Should I run with a hangover?
Is a hangover a good enough excuse not to run? Let's look at what might happen if you decide not to be entirely pathetic.
There are things you probably shouldn’t do while marathon training: eat a kebab at 3am, drink six pints of strong lager, and lie to yourself that you’re “just popping out for one.”
But sometimes life happens. Birthdays, weddings, Friday. And the next morning, your plan still says “17km easy”. So you run. Hungover. Sweaty. Regretful. And sometimes to everyone's surprise, not that slow.
1. Your sweat will smell like tequila
If you ever wanted to relive your poor life choices through your pores, this is the way. The first two kilometres will smell like a Wetherspoons floor after closing time. Don't panic — it's just your body aggressively trying to survive.
2. Your heart rate will be lying to you
Garmin will tell you that you're in Zone 5. Your legs will tell you you're crawling. The truth is somewhere in between, but mostly it's just dehydration doing its thing.
What helps: Electrolytes before, during, after. Basically drink like you’re carb loading but it’s just water and salt.
3. It won't be your worst run
In fact, it might be one of your best. I once ran a half marathon PB on a wild hangover. I was in bed for two days after so I don’t recommend it as a strategy, but it happened.
In my experience, when your brain is too tired to whinge and your stomach is too focused on not vomiting, your legs are left alone to just get on with it. You enter a weird autopilot. And it works.
4. It's a test of your willpower, not your fitness
Hungover runs are about grit. Not glory. You’re not doing it for gains, you’re doing it because skipping long runs just because you had fun would mean you have to become a sensible adult, and that’s clearly not happening.
If you can get through 10k with a headache, nausea, and the sneaking fear you might actually be sick in a bush, you probably have the mental capacity to power through a marathon. Probably.
5. It might help you recover
Short, easy runs can actually help a hangover. A bit of sweat, some fresh air, and you feel more human than if you’d stayed horizontal all day.
Though if it’s a long run, yes, you’ll probably spend the rest of the day in bed. But let’s be honest: you were going to do that anyway.
So... should you run hungover?
Yes. Absolutely. Because you made a commitment to yourself when you signed up for this training plan, and now you have to live with the consequences of last night’s questionable actions. You don’t need to go fast, but you do need to show up.
