Pro ultrarunner Coree Woltering doesn't do anything halfway. "If I'm going to do it, I want to do like 120 percent, no matter what it is," he says. When he brings that attitude to his running and racing, the results speak for themselves-like setting a new fastest known time on the 1,000-plusmile Ice Age Trail across Wisconsin in 2020.
However, Woltering also brought that attitude to the bar. "It wasn't just a 'let's have two beers and be done' thing," says the 32-year-old from Dalton, Georgia. Two beers at his house would lead to four more at the bar. "Six a night would be normal." The results were noteworthy-but in all the wrong ways. His training became inconsistent. After long nights out, he'd sometimes skip sessions. When he did get out to run, he found his focus and mental fortitude lacking.
Woltering doesn't take over-the-counter pain management medications like Tylenol or ibuprofen. Instead, he'd slam a beer or two late in a race, hoping to hush the screaming of his feet and legs.
This approach is not unusual, says David Wyrick, PhD, a public health education professor and the director of the Institute to Promote Athlete Health & Wellness at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Wyrick studies alcohol use among student-athletes. Pain control is one of three primary reasons athletes report using alcohol (along with stress management and as a way to celebrate). Though, when it comes to pain, "there's no evidence that alcohol has medicinal benefits," says Wyrick.
Almost all the benefits Americans attribute to alcohol-that it is good for the heart, helps you sleep, eases pain-are false, says George F. Koob, PhD, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. "The truth is, there's no safe amount of alcohol, not even one drink a day," he says.
This story is from the Issue 01, 2023 edition of Runner's World US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Issue 01, 2023 edition of Runner's World US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
PARENTING THROUGH RUNNING
I GRAB MY headlamp and run down the driveway, heading out for the quiet streets an hour before sunrise.
STOP LISTENING TO MUSIC WHILE YOU RUN! (TRY AUDIOBOOKS INSTEAD)
I'VE RUN MORE than 30 marathons over the past 20 years, but I recently found one hack that has made my last two training cycles the most fun I've ever had logging a ton of miles: audiobooks.
RISE OF THE "ILLEGAL" RUNNING SHOES
Banned shoes emerged courtside long before they found their way onto a marathon course.
THE SECRET TO SPEED IS IN YOUR BLOOD
Some of the world's best runners credit this unorthodox Norwegian training method for their success. Is it right for you?
TEAM BONDING AND AMATEUR FILMMAKING
I WENT TO my first high-school cross-country practice freshman year in jean shorts, mostly walking as I heaved and huffed.
I NEED A DRINK RUN
TO KEEP THE cold at bay one December night in 2022, my friend Justine and I got together for some mulled wine, a hot drink as delicious as it is sentimental to me, reminding me of holiday gatherings and Christmas markets back home in the Czech Republic.
HOW TO START A RUN WHEN YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE IT
I'VE ALWAYS FELT validation when reading a story about writers and their love of procrastination.
THE CASE FOR NOT RUNNING
I HAVE TO let you in on a little secret: I haven't been running much these last few months, and it's the best decision I've made.
THANKS, SPECTATORS!
IN THE EARLY MORNING hours of Marathon Sunday, the nerves hit me even before I donned the shirt I made for the race, with \"ALY\" across my chest in hot-pink glittery letters.
HOW FAR CAN RUNNING LAKEYOU AFTER A DECADE OF ADDICTION!
WHEN MITCH AMMONS FINALLY GOT CLEAN, HE COULD BARELY JOG A HALF MILE. NOW HE'S LINING UP WITH SOME OF THE COUNTRY'S TOP DISTANCE RUNNERS AT THE 2024 OLYMPIC MARATHON TRIALS.