27 days and not a drop to drink

In 24 days I run my first half marathon.  After a good 7 mile run last Saturday and a consistent 3 times a week running schedule (mid distance tempo run, sprint session, and long duration run) with 2 weight training and 1 Pilates sessions a week I feel good about my chances of finishing the 13.1 miles.  I am loosing fat and gaining lean muscle and overall feeling much stronger and fitter.  But, I have a vice that I find hard to ignore in times of stress, happiness, sadness, celebration, defeat...hell in anything really that I can use as an excuse.  Some of you may be thinking cigarettes - no, don't touch the stuff and get sick from smelling it.  Others of you may be thinking sex - again no, like doing it but to be honest I can't be bothered sometimes cause I just want to sleep and not put to much effort into it (sorry Mike!).  

My vice, my sweet vice is in the form of strong Belgian beers, good smooth wines, and the occasional Scottish mid-price whiskey on the rocks with a dash of coke.  Ahhh. liquor how I do love to conversate with you from time to time.  Now, I don't actually drink that much anymore - after two I get a bit tipsy and by my third I just want some Chinese and the bed.  But, I do like a drink now and then and once that Belgian beer, in all its hoppiness and bite, hits my lips and makes it way down my throat to the pit of my stomach, I am in heaven (well, I am at least happy and wishing I was in heaven).  But, lets be real - the older I get the more liquor affects my performance (mentally and physically), and the more in shape I am the harder liquor hits me.  One or two innocent drinks on a Friday night leave me in hung over, stomach aching, headache land the next morning.  Trust me smelling last nights drinks during an early morning run sweating out through your pores is not a pretty thing at all - especially when the mileage keeps going up and all you want to do is lay down in the middle of the road and hope someone comes by and just runs over you to make the pain go away (ok, maybe I exaggerate a little, but it still sucks).

So, my lips shall not touch a drink until the half marathon is complete.  Honestly, this may be a bigger challenge than the half marathon itself!  Yesterday walking past a pub after seeing a few houses all I wanted was a pint.  Just...one...pint - but I said no and walked on pass and had sushi and green tea instead. 

Some of you may be saying - why put yourself through this?  Just have a damn pint!  But, I want to test myself and see if remaining dry for 27 days helps my performance.  Commonsense says it should, but remember Papa Truesdell always said not all sense is common.  I guess this is a little experiment of sorts.  How good can/will be body feel after not touching booze for an extended period of time?  They say it takes 21 days to make or break a habit so after 27 I should be in the "habit" of not drinking...or it will just make that first sip of beer so much sweeter.