Drinking for Sport or Sporting Drinkers? (+389 TN 92,00,06)

[tim1210]

It became apparent on the 'what have you been buying in february' post that many among us are sports people!

I have to admit that my recent lack of postings and activity on the forum has been largely due to an Ironman training campaign. 12 months ago I was getting a wee bit concerned about being a rather *cough* hedonistic (read fat & lazy) type, and decided to get fit. HOWEVER... didn't quite manage to go half way in terms of sport/red wine balance and have gone from 'drinking for sport' to not drinking much at all

so my questions for the forum are:
1. what are your sports? (and is anyone doing ironman oz and want to catch up for a nice bottle afterwards!?!)
2. what are your philosophies regarding the training/drinking balance? can you do it?

personally, i am now a rather average long course triathlete... and can NOT for the life of me get up and train the morning after drinking so have been abstaining... a little devastating.

[griff]

Happy to answer this as it is an interesting post but perhaps better suited to the Lounge? Gavin?

cheers

Carl

[Gavin Trott]

Happy to answer this as it is an interesting post but perhaps better suited to the Lounge? Gavin?

cheers

Carl

Chat away

Seems interesting!

.

[odyssey]

G'day there, paddler here (dragon boat for 12 years, outrigger canoe, surf ski) - unfortunately been out of action nearly 2 years due to lower back injuries and surgery and the pot belly is starting to show for it! Due to the injuries, my single-bladed paddling days are over, but hoping to get back onto the surf ski in the next 9-12 months!

As for alcohol, it certainly effects your training as you have said - but of course depends how far you want to go in the sport, as well as your regularity of consumption and metabolism. As amateurs in a drink-loving sport, we only really completely abstained from alcohol for a few weeks before major races, however we were only an above-average team.

As you would expect, the top teams tend to get serious for an extended period (4-6 months or so) before international races and then party hard afterwards. It's pretty rare to find Australian sportspeople who don't hit the bottle hard after an extended period of strict regime!

[sparky]

Oh, I can't resist this one...

Ride 150-200k a week, run 15-20 and squeeze in a little yoga & swimming around the edges. Gave up triathlon years ago when I kept getting anaemic headspins.

As I'm trying to drink less but better, it doesn't work out too badly. The days I'm up at 5am on the bike I tend to go easy the night before, but anything outside of that is like sleeping in, so a couple of glasses the night before is fine. I suspect moderation is the key, and personally I don't plan for a big training session if I know it's going to be a big one the night before. Having said that, a good ride often seems to make me feel better if I have

My BMI is pretty low, so generally I try to drink within my capacity to absorb it (not much) and if I have one word of caution, it's NEVER EVER EVER do Bikram yoga on a hangover. Not even a little one.

[Tom A]

Nice one. I enjoy going for a regular run, especially if I can sneak one in before going out to a big dinner. Always makes the food and wine more enjoyable if I think I’m replacing what I’ve just lost, instead of just adding to it.
I like team sports as well. Pre-season is in full swing for another year of footy (AFL). I’m not old enough for masters but seem to have been in the “older” crowd at the club for a few years now. This will probably be my last year of footy. I’m slower and my bones seem to break easier which slows me down off the field as well. We try and have a rule before big games, make sure you’re peeing clear before going to bed.

It is a nice mix to drink your Grosset and Moss Wood one night and then the following day be subjected to Emu Export, Stones ginger wine, goon and flagon port. In fact the first game of the season two years ago was the day after an offline. As expected, it was not one of my better games.

Cheers
TA

[griff]

In that case I was keen on racquet sports when I was younger; tennis and squash. I cycle now but only about 80km a week. Not sure how to reconcile the drinking with the sport though!

cheers

Carl

[Roscoe]

I'm a runner and have been doing it now for around 30 years. As I seem to get more niggling running injuries as I get older, I've taken to adding in some swimming over the last 3 years. Run about 24kms a week and swim about 3kms. I also walk about 16kms/week.
I try not to take it too seriously because when I do, that's when the injuries seem to come.
I think regular exercise helps to limit your drinking because running or any vigorous exercise with a hangover is not much fun. I think if you are really serious about your sport (which I am not), abstinence (preferably) or a max of two drinks/day is the way to go with a max of 4-6 on rare occasions.
Any more than this on a regular basis is likely to have a subtle detrimental effect on your performance IMHO.

[Craig(NZ)]

I have too had to cut back on drinking for sport. I did have a few years where I was way too lazy and the fitness hit dire levels. I did do the gym for a couple of years very regularly but always avoided the boring cardio machines. To cut the boredom I looked to the great NZ outdoors for inspiration and photo opportunities

So I started seriously hiking and climbing about two years ago and have since climbed 7 of the north island's 8 highest peaks as well as numerous other pretty full on day hikes (well enough to be labelled crazy on many occassions). Also I completed the oxfam 100km trail walk last year in 23:00 hours exactly, which wasn't bad for a half preared amateur! (44th out of 280 teams) This weekend I am climbing the number 7 NI peak (Makarako) to complete the top 8 which is a *massive* hike. It is the most remote of the top 8. Weighs in at 55km return with 5000 vertical metres total ascent involved. We are planning to knock this 4 day hike off in 2 days (3/4 of it in day 1).

To get aerobically fit for these hikes I have taken up running too, and I am now running as fast as I did 20 years ago as a 20 year old. I am currently running a 12 minute 3km, 21 minute 5km, 46 minute 10km and 1:42 Half Marathon after about 6 months training. I now have to think about further running goals as I have already exceeded my expectation!! I run between 25km and 65km a week and an average hike for me is 25km in a day approx 7 hours work.

Still enjoy the vino though it takes less for me to feel its effects now!!

[tim1210]

lol. thanks for your answers guys. i'm sure moderation is the key... but that is not a forte of mine! will just keep plowing through the training

p.s. we had an amazing dinner with 3 vintages of bin 389 the other day:

1992: amazingly fresh wine with a beautifully complex, yet still fruity nose and... well it tasted bloody amazing. the tannins were subtle and complemented the tastes that just kept on evolving over the few hour drinking period. one of the best wines i've had in ages and clear WOTN. 8/9 votes.

2000: this had much less fruit on the nose and palate than the 1992 and was described by all as a little flat. was less interesting than the 92 but still a lovely wine to drink. 1/9 votes.

2006: not reeeeeally enjoyable at the moment. it was a bit like getting smacked in the face... especially after the 92 & 2000, but the bottle was still completely empty by night's end. 0/9 votes.

these were all tasted prior to commencing dinner of hearty italian meatballs on fresh home made pasta. what a great night! oh... and 3 of us still managed to get up for a ride the next morning

[Bick]

2006: ... it was a bit like getting smacked in the face...

Not great then?

[Bick]

So I started seriously hiking and climbing about two years ago and have since climbed 7 of the north island's 8 highest peaks

Hey Craig, I climbed Mt Pirongia (sp?) shortly after I immigated here in 2005 - I thought this was a great walk. Is that one of the 8, and how did you like it, presuming you've knocked the bastard off?

[Roscoe]

lol. thanks for your answers guys. i'm sure moderation is the key... but that is not a forte of mine! will just keep plowing through the training

p.s. we had an amazing dinner with 3 vintages of bin 389 the other day:

1992: amazingly fresh wine with a beautifully complex, yet still fruity nose and... well it tasted bloody amazing. the tannins were subtle and complemented the tastes that just kept on evolving over the few hour drinking period. one of the best wines i've had in ages and clear WOTN. 8/9 votes.

Always been a fan of this wine. Glad others enjoy it as well.

[Craig(NZ)]

Hey Craig, I climbed Mt Pirongia (sp?) shortly after I immigated here in 2005 - I thought this was a great walk. Is that one of the 8, and how did you like it, presuming you've knocked the bastard off?

Yep done it a couple of times. Mt Pirongia is Waikato's tallest peak at 959m asl but not one of the top 8. They are Ruapehu 2797m, Taranaki 2518,m Ngarurahoe 2287m, Tongariro 1967m, Hikurangi 1752m, Mangaweka 1733m, Makorako 1727m, Kaweka J 1722m

[rens]

I did exercise daily. Gym for weights and a bit of a run. However I had kids and the time in the day just goes. I am now of the belief that I only run when being chased. Unless it is an underwear model doing the chasing, for which a brisk walk would suffice.
I have those genes that make most people Jealous: I can eat lots and do not put any weight on.
So Booze and sport, only when I’m watching sport do the combine.

[tim1210]

Hey Bick,

Our impressions were that the 2006 was a perfectly sound wine but that it was not really approachable just yet. I didn't mean to suggest that the wine might be unbalanced re tannins at all... just that it is perhaps a bit early for its best enjoyment. I don't think we did ourselves any favours by tasting the from oldest to youngest either... an observation for our next mini vertical-ish tasting night!

Tim