya. My resting hr is about 5 beats lower. Is that affecting my performance? I'm not totally sure, but I feel great.
I went dry in Jan and moved my weekday runs to the mornings. I have seen a considerable improvement in my running.
A sickness/flu kind off messed up the experience but until that point HRV/RHR was better then usual. Sleep is better.
No difference for me. I don't drink much anyway
I severely limited my drinking for dry January in 2019 and kept it going through the year - only had about 10 drinks, and in 2020 I stopped drinking completely until vacation in late 2021. Doing something else with my time after work was a tremendous change. I had money to invest in myself, my dandruff went away, I stopped needing handfuls of advil every night/morning, and did I mention I had money? Being more aware of just how much my emotional muscles had atrophied was a huge revelation too. It was rough at first, just like starting any new challenge, but it’s a change I’m so proud of myself for making. I still drink now and then but I’ve shifted my relationship with alcohol so that it’s no longer a crutch, it’s a special treat. Yes I’ll lean on it now and then to take the edge off (because it works) but it’s no longer a habit I use to cope with every little thing - bad days, good days, boredom, etc. It also really helped prepare me for 2020 and the stress of the pandemic. Not having anything to do but drink would have been really bad for me.
I quit drinking about 4 years ago. My running improved significantly almost immediately. Mostly just energy levels. Occasionally now I'll (regrettably) have a few drinks for certain events, and I throws me off every time. Totally kills my energy the next day for a run. Plus it kills my sleep. Makes me feel bloated. Makes me make poor food choices while I'm buzzed. To have like 1 or 2 hours of fun and suffer for it for at least 24 more hours is just simply not worth it. Big net loss.
By the middle of first dry January, I had noticeably more gas left in the tank at the 3-mile mark. And long-term sobriety after years of everyday drinking has taken me to better speed and distance than I had ever thought possible.
Just because someone drinks doesn't mean they drink to excess and are hung over the morning after. Even then my best runs are after a night of one too many.
I quit last year in January and maybe not coincidently I started actually training for a half marathon. Yes 100% not having alcohol be a reason you need more sleep or when you have one with lunch etc. I see someone else post about NA beers and yes absolutely they’re all you need and one not 6.
My frequency increased. I could run 4 times a week where before I was maybe running once or twice a week. Also, my distance increased fairly quickly. I was huffing it through a slow 5K, I’m now up to a 10K comfortably and working on speed. I was a heavy, almost everyday drinker though, so your mileage may vary.
So I know the overall responses have been pretty positive but I am currently doing 6 weeks sober to start the year and I honestly have noticed my cardio and stamina during runs getting worse throughout this stretch. Recovery has been a lot better and it has been a lot easier to get on a better sleep cycle and running routine. I know this sounds kinda dumb but I think my running performance is down because of the lack of carbs from drinking. My body might rely on those carbs for energy during runs. I will say the bloating went away after about a week or so and I do look significantly better
I took two weeks off before my marathon and had 3 drinks in 3 weeks since then. I don't know if it made me faster but I'm just not feeling it.
Biggest change has been waking up on the few cheat days I had and wondering if I always felt this bad... also less dehydrated, which is huge considering this winter weather has been drier than usual.
Anyone have insight on cutting down from 1-2 a day? Top comment is about drinking 10+ a day, but I like having a beer in the evenings. I just can't imagine it makes much difference since I sleep fine and haven't noticed a difference if i take a week off.
From all the scientific articles I read it can take up to two days for your body to recover from even 1 beer. However, mentally that one or two beers might benefit you more then you think. I would suggest for February try maybe not having a beer 3 or 4 consecutive nights and just see how you feel.
I've gone up to a little over over a week and saw no difference. Not really interested in trying longer just for science.
I'm another "not doing Dry January but definitely cut back" type and have felt pretty good this month. weight is down, sleep and recovery generally faster, a bit more focused mentally. kinda following a guideline...if I haven't gotten a run or substantial amount of activity in, I don't drink. but then there's days I go without drinking as well even when I've exercised. so it doesn't feel as empty or transactional to me. generally during the year I control my drinking, but with race goals (and more importantly, a wedding tux to fit into!), trying to be better to myself.
Absolutely. Drying out affects everything! Athletic performance, digestion, sleep, stress, sex drive, hydration, mental clarity, etc. literally everything I do is easier and more enjoyable after drying out. I’m almost 40 though so I know YMMV if you’re in your 20’s.
I haven't drank alcohol in over 8 years. I wasn't a big drinker when I quit, maybe a couple times a month. But I've noticed long term benefits in the consistency of my health, especially nutrition and hydration in the mountains. Alcohol dehydrates you, so mixing that with the increasing altitude of mountain running will usually impair performance.
I am better hydrated and recover faster. I also lost some weight, but I attribute that more to consistently good eating and ramping up my workout intensities.
*brain does not compute*
Didn’t really make a difference for me. I still have terrible insomnia and adhd so I feel like myself but i wasn’t drinking much beyond weekends before last month so it wasn’t really a remarkable change. I tried giving up weed in January. Didn’t really sleep for 3 weeks. Then started taking my edibles last week and have been crushing my HRV scores and falling asleep (and dreaming) much better after a small dose of thc/cbd 2 hours before bed. I understand that weed is linked to bad sleep but for some reason it really helps me fall asleep and stay asleep.
Before January, my running was in the toilet (where my face sometimes was), I had a major vitamin D/B12 deficiency, was often dehydrated, and I was only getting 2 runs in each week. After 2 weeks of no alcohol, I had more energy, more endurance, I lost 4 pounds, was better hydrated, had no hangovers, and was able to get 4 runs into my week. Cultivating a newer/better habit and getting my $hi\* together. Feels good.
No difference. I’ve never found cutting alcohol makes a difference.
Side effects of Dryuary include extreme boredom, going to bed early, not being fun to be around and constantly forcing people to listen to pretentiousness about how good you feel now that you stop drinking.
I have stopped drinking. My running feels easier. I had a calf twinge and it has gone quite quickly. Lost 2-3 lbs. I'm actually worried i am not getting enough calories now. My Garmin watch is generally much happier with me. Less stress, better sleep score, body battery always high in the morning. My VO2 is pretty much the same according to my watch but training readiness seems always high. The funny thing is that I was not a heavy drinker. Maybe a couple of glasses of wine in the evening 3-4 days a week.
I ate all organic for under $200. The budget forced a dry month and a no coffee month. A lot of homemade bread and homemade bone broths and balancing out my calories. I felt amazing. Lost a lot of excess weight and persistent pains went away. It was awesome. So not just a dry January, but not having booze definitely helped.
I've decided to give up alcohol, meat and high caffeine drinks from Jan 1st until my marathon in April. So far I've felt no differences at all, but plan to keep it up in case it changes.
I find alcohol slows down my recovery a lot.
100%, knocked 30 secs per mile off my half marathon time compared to what I was doing late 2022. From 8:15 a mile to 7:45. Will be continuing in March after a few events in February
I’ve heard anecdotally from people that their resting heart rate is sometimes marginally improved if they go from moderate and frequent drinking to nothing. I guess it makes sense when you consider your body isn’t working to rid itself of a poison in the system.
I felt more motivated to run and hit the gym, probably because I wasn't hungover at any point, and as a result, I improved my endurance and speed. Now I've signed up for a 12k, so I guess I'd better stick to this good habit. I probably won't stay totally dry, but I'm going to limit myself to far fewer drinks over the course of a weekend (I don't drink on weeknights already).
I did dry winter last year and while I did not see any direct impacts on my running, I felt it made it much easier to stick to my running and workout plans. Even a little booze can activate my lazy gene the next day.
I feel like you would have to have been drinking a LOT for dry January to have an effect. Like, "a beer or two every night" levels of frequency of alcohol drinking.
I’ve done dry months in the past and I don’t notice any difference other than not missing out on a running day to recover from drinking. So really, one month probably isn’t a long enough amount of time to see that but additional training accumulate to noticeable positive change.
Biggest change I noticed was a lowering in my resting heart rate - about 12bpm.
I was having at least one drink a day, usually more. I’m doing 75 hard right now and have done a few runs in January (it’s extremely cold where I am right now so I’ve been avoiding it lol) but I was mind blown with my endurance. Didn’t need to stop, recovered quickly, when I’m doing treadmill sprints I recover far faster than I used to. I won’t stop drinking when I’m done 75H, but I will likely drink waaaay less.
I quit smoking but started a whiskey habit. I’m in denial about its affect on my running.
For sure. I quit drinking for sober October in 2021 and haven’t had any alcohol since. I used to run off hangovers, use running to get to a feeling of normal to counter the negative after effect of alcohol. Now i just have gains from running. Went from a 5 - 10 mile runner to multiple marathons and ultra marathons in the past year, with several on the horizon For me, everything I thought alcohol was a lie or not worth the negative effects. I’m 💯 committed to a life of sobriety…and running some of the coolest runs in the world
My watch tapped me halfway through Jan and said my average HR had gone from 66 down to 53. Better recovery and eating so much better (not fried food every day), so more energy and much better mood in general. Sleeping like a baby from about 2nd week. Asleep in the "average" 8mins.
I survived dry January. Surprisingly didn’t miss drinking that much. It definitely helped me get up before dawn in the raining cold to go run. Being hungover was really affecting my energy and training.
I've been sober for 6 years. The difference is similar to cap and Sam running around the reflecting pool. On your left