At The Blue Dolphin Store, we collaborate with athletes who want to promote a life without alcohol. Introducing Daniel Almonacid, known as Dani Rana, trail runner. Trail Running is the practice of running on foot in the middle of nature. Dani is an amateur runner, he fully dedicates his body and soul to trail running, without being a professional. He tells us about his experience giving up alcohol.
Interview about the experience of giving up alcohol
What motivated you to stop drinking alcohol?
“When I reached a certain age, I needed to take care of myself to be in shape and give 100% in competitions and my personal life. “This involved giving up alcohol and following a healthier diet.”
Dani stopped drinking in April 2023. Until then he drank like most people in Spain, but he reached a point where he realized that alcohol was not good for him.
What positive consequences have you noticed when you stop drinking alcohol?
Dani changed his habits when he stopped drinking alcohol. For example, in the world of sports, it is very common to go to the bar after training and have a few beers.
“The problem, and I think it happens to most people, is not that you have a beer. In my case, after a one-hour running workout, I drank 4 beers. So, what was the training for? It has negative effects on the body, apart from the problem that you may face, since, with 4 beers, if the police stop you driving you will surely fail the alcohol test.”
“These are the benefits of stopping drinking alcohol that I have noticed:
- Recovery after sports is faster and better
- I get better results in competitions
- I feel more active, with more energy to train and to be with my family daily. Before, alcohol made me sleepy, and I felt more tired.”
What challenges have you faced in your journey to quit drinking and how have you overcome them?
“The challenge is to face society, where alcohol is completely normalized. As far as it affects me, in sport, when you finish the races, you receive a sandwich and as a drink, you have water, Coca-Cola or beer. On some occasions, I asked if they have a non-alcoholic beer and come on, it seems like you are telling them a joke. In very few races you find alcohol-free beer, which would be logical because of the health issue.”
Her partner has been a good teacher since she was the first to stop drinking alcohol completely when learning she was pregnant in 2018.
“It is a complicated decision to make, since alcohol is something deeply rooted in society and when you stop drinking, they make you feel like a weirdo. In bars, for example, they insisted that “nothing would happen” if you had a Radler or a shot. With Ari, his wife, they realized how normalized alcohol is, that even if you say you don’t want it, people around you insist. “What do they know about the real reason you don’t drink? Maybe you have a drinking problem, and this way they are not helping you.”
To quit alcohol, Dani says, “you have to be convinced that you really want to quit and change your habits.”
What advice would you give to someone considering quitting alcohol?
“Ask yourself why you drink, whether it’s wine, beer, gin, etc. Because you like the flavour? Because of what people will say if you don’t drink? Do you need alcohol to have a good time?”
Next, Dani says that it is important to ask yourself what positive aspects it brings you. For him, the laughter and fun, the “good” it can bring you, are not worth it at the end of the day. As we always say at The Blue Dolphin Store, you don’t need alcohol to have a good time.
“Nowadays we are lucky to have countless non-alcoholic drinks and I am not saying to eradicate it either, but when you have a drink, it should be for special reason/occasion and not something regular in your diet.”
Lastly, he advises stopping drinking alcohol completely for a while, even if it’s a month. It is a way to know to what extent you need it and if you have an addiction problem.
“I thought I would be incapable, but I have gone 5 months without trying any alcohol, not even non-alcoholic alcohol drinks (dealcoholized). Then I started with non-alcoholic beers since I like the taste of beer. Now from time to time on the weekend, I drink a non-alcoholic IPA beer, they are my favorite type. They may contain some alcohol (less than 1%). Sometimes I go to dinner with my partner and have a glass of white wine. On some occasions when finishing a race, since there is usually no non-alcoholic beer, I order a normal beer and end up throwing it away. Now it no longer like the taste or feels good to me.”
Thank you, Dani, for telling us about your experience of stopping drinking alcohol from the point of view of an athlete. We want to help so that there are more alcohol-free options in the world of sports and after competitions. If you want to know more, we have an article on the benefits of stopping drinking alcohol.
