Balance is key. It is important to balance all areas of your life in a way that feels good to you (the internet 2024)

I started this blog with the noble goal of tracking two things: staying off the booze and training for the City2Surf.

Now, the blogging itself may have lost a bit of steam along the way, but I’m thrilled to report that I stayed on course—both literally and figuratively.

I was both successful with not drinking and running the C2S 1 minute faster than last year. In fact, I totally crushed my target, finishing in 69 minutes and 21 seconds. Not to brag, but that put me in the top 10% of my age group (okay, the bottom of the top 10% and also one of the youngest in the group, but I’ll take it!).

Now that I'm a few months out from this project, here are my top five takeaways:

1. Not Drinking Was Surprisingly Easy—and I Liked It

Honestly, the biggest surprise was how effortless it felt to give up drinking and how much I actually enjoyed it. After all, who knew life could be this clear and hangover-free? (Well, probably a lot of people. But now I know it too.)

Having said that, I am now enjoying a couple of beers/ wine again, but occasionally- maybe parsimonious drinking?

2. Alcohol Is a Performance Killer. Shocking, Right?

It’s no secret that alcohol impacts performance, but seeing the difference first hand was something else. My recovery times improved, I had more energy, and I wasn’t dragging myself out of bed to run. It’s a double whammy: booze slows you down and messes with your recovery. Hardly a revelation, but I needed to experience it to believe it.

PS- I also smashed my 10km PB by 3 mins a few weeks later at the Sydney 10K TCS Marathon event…Again- top 10% for my age group.

3. Relationships Are Better When You’re Sober(ish)

Reflecting on it, it’s pretty obvious that being well-rested and free of hangovers makes you a more pleasant human to be around. I was more present, less irritable, and, dare I say, possibly a little more likable when I wasn’t being a sanctimonious twat.

Being that person who’s not suffering their Saturday day drinking is, it turns out, kind of nicer to everyone.

4. I Lost Weight Without Really Trying

Cutting out booze means cutting out a decent chunk of calories. That, combined with making better food choices and generally eating less, led to more than expected weight loss.

The only downside? Less socializing. Fewer long, boozy lunches and dinners. I missed that part, but hey, maybe there’s a middle ground out there somewhere- although I suspect I will find Narnia first.

5. It Is Possible to Find Decent Alcohol-Free Beers and Cocktails

I covered this in an earlier post, but it bears repeating: small-batch breweries like Heaps Normal, Capital Brewing, and a few others are turning out some seriously good alcohol-free beers.

These are no sad, watery substitutes—they’ve earned a permanent spot in my fridge! And for the cocktail fans, there are some solid alcohol-free mixers on the market too, great for swapping into your favourite spritz. Who knew?

I’m back to enjoying the occasional beer or glass (or two) of wine. But I plan to repeat the “dry run” project soon—probably in the lead-up to the Sydney Hoka Half Marathon in May 2025.

In the meantime, I’m gearing up to run the Queenstown half tomorrow with my wife. This training block hasn’t exactly been booze-free - but that’s alright - I’m not chasing a time other than having a good time.

Plus, I’m especially looking forward to a celebratory post-race lunch with some of the best NZ pinot at Amisfield Winery.

Raising a glass to balance!