This week coincides with Alcohol Awareness Week, and this year's theme is Alcohol and Me - an invitation for people to reflect on their own relationship with alcohol and what, if anything, they'd like to do about it.
Rich and Andy use it as a springboard for one of the most honest conversations they've had in a while. Rich reads out real, verbatim messages from people in their community - runners, parents, professionals - describing what their relationship with alcohol actually looks like. Not the sharp end. Not people who'd describe themselves as alcoholics. Just people caught somewhere in the middle, aware that something's not quite right, but not sure what to do about it.
There's the person drinking daily since PTSD and a late ADHD diagnosis. The one who's stopped plenty of times but always comes back because the boredom gets too loud. The one with two drink-driving charges who knows, sober, they'd never get behind the wheel. And the one who just said: nothing good ever comes from it, does it?
Rich also gets into why he now sees the alcohol industry as legal drug cartels - how alcohol got a green pass that no other substance would ever receive today, and how the industry's message of drink responsibly quietly places the blame on you while maximizing their profits.
Andy brings in the ADHD connection - why alcohol is cheap dopamine for a loud brain, and why the single best piece of advice one prominent ADHD expert gives to anyone newly diagnosed is simply: take a break from alcohol.
And underneath it all, there's this: you can't read the label from inside the jar. Most people don't see the full picture until they've stepped outside of it.
What is Clean Break Chats?
🎙️ Clean Break Chats – Mindful Miles and AF Lifestyles.
Hosted by Andy and Rich – two ordinary guys who’ve discovered something extraordinary through living alcohol-free. Andy lives by the sea in sunny Spain, and Rich’s home base is in Leeds, UK. What they share is a passion for running, a commitment to alcohol-free living, and a desire to help others unlock the same freedom and joy.
Formerly known as The Running Dryy podcast, this re-branded podcast is part of their new venture Clean Break – a growing community dedicated to helping runners break free from booze and tap into their full potential. Between them, Andy and Rich have run multiple marathons and ultra events, and they credit going alcohol-free as their superpower.
Each episode features raw, honest conversations between the two – full of laughs, insights, and the kind of chat you'd have on a long run with your best mate. They also invite brilliant guests to share their own stories of transformation, triumph, and what it means to live, run, and thrive without alcohol.
Whether you’re sober-curious, in recovery, or just want to hear real stories about finding meaning through movement and mindset, Clean Break Chats is your new go-to listen.
👟 Come for the running.
💬 Stay for the community.
✨ Leave feeling inspired.