Day 5

Friday night when in the UK, means one thing only, has done for years - MPA. JW Lees's Manchester Pale Ale that is. Brewed down the road in Middleton and religiously consumed in my local pub from around 4.30pm onwards. I have it poured, unusually for Manchester folk, with minimal head and it is delivered to me from the cask just as I like it, without me even needing to ask. Here's an example from a past visit.

 

This would invariably be followed by a meal out or a takeaway curry as a treat for a long week of self-discipline. Either way, by the time I'd consumed 3 or 4 pints in the pub, I'd carry on drinking afterwards, usually until the late hours or even early hours of Saturday morning. 

I knew tonight would be a real test of resolve - my first major hurdle so far. The first UK, Friday night since starting all this just 5 days ago. As I mentioned in the previous post, if this is to work I need to keep to my routine. I'm not locking myself away from society and all the fun to maintain sobriety. In fact that would only drive me back to drink. This journey is about learning to still have fun, just without the alcohol.

Therefore, as I did not want my wife to miss out on her couple of well deserved Friday night drinks, and I was very keen to keep up our decades long routine, we went ahead. Rachel offered to not go at all if it made things easier, but I was determined to go out as usual and face this head on. 

Rach and I had discussed it all at length during one of our long walks earlier in the week. We agreed it was best to go ahead, but she suggested a change of scene for the first trip which may help reduce the 'shock'. Mine and the barmaid's at the local pub!  If there was no MPA on offer and I wasn't sat in my regular corner, then it would be easier for me to resist. It worked!

We drove out to a nice little pub that we know. At the bar, it felt strange to look past all the draught pumps into the fridge behind, scouring for an alcohol free beer. I wanted to try one of them for the first time. Then I found it - Beck's Blue - alcohol free, 275ml and just 39 calories.  I drank two bottles and actually enjoyed it. Rach had her two halves of lager and we pushed the boat out and shared a pot of chilli nuts. Without the calories of the beer I can pretty much eat what I like from now on! We had a nice time, chatted about our upcoming trip to Spain, laughed about my state last weekend, and planned the rest of the weekend's activities. We then called it a day. So nothing was any different. other than the fact that I didn't go completely barmy and start drinking like a deranged fish after the first couple. All the nice things still, without the madness. 

So, it was a breeze, far easier than I had feared. The first hurdle cleared - the first Friday night in the UK without alcohol for as long as I can remember, possibly since I was 17 years old. 

Apologies for the dirty nails by the way - I have been out cycling today in the Peak District. I've organised another mini bike tour in Spain in two weeks time which I often do when over there. I've found a Via Verde (greenway) that runs from Cordoba to the outskirts of Seville which I will attempt over the space of a few days. I now need to put in the miles to get fit for it in a very short space of time, so this whole exercise is really helping. 

The bike was covered in mud and I had to dismantle it and clean it all off when I got home around 2pm today. Yes, I did shower but was in such a rush to get out I must have forgotten to scrub the oil from my nails. Usually these Spanish bike tours include big meals out and many drinks (sometime very many) after a long day in the saddle - another test to come then in two weeks time.

In summary, the first 5 days have been great. I've done so much exercise, eaten well and saved so many calories just tonight by not drinking at all on a Friday - possibly as much as 1500 + calories. I'm feeling motivated and  ready to take on the next and  biggest hurdle of all, when I arrive in sunny Spain next week. On arrival we always head to Orange Square in Marbella for an iced beer. We will do exactly the same this time too - nothing changes - we follow the same agenda - but I need to find a new Spanish drink unless Becks blue has now reached Spain.   

I can't believe it's a week tomorrow since THAT bender started at the Etihad Stadium. If you'd have told me at match kickoff at 12.30pm last Saturday that I would have swapped my beloved MPA cask ale for a bottle of non-alcholic, German lager by Friday,  I'd have called you bonkers. What a difference 5 days makes.