If you happen to be around London later this week, you could pick up a pair of free Asics running shoes from Islington pub The Lexington. Head to the bar between 4pm and 6pm on Thursday January 25 or Friday January 25 and ask for a pint of 'Asics Dry Run' to receive your free shoes.
Naturally supplies are limited (you can only fit so many pairs behind a bar) and the offer is first come first served, so you might need to sneak out of work early to avoid missing out.
The promotion is a tie-in with Dry January, an annual campaign that encourages you to try giving up alcohol for a month to see the benefits on your sleep, overall wellbeing, and bank balance.
It can also help you see that you don't need to drink in order to socialize and feel good – a lesson that you can carry with you throughout the whole year.
Alcohol and running
If you're trying to optimize your running performance, abstaining from alcohol is one of the many lifestyle chances you can make.
In 2022, we spoke to registered dietician Susan Kitchen about the effects of alcohol on running. Kitchen, who is the owner of Race Smart, and an endurance athlete and Ironman coach, explained that one of the biggest problems with alcohol is its dehydrating effect, which results in lower blood plasma volume.
“That’s where your sweat comes from, fluid from plasma is what releases heat via sweat and also helps to efficiently carry oxygen and nutrients to your muscles to fuel them<" Kitchen said. "If you go into that workout or key race and you’re behind in your fluids, you’re never going to be able to reach your optimal performance based on your current fitness level."
Alcohol can also reduce your sleep quality, meaning you won't recover as well after your training sessions.
"Taking those two reasons and separating them, they’re equally bad for performance in running, but taken together they’re really a recipe for disaster," Kitchen said.
- The best trail running shoes: tested and rated for comfort, stability, and protection
