Vinny and Matt going for a PR on the beer bong. Matt drinking Bud Lime because they were fresh out of ZIMA and Strawberry Hill.
Remember back in college when you would go out on an all night bender of shitty beer, long island iced tea, sugary shots and Jägermeister? Yeah, I don’t quite remember it either. Luckily (or unluckily depending on which side of the story you’re on) some of you had a super time last weekend and experienced a bit of that good ol’ college hangover of yesteryear.
Usually when you have a hangover, you know it. You usually wake up, albeit not always in your bed or even in your house, disoriented with that “What the hell happened last night?” kind of feeling. Then you quickly check to make sure you have your cell phone and wallet/purse. Scroll through that phone to see the list of drunk texts you sent to the people you not-so-secretly have a crush on. Then after recounting what an idiot you are, you realize that you either A) slept all night fully clothed, even with your shoes still on or B) slept totally naked and have no idea where your clothes are. Your dry mouth would indicated that you obviously were lost in the desert for the past week, but the taste leads you to believe that a stray kitty used it as a litter box. The pounding headache starts to set in as you sit up out of bed. You never get that drunk right? Somebody must have drugged you. Well that somebody is you. Congratulations, you just gave yourself a hangover.
Saturday fun-day somehow turned into Sunday fun-day which finally lead to Monday dumb-day.
Why do we get hangovers?
- The ethanol contained in alcoholic beverages has a dehydrating effect which causes headaches, dry mouth and tiredness. This effect can be lessened by drinking plenty of water before and throughout your night of drinking.
- Your liver breaks ethanol down with the aid of enzymes produced by liver cells. These chemical reactions do many things including impairing the liver’s ability to supply glucose to tissues, in particular to the brain. Glucose is responsible for the brain’s energy and the lack thereof results in fatigue, weakness, moodiness and decreased attention.
- Congeners are the by-products of the process of alcohol fermentation and exaggerate the symptoms of a hangover. The more congeners consumed, the worse a hangover is likely to be. Dark spirits such as brandy, whiskey and red wine contain more congeners than lighter spirits like vodka and white wine. Likewise cheaper spirits have had fewer of these impurities removed and are more likely to cause a hangover.
- Some people believe the sugar in sweeter cocktails contribute to the severity of hangovers.
- Smokers and even some non-smokers tend to smoke more when they are drinking and this can lead to nicotine poisoning which will also worsen hangovers.
- Some people are genetically lucky when it comes to hangovers and rarely, if ever, suffer the effects.
- Weight is a factor. The less one weighs the more that person will feel the effects and after effects of alcohol.
- The older you are the more likely you are to have a severe hangover. This is usually not a factor because we tend to take it a little easier as we learn from the mistakes of the past. But you have been warned.
- There is something to be said about psychosomatic effects. If you think you will get a hangover, you probably will get one. Look on the bright side and save yourself.
- Finally, the more you drink or the more you guzzle in a short time span, the worse your hangover will be.
How do I avoid a hangover?
- Eat. Fill your stomach with a healthy meal of essential vitamins and minerals. Note that I said healthy. The food will absorb the alcohol and lessen its affects on you. If you decide a greasy bar burger or drippy pizza is your idea of a good meal you may regret that idea when the grease mixes the wrong way with liquor and carbonation and you end up staring at the toilet bowl.
- Hydrate. Drink lots of water now. Think of it this way, for every glass of non-alcoholic beverage you drink now you will save yourself from having to drink two glasses in the morning.
- Prepare your favorite hangover remedy and place it in an easy to open container in the fridge. If you do over indulge the last thing you will want to do in the morning is gather ingredients, mix things and worse yet, run the blender.
- A clinical study from 2004 suggests that drinking prickly pear fruit extract several hours prior to drinking will reduce the symptoms of a hangover.
- Finally, DON’T BINGE DRINK YOU IDIOT. HAVE SOME SELF CONTROL!
Flipcup: Warm beer, finger flicking and lots of yelling. Brilliant.
While you drink:
- Grab a bite to eat at the bar. This is where greasy fries would be okay to eat because it is a snack that will keep your stomach full and add extra material to absorb the alcohol. Bar peanuts, popcorn, any type of food will do the job. I know, sounds crazy because it’s not Paleo right? Well, newsflash that drink you have in your hand isn’t Paleo either. You’ve already decided to cheat so might as well enjoy it.
- Choose the booze carefully. Again, dark spirits contain more congeners, light spirits fewer, cheap liquor more. More congeners equal more headaches. Stick with quality light color drinks most of the night to reduce your hangover.
- Memorize this rhyme and abide by it, it will save you a lot of pain. “Liquor before beer, never fear. Beer before liquor, never sicker.”
- Alternate alcoholic with non-alcoholic beverages. This trick will slow your alcohol consumption down and still give you something to drink. Choose water, fruit juices or light carbonated beverages. If you are worried about what your friends may think order a mocktail or dress up a straight virgin beverage with a garnish and lie. Call Sprite or 7-Up with a lime a Vodka Tonic or orange juice a Screwdriver or cranberry juice with a lime a Cape Codder. They are probably too drunk to know the difference and who cares anyway, you will feel so much better in the morning than they will.
- Consume less than one drink per hour. Your liver breaks down alcohol at the rate of one beer per hour, so spreading out your drinking over many hours will give your body a chance to keep up with you.
- Once you make it home and before you crash on the bed force yourself to drink a glass of water and take some Vitamin B. This is also not the time to take any headache medicine (Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Aspirin) as they could seriously damage your liver.
CrossFit doesn't injure you, drinking with CrossFitters does. Rebecca with her hurt hand and Lauren with her sprained ankle. Well done, girls...well done.
Some of you may be thinking “Oh my God, Forrest wrote this post because of me I’m such a drunk”. If you’re thinking that, then I probably did write this post because of you. Go out and have a good time, but just make sure you’re not destroying your bodies on the weekends and trying to rebuild during the week. We all need to let loose once in a while, so have fun. Who knows? Maybe one day you’ll be holding me up as I stumble home…
WOD 3/31/2010
A. 3 Sets (not for time)
4 Deadlifts (4RM)
30 Seconds Rest
15 hollow rocks
30 Seconds rest
B. AMRAP 12
3 Handstand Push-Ups
6 Cleans (squat or power)
CrossFit Rugby
A. Snatch Balance + 2 Overhead Squats 2-2-2
Hang Power Snatch 3-3-3-3
500M Row Max Effort
B. 10 Rounds
8 Thrusters (kettlebell or dumbbell)
8 Pull-Ups
16 V-Ups
hahaha! forrest – i LOVE this post! seriously, very informative. also, thank you for “borrowing” pics from my facebook for this…really helps get the point across.
to all the boys featured in this post, i’m really sorry…
I love the landing page pic.
I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me. ~Winston Churchill
Wes and I totally planned that pic Remy-and this is prior to all the weekend fun! Forrest this is a classic post, I know everyone can relate!! I am finally feeling back to normality, especially after yesterday’s ‘kick my ass wod’.
Vinnie’s perfect beer bong form, Bob’s flip cup skills, Rebecca capturing all these moments, fitting 30 CFer’s on my roof top deck…we could seriously rule the world!! HA
Props to Nicole for making me take the landing page pic… it captures where the weekend was going. If you had a hangover blame Wes… He pretty much started the the domino effect with the Guinness. What a weekend. Good Post!
Hhaha. Forrest u the man. Sadly I haven’t mastered the whole let loose every once in awhile. But I swear this every weekend thing will turn into once and awhile one day. Best part is were gonna have to copy and past this post for the site next week except with pictures of everyone in their costumes from this saturday. See u all then!!!
Ohmygod. That beer bong pic kills me every.time. Oh Vin. You are enduring everlasting punishment for that aren’t you? Bless your heart… *snicker*
So I am feeling like this post may have been aimed towards me. I must say though, i have had some of my best WOD times being hungover. Not sure why this happens. And yes, maybe one day i will decide to slow down, but right now that doesnt seem to be in my vocab….
I’m missing all these parties. I want in!
HAHAHAHAHAHA I love all of it. Dave alcoholics usually can perform even when hungover because they are use to it. Just saying. I am having to much fun with you guys to slow down now. And isn’t forrest the one that taught us to give it 110%? I thought that meant for everything.
3..2..1 go for it right??? Just so happens it might be a beer bong in vinnys case, or a 1 on 4 flip cup challenge if ur a freak of nature like bob, or a pint of chunky monkey ice cream if ur name is bigwavedave and that’s the key to ur heart.
Who Knew??? Vodka is HELPFUL!!
1. To remove a bandage painlessly, saturate the bandage with vodka. The stuff dissolves adhesive
2. To clean the caulking around bathtubs and showers, fill a trigger-spray bottle with vodka, spray the caulking, let set five minutes and wash clean. The alcohol in the vodka kills mold and mildew
3. To clean your eyeglasses, simply wipe the lenses with a soft, clean cloth dampened with vodka. The alcohol in the vodka cleans the glass and kills germs
4. Prolong the life of razors by filling a cup with vodka and letting your safety razor blade soak in the alcohol after shaving. The vodka disinfects the blade and prevents rusting.
5. Spray vodka on wine stains, scrub with a brush, and then blot dry.
6. Using a cotton ball, apply vodka to your face as an astringent to cleanse the skin and tighten pores.
7. Add a jigger of vodka to a 12-ounce bottle of shampoo. The alcohol cleanses the scalp,removes toxins from hair, and stimulates the growth of healthy hair
8. Fill a sixteen-ounce trigger-spray bottle with vodka and spray bees or wasps to kill them
9 Pour one-half cup vodka and one-half cup water into a Ziploc freezer bagand freeze for a slushy, refreshing ice pack for aches, pain or black eyes.
10. Fill a clean, used mayonnaise jar with freshly packed lavender flowers, fill the jar with vodka, seal the lid tightly and set in the sun for three days. Strain liquid through a coffee filter, then apply the tincture to aches and pains
11. To relieve a fever, use a washcloth to rub vodka on your chest and back as a liniment
12. To cure foot odor, wash your feet with vodka
13 Vodka will disinfect and alleviate a jellyfish sting.
14. Pour vodka over an area affected with poison ivy to remove the urushiol oil from your skin.
15. Swish a shot of vodka over an aching tooth. Allow your gums to absorb some of the alcohol to numb the pain.
And silly me! I used to drink the shit !
So I think this is a good time to post my first ever comment on the CFSB blog…
First and foremost, I did not have a hangover following this debauchery…I rule. Secondly, my beer bong form is flawless, to include a perfectly executed split squat/lunge (not shown). Bob is officially the flip cup king. Don’t ever give your sunglasses to Lauren unless you want them broken/lost. And finally, cameras will no longer be permitted at any of my parties where a beer bong is involved.
Jon, don’t waste perfectly good vodka, Just get some rubbing alcohol. You can always try to drink that too.
Tonto I agree with giving everything in your life 110%-hahaha, was that a call out???!! And Jon you have way too much time on your hands, but I still love ya! Vinnie and I am sorry for this, but there are more amazing pictures up on my FB from my bday!!! And Dave why the hell did you leave your chunky monkey in my fridge…now its the key to my heart, blahaha!
hahahahahaha
I cant stop drinking
Pics from SD sectionals.
http://picasaweb.google.com/103944461308341975742/CFG10_SD_Sectionals?feat=directlink
Awsome pix Slaughter! Matt and Mike kicked ass! Thanks again for all the support at the sectionals. You are such an awsome person! Guess that’s why we missed the parties?
i am SO sore from ” Murph ” .. shits not cool ha