Work | Water Intake

A couple of months ago I realized that I needed to figure out water and work. In general, I drink mostly water or tea, but while at work I was just drinking a bottle of water during lunch. From the research I’ve done, I came to the conclusion awhile ago that I should drink at least half of my body weight in water each day. I prefer to drink most of that water before 2pm due to the obvious reasons. Resultantly, I needed to figure out how I wanted to take more water to work without taking tons of water bottles each day.

First of all, the water bottle approach is not very cost effective. Secondly, the whole water bottle thing is not very eco friendly even if I recycle each and every one. Third, I just decided there was a better way. I found a solution through buying a glass water container from Whole Foods and then I received a free BPA free water bottle from the Turkey Trot 10k I did Thanksgiving Day. Problem solved:

 

I purchased the container on the left from Whole Foods Market, it holds 22 ounces of water, is glass and very easy to clean. I fill the water bottles with water from my filtered water pitcher (by Zero Water). The container on the right holds 24 ounces of water, for a total of 46 ounces of water. I usually drink 16 ounces of water before leaving home, meaning that by the time I get home I have already drunk 62 ounces of water. If I have one more cup before going to bed, I have met my daily goal. Surprisingly, just having both of the water bottles on my desk promotes water consumption. Since I started taking these containers to work, I have met my goal every single day, plus a glass of wine or bottle of ale every now and then along the way.

Running Gear

As late I have been running longer, and in colder weather. The time is also changing which means its dark either when I start my run or by the time I finish. Florida drivers make it necessary for runners/walkers/and bikers to be extra cautious, and to do everything we can to ensure our own safety. So, I’ve purchased some new running gear and have made a list of what else I need to purchase.

1. Nathan QuickShot Water Bottle

I am running faster, and longer which means that I need water! I have been running thirty minutes or less for years, but now my long runs are taking me past the 30 minute mark and I need water. I find that the best time for me to drink water is as I am doing my cool down walk because I get home, drink a glass of water and that’s it for awhile. When I take water with me, I drink it on the way home and I drink a couple of glasses once I enter my house. Also, if I run for more than 40 minutes, I find that if I drink a couple of ounces at the 20 minute mark, I finish stronger, sometimes even picking up the pace as opposed to slowly decreasing until I halt. This has led me to purchase a hand held water bottle from my local running store.

2. Nathan Reflex Reflective Snap Bands

Its dark, a car and I come up to a stop sign at the same time. I need to run in front of the car, but I can’t tell if they see me or not, so I just wait for them to go. If they see me, they also wait for me to go, creating this awkward moment that makes us both feel annoyed and sheepish. OR the car doesn’t see me and the driver is startled when I emerge on the other side of their car after going behind the car to get around. Both scenarios have led to purchasing four snap bands, two for my legs and two for my arms. I thought about a running vest, but I went with the cheaper option. Lo-and-behold, they were a great purchase. The continuous moment of my arms and legs is more likely to be seen by a driver than most static alternatives. My local running store is truly getting to know my face.

3. Long, Warm, Sweat Wicking Pants

I need to buy a couple pairs of pants for running. I’m not talking yoga pants, I’m talking warm, sweat woking pants just for running. I am thinking about making a Lululemon purchase, but that seems like a whole lot of money for pants, I mean a whole lot. Instead I plan to go to Target, TJ Maxx and Marshalls this weekend to see what I can find. Florida has only experienced one cold front so far, so I have a little while before I truly need running pants, so I have time to do some foot research.

4. Garmin Forrunner 10

As I train for these races, and I run in groups, I am truly beginning to see the advantage of a watch that tells you your stats as you run. I currently use MapMyRun on my phone, and even though it works just fine, its really not nearly as convenient or as accurate as gps watches. Not to mention the watches that do those things are cool and somewhat of a racing-runner right of passage. I think I will purchase this watch (if so, I will not make a Lululemon purchase right now).

If you read this and are a runner, tell me your top running gear essentials.