Fear that poor timing might railroad my success?
Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Bowling Green KY
Posts: 275
i'm wishing you the best amigo.
i quit once for over 100 days and another time for over 60. both times i thought i had it under control enough to socially drink. and i started out socially drinking.
but........some of us are wired to the point that 3 martinis made me feel pretty good.....screw the vermouth....if i just do shots of vodka and maybe chase with some water i'll feel a lot better real fast.
that is where i always ended up. my heart aches for you younger folks that are still very active with friends. at this stage of my life (a young fitty...lol) my only outside events are coaching ball and working on the house.
i did quit at the beginning of football season last year and went through some very tempting tailgating. but i made it through it. and i enjoyed remembering the games. something that never happened in the past. and i saw how foolish some of my drinking buddies were after all day tailgating.
if you have the discipline to be a runner or avid biker then you have the discipline to quit. you don't have to spill your guts about your problem. that's your decision. a simple "i'm really focusing on my training" should suffice. if they push you to drink, just file it under their insecurities. i know me not drinking has caused some folks to examine their own and i had no intentions of it doing that.
you found this place and you didn't google 'having fun with my homies' to get here. i wish you the best and there are folks that will always be here for you. they've been here for me 3 times.
i quit once for over 100 days and another time for over 60. both times i thought i had it under control enough to socially drink. and i started out socially drinking.
but........some of us are wired to the point that 3 martinis made me feel pretty good.....screw the vermouth....if i just do shots of vodka and maybe chase with some water i'll feel a lot better real fast.
that is where i always ended up. my heart aches for you younger folks that are still very active with friends. at this stage of my life (a young fitty...lol) my only outside events are coaching ball and working on the house.
i did quit at the beginning of football season last year and went through some very tempting tailgating. but i made it through it. and i enjoyed remembering the games. something that never happened in the past. and i saw how foolish some of my drinking buddies were after all day tailgating.
if you have the discipline to be a runner or avid biker then you have the discipline to quit. you don't have to spill your guts about your problem. that's your decision. a simple "i'm really focusing on my training" should suffice. if they push you to drink, just file it under their insecurities. i know me not drinking has caused some folks to examine their own and i had no intentions of it doing that.
you found this place and you didn't google 'having fun with my homies' to get here. i wish you the best and there are folks that will always be here for you. they've been here for me 3 times.
Black and Yellow
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Colorado
Posts: 1,359
I have come to realize that there is NEVER a 'right' time to quit. There will always be something, you just gotta decide.
Before I quit, I had several reasons why I should wait..."This one event is coming up" or "I don't want to be having withdrawls during so-and-so's wedding".
There will always be something.
Before I quit, I had several reasons why I should wait..."This one event is coming up" or "I don't want to be having withdrawls during so-and-so's wedding".
There will always be something.
Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Pasadena, CA
Posts: 1,539
back to the drinking issue: out of those 20 to 30 in the group, I am willing to bet it all numerous have problems w alcohol too.
Some facing it, some not.
HATZ OFF to those with the courage to face it.....and the willingness to change!!!
Some facing it, some not.
HATZ OFF to those with the courage to face it.....and the willingness to change!!!
Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Bowling Green KY
Posts: 275
Originally Posted by 1_day@_a_time 
back to the drinking issue: out of those 20 to 30 in the group, I am willing to bet it all numerous have problems w alcohol too.
Some facing it, some not.
HATZ OFF to those with the courage to face it.....and the willingness to change!!!
Some facing it, some not.
HATZ OFF to those with the courage to face it.....and the willingness to change!!!
a guy i coached with that used to call me 'hoff'...you guess why....has asked me numerous times how i quit. i keep telling him about this place...but he hasn't reached his tipping point yet.
i used to be so embarrassed by being passed out in front of my son's friends. i've apologized to them. they usually just shrug and say that all of their friends parents are drunks too. these are folks i never suspected of having problems. i still don't know their business and don't care to know it.
drinking problems are like our crazy uncle....every family has them...we just don't advertise it....lol. (*** i do have a crazy uncle)
Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: New England
Posts: 5,285
Originally Posted by 1_day@_a_time
back to the drinking issue: out of those 20 to 30 in the group, I am willing to bet it all numerous have problems w alcohol too.
Some facing it, some not.
HATZ OFF to those with the courage to face it.....and the willingness to change!!!
Some facing it, some not.
HATZ OFF to those with the courage to face it.....and the willingness to change!!!
A work in progress
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: South Jersey
Posts: 16,633
You're at what we call the "wanting to want to stop" stage. I used to get up every day wishing I didn't want to drink. But guess what, I did. So I drank.
I agree that it's good you are contemplating these things. I also think you've already decided you aren't ready to stop drinking yet. Whether you drink on your trip or not, it might be a useful exercise to try not drinking between now and then. If you find it very, very difficult, that's useful information to know about yourself--how badly you're addicted.
I think if you are serious about not drinking, a camping trip where the booze is flowing is not the place that it's smart to be two weeks into sobriety.
But only you can decide what to do. It all comes down to how bad do you want to be sober.
I agree that it's good you are contemplating these things. I also think you've already decided you aren't ready to stop drinking yet. Whether you drink on your trip or not, it might be a useful exercise to try not drinking between now and then. If you find it very, very difficult, that's useful information to know about yourself--how badly you're addicted.
I think if you are serious about not drinking, a camping trip where the booze is flowing is not the place that it's smart to be two weeks into sobriety.
But only you can decide what to do. It all comes down to how bad do you want to be sober.
Enough is Enough
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: New York
Posts: 6
This past Friday, my son asked me if we could go to the Pocono 500 NASCAR Race on Sunday. I am a big fan and have spent many a Sunday in the last 8 or so years at home watching the races while consuming numerous beers and/or a bottle of rum.
The first thought that went through my mind when my son asked me was "Yeah, it's party time". For those of you who have never been to a race, the parking lot turns into the biggest tailgate party I have ever seen and you can bring a cooler with beer to your seat to enjoy while you watch the 4+ hour race.
The second thought that went through my head was "I'm not drinking anymore".
With only 10 days without a drink I knew I should avoid situations in which I would be tempted to drink but with my son leaving for the military in a few months I felt it was something we should do together before he leaves so I said "yes" and ordered the tickets.
At first I thought that if I just have a few beers at the race it wouldn't be that bad and I would stop drinking again on Monday. Then I said to myself, "why can't I go to the race and not drink?". This thought process went on all day Saturday.
By Saturday night, the decision had been made and off to Wal-Mart I went. I bought a lot of snacks, sandwiches, water, diet pepsi, and O'Douls (non-alcoholic beer).
On Sunday with the cooler packed, we arrived at the race track at 8:00 a.m. to find the party in full swing. BBQ's going, beer flowing and bottles being passed around. (I love rednecks. LOL.) My son and I had breakfast, walked around, bought souvenirs, and sat in the car and talked. It was cool. On the way in to watch the race, we passed a beer stand where they were selling 16oz cans for $6.50. The thought popped into my head, just one. Then I said to myself, "who are you kidding just one? It would cost you $52.00 to get where you want to be" so I passed.
We sat and watched the race for the 4+ hours and I drove home feeling really good about myself and without fear of getting pulled over by the police.
So trailrunbyday, the moral to this story is.................... I forgot.
But I now have 13 days without a drink and didn't have to start over again.
The first thought that went through my mind when my son asked me was "Yeah, it's party time". For those of you who have never been to a race, the parking lot turns into the biggest tailgate party I have ever seen and you can bring a cooler with beer to your seat to enjoy while you watch the 4+ hour race.
The second thought that went through my head was "I'm not drinking anymore".
With only 10 days without a drink I knew I should avoid situations in which I would be tempted to drink but with my son leaving for the military in a few months I felt it was something we should do together before he leaves so I said "yes" and ordered the tickets.
At first I thought that if I just have a few beers at the race it wouldn't be that bad and I would stop drinking again on Monday. Then I said to myself, "why can't I go to the race and not drink?". This thought process went on all day Saturday.
By Saturday night, the decision had been made and off to Wal-Mart I went. I bought a lot of snacks, sandwiches, water, diet pepsi, and O'Douls (non-alcoholic beer).
On Sunday with the cooler packed, we arrived at the race track at 8:00 a.m. to find the party in full swing. BBQ's going, beer flowing and bottles being passed around. (I love rednecks. LOL.) My son and I had breakfast, walked around, bought souvenirs, and sat in the car and talked. It was cool. On the way in to watch the race, we passed a beer stand where they were selling 16oz cans for $6.50. The thought popped into my head, just one. Then I said to myself, "who are you kidding just one? It would cost you $52.00 to get where you want to be" so I passed.
We sat and watched the race for the 4+ hours and I drove home feeling really good about myself and without fear of getting pulled over by the police.
So trailrunbyday, the moral to this story is.................... I forgot.
But I now have 13 days without a drink and didn't have to start over again.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Bowling Green KY
Posts: 275
what's great is you'll remember that last time of you and your son going somewhere for awhile and it not being a blur.
i went to a concert with my 17 year old and the temptations were there and for a sec i wanted it. but it passed and i drove home sober instead of passed out in the passenger seat. kudos to you.
i went to a concert with my 17 year old and the temptations were there and for a sec i wanted it. but it passed and i drove home sober instead of passed out in the passenger seat. kudos to you.
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