Im working on 18 + months... SR is my only tool, along with a helpful and understanding wife.
As a fellow runner, lets put it into context. When you set out to train for a 10K, do you just run 10K every day? Nope, you gotta practice twice the distance 20K. You have to do other exercises, other forms of muscle strengths, cardio, and mental toughness. When the acid build up in your muscles start burning half way through the race, do you just stop or do you motor through it?
This is best way to describe sobriety. Its a mega ironman, only you wouldnt just show up on race day. You need to train for it, and boy is it hard... yet rewarding.
For every 1 minute of alcohol craving you need to fight back for 2 min of holding off.. and so on so forth. You need to arm yoyrself and train for the big race.
Im 18 months through of training, and I still need probably another year to get my time trials competitive. Im not ready to enter the race, not yet... i still need more training but things are getting easier.
When im ready fir the big race, is when im ready to go to any setting and feel confident not only that i wont drink, but that i will once again be super happy in any setting.. alcohol free.