Ralph's Health

In no particular order here are some objectives for the next few months: 1. Get some PBs in my local races, Rainow 5, Bollington 3 Peaks and the Bollington Nostalgia; 2. Run another marathon - perhaps Liverpool, maybe Coniston? 3. Look at dietary changes. I need to reduce my chocolate and suger intake and increase my greens intake 4. Get to the bottom of the issues with my skin 5. Go through the rational recovery book again - Louis Theroux programme worried me

What a long time since I last posted. Lots has been going on, lots of healthy behaviours developed and perhaps now time to take a view on what is happening. Here are a few highlights: Alcohol The Rational Recovery Programme - 'Never drink again' works. I have not had any alcohol of any form since October 2015. That is nearly 7 months. I don't think about it any more (until last night). I am still 100% bought into never drinking again. Last night I watched the Louis Theroux programme about drinking to oblivion: http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-04-24/louis-theroux-drinking-to-oblivion-is-an-astonishing-look-at-alcohol-addiction I had to stop it a few times to take a breath, it was difficult to watch and it reminded me just how fragile being sober is, even after a longer period of abstinence. For me this time I am not ever looking for that 'period of abstinence' to end. It ended last time after 1 year when I thought I could drink again. This time I know...

In the past I have had these feelings after getting hammered the night before and then feeling the ill effects the following day. This time round I'm saying Never again... to attending an AA meeting. There are so many reasons why, after only 3 meetings, I can honestly say this. It does not fit with anything I hold dear. Here are just two things I think are important to behaviour change... Personal Insights into the problem . It feels like insights into behaviour are frowned upon, although nobody has come right out and said this to me. If I understand the AA approach correctly one has to hand control over to a higher power rather than think for oneself. To me, getting insights is so important to making changes. Feedback . So is getting feedback from people that are directly affected by my behaviour. I don't need feedback from other people with the problems, I need feedback from the people whose behaviour I affect. I need the positive feedback for the new behaviours I am ...

This is a good article worth reading a couple of times: https://rational.org/index.php?id=253 I particularly like this bit: 'Any moron can decide to never again commit just one, vile act — the act of self-intoxication — and find within himself the ability to stubbornly stick to that decision no matter what.' This is an interesting summary, I wonder why the language seems offensive to me though. WTF is The Beast and the Addicts Voice? http://rational.org/pdf_files/AVntshl.pdf  I like the idea that 'I get drunk and then get stupid' is backwards and that the stupidity starts well before getting drunk :-) edit: it makes more sense on the second read. This made me LOL when I was reading the introduction to the book called Rational Recovery: 'I wondered if I would finally become so desperate that I would "snap" and accept the religious conversion they proposed and devote my life to the spiritual Fellowship. Alcoholism seemed preferable.' ...

Here are some interesting reads: https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/aa-is-faith-based-not-evidence-based/ https://www.thefix.com/content/your-experience-aa-too-fundamentalist-or-too-lax I feel able to make up my own mind on this and blend some of the good stuff I have read and heard in the AA meetings and book with other stuff I know.

I had a good run onto Shining Tor yesterday with my running mates. Here is a photo: And here is the data for the run:

I went into Manchester on Saturday night. Had a great time and was not tempted (by alcohol) once. It was noticed that even though I was not drinking beer, I was still knocking the drinks back, it was mostly either pints of tonic water or soda water. So this compulsion to drink quickly is possibly being driven by the desire for alcohol, but maybe more a habit formed with cold drinks in my hand regardless. I must see if there is any other evidence of this and what it could lead to. I am not too worried about it given that my choice of drink at the moment is tonic water which is not too laden with sugar, but it is interesting none-the-less. I plan to have two more meetings this week then take stock of where I am with that. I'm continuing to read the book and the stories in it, there is a pattern of messages in there which are helping. Here are the ones I have taken to heart for the time being, which is helping me in other areas too. These are not necessarily all from AA, but...