“Getting on it with the lads….” What does that mean to you?

I don’t get on it as much as I used to these days, because the aftermath is too much to deal with.

I’ve never figured out how to cure a hangover. Gone are the days of getting in at 2am then waking at 8am and getting on with the day. Sessions have to be planned now because the next day is definitely a right off but then the next 2-3 are always underperforming days too, and life is so much more important to me at the moment. I’ve got jobs to do and I need to be at my best every day to do them.

The days of “getting on it” for me are few and far between and I’ll have to live with it. Life is not going to be as much fun.

THIS WEEKEND, SOMETHING GOT ME THINKING THOUGH. WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE I DISCOVERED HARD DRINKING SESSIONS WITH MY MATES?

We played football, tick, British Bulldog and knock ‘n’ run. We built dens, climbed trees, dug tunnels in the earth, jumped over streams, all sorts of stuff and we had a top laugh doing so. It was ace.

Just as much fun if not more fun than hard drinking sessions now. Of course times change though and we wouldn’t have gotten anywhere with girls if we stuck to ticking them and running off before they tagged you back would we? We had to move on and drinking is so much part of our culture that it was almost unavoidable.

SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENED THIS WEEKEND TOO….

I went out on my bike (nothing new there) but this time I rode with four other guys. I normally ride on my own – I’m a bit of a loner that way and like my own thing – but this time I joined the group to learn some new routes and improve my speed. We had a cracking 4 and a half hours out, including a stop for breakfast and covered 70 miles in the process.

After about an hour’s riding I realised something quite significant – I was “on it with the lads” and by the time I got home I realised I’d had a proper full on session.

WHAT’S MORE IT WAS SO EASY TO MAKE THE COMPARISON TO A DRINKING BINGE AND I HAVE OUTLINED AS FOLLOWS:

At 8am we met and rode out gently catching up on how we all were whilst getting the legs warmed up.

Drinking session equivalent (DSE): catching up on how we all are over 2 or 3 lagers.

After an hour the chat wasn’t so much and the pace hotted up.

DSE: getting a bit bloated so move up a gear to gin & tonics.

On 90 minutes we stopped for a breakfast of coffee and bacon & egg baguettes and had a good laugh talking about the ride and other past stories.

DSE: going to the restaurant and having EXACTLY THE SAME BANTER.

After breakfast we rode out a touch further then headed back. By now the bulk of the mileage was done and we could smell home. The road signs were no longer in Welsh and we knew that within an hour we would all be back in our respective houses. Because the end was nearing, the pace increased and the ride became more intense. Talking stopped and we got faster and faster until (for me anyway) we were close to limit. It was hard, intense, powerful and full on.

DSE: we’ve moved on to a club. The shots are in full flow: Sambucas, Jagerbombs you name it. We’re hitting the dance floor, chatting up girls and busting some shapes. We are on it and having a banging time!

The next part of the ride is that we get back close to home where traffic lights exist and we must slow down. We’ve done it. It’s over. Roll home, get showered & changed and eat. What a day! Can’t wait for the next time!

DSE: club shuts, get a kebab, taxi home, eat the food, fall into bed.

Both situations above show exactly the same experience; a massive intense session with the lads. Both were brilliant. Both had ace banter, laughs and energy. Both make you bond with your mates even more by sharing the experience.

IF YOU REPEATEDLY DO THEM BOTH THEY BOTH DON’T HOWEVER, LEAVE YOU FEELING THE SAME THE FOLLOWING DAY.

One results in hangovers, increased size of waistline, poor skin, liver and brain function. Perhaps depression, misery and a questioning of “where am I going in life?”

The other has you feeling high on life because you have improved your physical condition, gotten outside in the fresh air and shared the experience of a team effort to overcome a strenuous task with your close buddies. So I guess this is how to cure a hangover.…find you fun elsewhere.

Now look, don’t go kidding yourself that I’m Fit Fred the lentil eating hippie that is sat here preaching to you about seeing the light and suggesting we all dress in Lycra to go riding bikes instead of wearing Hugo Boss and quaffing a few Stella’s. Don’t you kid yourself one bit!

I’ve had more full on sessions than a lot of you have had hot dinners but my point is not to stop having full on drinking sessions. Have them. They are a laugh.

My point here is that if you do repeatedly have full on drinking sessions screwing up your body and your mind then perhaps you should look to recreate the same bonding experience with your pals in a way that helps you all become healthier, more positive and closer together for the right reasons.

Just because you’ve always done something one way and generations before you have done the same, doesn’t mean you can’t be brave enough to change yourself for the better. So why not make your regular meet up with your pals more about being fit, healthy and productive rather than being fat, sick and depressed?

As always, it’s your choice.