“Sometimes dreams are wiser than waking.” (Black Elk, Oglala Lakota - 1863-1950) - Day 22
- Henry S
- Apr 22, 2024
- 2 min read
Well, I’ve broken the 3-week mark and successfully made it through the weekend without giving in to the growing temptation for a drink.
The weekend workaround of going for a run or to the gym when I start dreaming of that cold beer works a treat but it isn’t the sustainable.
This is what the weekend looked like:
Friday evening: 1 hour gym plus 10 km run.
Saturday lunchtime: 7 km run.
Sunday morning: I swapped out the planned long run for 2 hours in the gym.
Sunday late afternoon: a further 10km when the urge for sundowners kicked in.
This was a total of 27km with 3 hours of strength and conditioning. That’s not too far off my pre-sober curious weekly volume in 3 days!
Not only was that a massive overload but I am also starting Monday totally knackered (and sore). As knackered as if I’d been on a weekend long bender…
A bender and excessive exercise aren’t really comparable, except maybe in terms of chasing the dopamine. The former is not great for you whilst the latter is good for you.
There is a direct correlation (dare I say causation) between my Strava running tracker and this project. Week 1 saw an 11km increase to the usual weekly distance. Weeks 2 Week 3 saw a further 7km increase. Gym attendance has also gone up.
Much of the literature and the blogs on giving up alcohol invite you to consider the role of alcohol in your life/ why you drink. I haven’t really stopped to consider that question in the broad sense eg: social anxiety, peer pressure, acceptance, culture etc.
I just enjoy drinking because it is fun/ pleasurable! And I enjoy it very very much, a lot!
Fun and pleasure are associated with increased levels of dopamine, and so is running and exercise more generally…
Plus, there is the runner’s high and in addition to which, running is a highly mediative endeavor although doubtful that is "has the power to reveal insights and truths that our waking minds may struggle to grasp".
Anyway, back down to reality. It’s Monday morning and work beckons…
North Bondi 22/04/2024
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