H Two the O

Yup I'm a dork, but since it is summer and also super important to running, I thought I would dedicate a post to staying hydrated. Water is not my favorite drink, but I try and drink my fair share each day, and especially the day before a long run.  There is nothing more miserable than beginning to feel dehydrated while running or having a sloshy belly after a run because you drank water like a camel because you weren't properly hydrated. Trust me, I've had both experiences and they just aren't pleasant.

Now it goes without saying that I am no hydration expert, so I'm just going to talk about what works for me. If you want expert information there is a wealth of information about it on the web that tells you how many ounces you should drink a day, when you should drink, etc.  Below is a picture of my handy dandy water bottle (I used to have a really awesome one that my friend Lizzie gave me, but it got stolen one night at a bar...long story). When I'm at work I try and drink at least two of these a day. No, I don't know how many ounces it is but two of these at the office seems to be about all I can drink unless I really really focus on drinking more. I admit there are days when I only drink one, but if that happens I usually try and make up for it at home with extra water.

At home, I'm not the greatest about drinking water, but I do try to drink at least a glass a day. Yes, I'm ashamed to admit that sometimes even that doesn't happen. However, I do make sure to drink at least one and a half glasses of water before going to bed the night before a long run and incorporate some coconut water. For those of you who don't know about coconut water, you are missing out. Coconut water is awesome for electrolyte replenishment and doesn't have the extra sugars that you find in sports drinks like Gatorade. It also has crazy amounts of potassium, which is great for me because I'm prone to getting charlie horses and the potassium helps prevent them. I have finally turned the BF onto this fab product after months of resistance and now I have to remind him that he can't drink it all because I need it for my long runs.

Now to the bane of my existence, the water belt. Yep, I'm one of those people who wears a water belt on my long runs, but I do it only out of necessity. I really dislike it (although it has convenient pockets for my gum or chapstick) because it always rides up and I end up having to readjust every couple of miles. I looked into a couple of other hydration options, but this one turned out to be the best for me. The belt has 4 little bottles and before I head out on a run longer than 8 miles I fill it up. Two bottles are for water and the other two bottles are for the coconut water and they are enough to keep me hydrated through my longest runs. Some people have asked if I plan on wearing it during my race and at this point I'm not sure, I need to do some more weighing of the pros and cons.

So those are my general musings on staying hydrated and on that note I'm off to go grab a glass!

Training Update

So I realize it's been a little while since I've written about how my training is going and I wanted to give a little update. I'm definitely on track with my training, which is good, but I'm not going to lie, training this year has  been more difficult that last year. I think part of it has been all of the traveling I've done this summer, which is taking its toll, but even weekends when I'm home I've had trouble "getting into the zone." I'm still sticking to my training plan, but my runs have been more effort mentally than I would like (physically I'm in the same shape I was in last year so that's nice). I also think part of it is that I know I'm not invincible and if I don't listen to my body I could get hurt again. I think this is making a little more hesitant with my runs, but I don't necessarily think this is a bad thing as long as I don't constantly focus on it. I'm hoping that August is going to be a turning point with my training (especially since there are only 3 months left till the race) and I can get off this plateau that I seem to be on.

On a positive note, I had an awesome 5 mile run this morning with the Hootster. We had a nice run through Old Town and then by the Potomac (although I did have to keep Hoot from jumping in the Potomac) and as always I'm amazed by the number of people who were out running at 5:30am. I truly believe there is no better way to start your day than with a good run as you come back more awake, alert and ready to take on the day. Plus it's nice to know that I burned 500 calories before 7am!

Another positive is that the BF is getting back into running and has started going on evening jogs with me and Hoot. These are just leisurely two mile jogs at this point and are a nice way to supplement my training and stretch out my legs after a long day at the office. It's also nice to have someone to carry on a conversation with too!

Texas is Awesome

Those that know me know I'm a Texas girl. I love my state and generally find it superior to any other state. That statement may offend some, but I'm from Texas and my love for the state is something I was born with. Can't change it, so might as well embrace it (well I probably could change if I wanted to but why would I want to...).
Anywho, as some of you might know, because Texas is clearly a superior state with lots of pride we have a little something known as Texas flag running shorts. I have wanted these shorts ever since I started running and no, I'm not joking. They are awesome, they are Texan and yes, I would wear them with pride. Apparently you can get your own state flag shorts, but I have yet to see other states being represented.

I'm sure you all are thinking, well if you wanted them for the past two years, why haven't you gone out and bought them? Truthfully, I don't have a good answer for it. Partially it stems from the fact that you can't buy them stores in the DC area, and I hate shopping online for clothes. Yes, I realize this last statement may make me a weirdo, but I'm ok with that.  The other part of it, was I wasn't completely sure I could pull those babies off. Lame I know, but thankfully my lack of access to them was most of the reason why I didn't buy them. Not too long ago, my 24th birthday rolled around and what did I receive as a birthday present? Yep, you guessed it, TEXAS RUNNING SHORTS. Best birthday present ever? I think yes. So before posting this super embarrassing picture of myself showing off my cool new shorts, I wanted to say a big THANK YOU to my Mom, who bought them for me. Try not to be too jealous and yes, if you come to watch me run my marathon you will be able to spot me in the crowd, because I'm guessing no one else will have these babies on.

PS. Yes, this is the Texas state flag, not the Chilean flag and not the Puerto Rican flag, so don't even go there.