On Water

I can't believe I haven't posted in a month. It's certainly not for a lack of training. I think a lack of time is the culprit. Graduating from college + getting ready to move + going on vacation = not a lot of free time to blog! But seeing as this is the one month anniversary of my last post, perhaps I should write something!

I think I'll write about water.

I'm terrible about drinking water. Often times I'll go days without drinking water, simply because I forget. And when I do remember, I don't drink enough of it. Instead I drink coffee, coffee and more coffee. And sometimes tea, because I think that tea is equivalent to, and an appropriate substitue for, water (though I know it's not!). This perpetual state of mild dehydration leads to poor workouts, lethargy, and poor eating habits. I often overeat, mistaking thirst for hunger cravings. Or maybe just ignoring the thirst and eating instead. Because honestly, I like food better than water. When I do drink enough water, I can immediatly notice a dramatic performance in my next workout. But then, inevitably, after that workout I slip back into my old anti-water habits.

Ok, let me bring this topic up to speed. For the last five days I've been vacationing with my family at a resort in Puerto Vallarta. It's pretty hot here. So I've been drinking lots of water. I'm also making sure I get some form of training in every day while I'm here. There are copious bottles of water around at all times (and for now, I'm going to ignore my usual vehement and heartfelt rant about the horrors of water bottles. Mexico = bad tap water = I have to drink bottled water..And no, I'm not happy about it). This excess of easy-to-drink water has kept me fairly well hydrated since I arrived. And the funny thing is...every morning when I get in my workout, I feel great. Energized. Strong. Fresh. And while lately I've been struggling with dizziness and fatigue during workouts in Ashland, I haven't had a dizzy spell once since we arrived. Coincidence? Maybe. But probably not. I'm excited to go back home, keep drinking water, and see if that doesn't fix the dizzy spells. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they are merely a symptom of my constant dehydration.

Such an obvious solution. Such a simple fix. Water. It really is an athlete's best friend.