Too busy to train?

I've had a manic couple of weeks so I've done very little training (which is not a good thing!).
2 weekends in a row were taken up with hen nights. Most girls reading this blog will have been on a hen night (or more often weekend these days) or two and they nearly always involve lots of drinking...so this got me to thinking, what does alchohol do to your running performance?

Running immediately after a drink or two: have you ever done that? I have tried once or twice in my younger days and discovered I got very out of breath very quickly. I don't know if this is a medical fact or not, just my own observation but looking on the internet it seems like everyone is in agreement, beer immediately before running is not generally considered to be a sensible thing to do.

Running the morning after a heavy night: now we've probably all done this however we all know this is bad. But why? Alcohol is a diuretic, which means drinking too much the night tends to leave you dehydrated. The effects of poor hydration are lack of coordination, decreased blood volume so less blood returns to your heart, your heart pumps less with each heartbeat, you muscles get blood which isn't as rich in oxygen, your muscles have less oxygen to produce energy and you then run slower. Now if you have had a really heavy night you'll probably be feeling very rough before you even start!

According to this running times article, in a study investigating the effects of alcohol consumption on running performance, five sprinters and five middle distance runners raced over 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1500 meters while sober and while intoxicated. Running performances were negatively affected at all distances except for the 100 meters. Sounds like a fun study to observe!

Beer during a run/race: During The Grizzly a couple years ago, nearer the end the course took us through a brewery where beer was on offer. I really fancied it so downed a cup full and that combined with the jelly baby I had just eaten had an amazing effect on me and I overtook loads of people in the next few miles. Why was that? I don't really know but after some research I have concluded a couple of sips during a run are probably ok but a large amount of beer while running is probably a bad thing due to the reasons already stated!

How about this for a run though? The Beer Mile is a drinking game that combines beer-drinking with elements of track and field. Participants complete a mile, consuming four beers at the same time. There are even rules to this, participants must consume one full beer, then run one quarter mile. This process is repeated three times, resulting in running one full mile, and consuming four beers. Hmm, not sure NHRR should adopt this type of event, or should we?

Post run/race beer: now, again, beer is bad post-run despite the carbs it contains. However, personally I reckon if you have run then you should enjoy yourself...bearing in mind that that beer will slow down your recovery...

I think this RW article sums it all up, moderation!