Turning twenty one in San Diego means opening the doors to an entirely new going out scene. The bars of Pacific Beach, North Park and the Gaslamp become fair game for legal San Diego State Students and the possibility seems endless.
Last week, I was all set to experience the glory of birthday celebrations not once, not twice, but three times. I was also set to run, my commitment again being a minimum of one short run and one long run per week. Looking at my calendar on Sunday night, I knew some pre-planning was imperative for smooth sailing.
My first gauge for setting a boundary when it came to my running balanced with my social calendar was to see if I had any unnecessary engagements, to which the answer was no.
As an ambivert, I like, want, and sometimes even need to be social, if not for fun, then to remind me that recharging is important. In fact, one of the biggest takeaways from this week of training was how running can actually operate as that recharge time.
With RSVPs confirmed at each event, my next mode of attack was to solidify the dates of my runs. In making the schedule concrete, the runs became nonnegotiable to me. Finally, I had to make some sacrifices in deciding which night I could be sober for.
Intentionally going to the bars sober may not seem like a crazy or difficult task, but it can be more challenging than meets the eye. Personally, I can feel timid, awkward or boring without the loosening aid of alcohol. However, drinking goes beyond me and my race training plan.
Alcohol consumption of Americans is gaining widespread traction as major health organizations around the world voice their concern. Even at our own school, sobriety is gaining attention.
During this wild week, I was cross-training with a light weights session at the ARC Express when a sign on the TV display caught my eye. It reported that, “Within the past two weeks, fifty-one percent of SDSU students reported not drinking at all.” This data comes courtesy of the Well-Being and Health Promotion department at our university.
It’s safe to say I was thoroughly surprised to read this in the middle of my workout.
This signals to me that maybe there is more than meets the reputation that precedes our school. I am forced to wonder if we as a student body have upheld the party school reputation just because of preexisting expectation, and if so, what undercurrent is challenging this? Are there other students out there questioning their relationships to alcohol as well?
Seeing this statistic gave me some extra motivation during the birthday brigade; I opted for soda water on Friday night in order to have a successful Saturday long run. It was not the most fun I have ever had on a night out, but they can’t all be.
What was fun was completing seven miles up and down La Jolla Shores Blvd. the following morning. More importantly, with some slight sacrifice on my end, I was able to celebrate each and every friend in the capacity their birthday deserved.
Prioritizing your needs when constantly surrounded by influence takes time, practice and a little bit of preparation. If you are debating going to a party this weekend with Poppi in your cup instead of Papov, or considering setting early alarms to make it to that cycling class you’ve always wanted to attend, I urge you to try.