Thirst for Life - 40 jours sans l'alcool
http://www.thirstforlife.org/
First of all I have absolutely no idea what caused me to break into French just now.
Yes, believe it or not I have signed up for the above and I urge as many people as possible to do the same.
Having said that, there is bugger-all chance of me going 40 days completely drink free. In the period concerned (1st March to 9thApril), I have 4 races and a trip to Jamie Oliver's restaurant, Fifteen. So I will add 5 dry nights to the end to make up for it.
Ok, you ask, but what have my races got to do with it?
It has become de rigueur now that I partake of beer and wine after a race. It’s all part of the event - going to Sainsburys the week before, choosing some tasty beers for after the race, putting them in the fridge before I set off and, when it gets tough during the race, thinking how much I will enjoy it later.
My Sunday afternoon after a race usually consists of lying in a radox bath with a few bottles of Beck's before relaxing in front of the TV with the Sunday Times and more beer. I enjoy it all the more because I know I've earned it.
It is a symbiotic relationship - sport and alcohol, do go together like cheese and biscuits after a big dinner. Almost all the runners I know enjoy their booze. Even Anthony, an elite athlete, makes no secret of his predilection for a nice bottle of red wine or a night out on the beer. He drinks infrequently though, and being the consummate professional he is, he never drinks when he is running the next day, even if it is just a jog round the park with me.
The wallpaper on my monitor is a picture of the England cricket team celebrating the Ashes win. Andrew Strauss is pouring a bottle of budweiser over Michael Vaughan as he raises the urn. The team got completely slaughtered that night, and the next day as they enjoyed their open top bus tour through London and a visit to No 10. And we all know what state Andrew Flintoff was in by the time the team arrived at our prime minister's abode. But then, if ever a man deserved to party all night, it was the big man.
There is a dark side to all this however. Binge drinking causes many social problems, from minor arguments over trivial matters to brawls and accidents, which keep our A&E departments busy on Saturday nights.
Many people forget that alcohol is a depressant. It may make you feel good at the time, but I soon notice after a heavy weekend of drinking I feel nervous and anxious for no apparent reason. After a few days on the wagon, I am much happier and more positive again.
And there is also the spectre of alcoholism. I don't know much about the man, but George Best is a great example of a sportsman who liked a tipple but went down a slippery slope, which is all too easy to go down.
I have read a lot about some established writers and it appears many suffer from alcohol and drug-related problems. Stephen King, for example, cannot remember writing Cujo - he was off his face the whole time. He talks candidly about this in his excellent autobiography On Writing (a must-read for any aspiring novelist).
As an aspiring writer myself, I worry about this. I am concerned I have the makings of an alcoholic, and if I ever write full time (my goal) I could easily become one. The thought terrifies me. Which is why my running will become increasingly important the more I write, to keep me on the straight and narrow. I also like to think I have enough friends around me to look after me if ever there’s a problem.
So having a few well-earned beers after a race is fine, but it's time for a de-tox. My liver will thank me for it, and my credit card bill will be a lot lighter at the end of it. And with any luck, so will I.
Copyright © Jonathan Weedon, February 2006
First of all I have absolutely no idea what caused me to break into French just now.
Yes, believe it or not I have signed up for the above and I urge as many people as possible to do the same.
Having said that, there is bugger-all chance of me going 40 days completely drink free. In the period concerned (1st March to 9thApril), I have 4 races and a trip to Jamie Oliver's restaurant, Fifteen. So I will add 5 dry nights to the end to make up for it.
Ok, you ask, but what have my races got to do with it?
It has become de rigueur now that I partake of beer and wine after a race. It’s all part of the event - going to Sainsburys the week before, choosing some tasty beers for after the race, putting them in the fridge before I set off and, when it gets tough during the race, thinking how much I will enjoy it later.
My Sunday afternoon after a race usually consists of lying in a radox bath with a few bottles of Beck's before relaxing in front of the TV with the Sunday Times and more beer. I enjoy it all the more because I know I've earned it.
It is a symbiotic relationship - sport and alcohol, do go together like cheese and biscuits after a big dinner. Almost all the runners I know enjoy their booze. Even Anthony, an elite athlete, makes no secret of his predilection for a nice bottle of red wine or a night out on the beer. He drinks infrequently though, and being the consummate professional he is, he never drinks when he is running the next day, even if it is just a jog round the park with me.
The wallpaper on my monitor is a picture of the England cricket team celebrating the Ashes win. Andrew Strauss is pouring a bottle of budweiser over Michael Vaughan as he raises the urn. The team got completely slaughtered that night, and the next day as they enjoyed their open top bus tour through London and a visit to No 10. And we all know what state Andrew Flintoff was in by the time the team arrived at our prime minister's abode. But then, if ever a man deserved to party all night, it was the big man.
There is a dark side to all this however. Binge drinking causes many social problems, from minor arguments over trivial matters to brawls and accidents, which keep our A&E departments busy on Saturday nights.
Many people forget that alcohol is a depressant. It may make you feel good at the time, but I soon notice after a heavy weekend of drinking I feel nervous and anxious for no apparent reason. After a few days on the wagon, I am much happier and more positive again.
And there is also the spectre of alcoholism. I don't know much about the man, but George Best is a great example of a sportsman who liked a tipple but went down a slippery slope, which is all too easy to go down.
I have read a lot about some established writers and it appears many suffer from alcohol and drug-related problems. Stephen King, for example, cannot remember writing Cujo - he was off his face the whole time. He talks candidly about this in his excellent autobiography On Writing (a must-read for any aspiring novelist).
As an aspiring writer myself, I worry about this. I am concerned I have the makings of an alcoholic, and if I ever write full time (my goal) I could easily become one. The thought terrifies me. Which is why my running will become increasingly important the more I write, to keep me on the straight and narrow. I also like to think I have enough friends around me to look after me if ever there’s a problem.
So having a few well-earned beers after a race is fine, but it's time for a de-tox. My liver will thank me for it, and my credit card bill will be a lot lighter at the end of it. And with any luck, so will I.
Copyright © Jonathan Weedon, February 2006
posted by Jon | 6:18 pm
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