Exercise and travel do not mix

Whether it's for business, pleasure, vacation, world domination, or epic questing, at some point in our lives we all depart from the comfort of our "lair" to visit another "shire". It might be a quick trip to the next town over for a business conference or a massive adventure halfway around the world for a month. No matter what kind of trip it is, one thing is certain--Our normal routines get completely thrown out the window when traveling:

• If you work out in a gym, you might not have access to any equipment.
• If you run around your neighborhood, you might not have a familiar path to follow.
• If you are on a special diet, you might not be able to prepare the same meals because you either cannot purchase the same foods or have a kitchen or fridge.
• If you are used to a good night's sleep, suddenly you are sleeping at odd hours in different time zones.

That said, I'm definitely worried regarding my upcoming 10 days trip to China. Not only will I have limited time to hit the gym, but I will also be in the country with one of the worst air pollutions. I would be especially reluctant to exercise outside since exercising generally precludes one from breathing through one's nasal passage, which would normally be a filter for airborne pollution particles. I'm guessing that dieting will also be an issue, since food is so DELICIOUS! 

My Anticipated Solutions

1. Use the hotel fitness center.
2. Swim in the hotel gym-- bring bathing suit!! (yes, a HUGE REMINDER to self)
3. Walk and bike whenever possible.

On Drinking Water

I've always found it strange that I'm someone who doesn't get thirsty. It's not that I dislike drinking water, but that it's never an innate need. The only time when I really feel the need to drink water would be post- running or exercising. This leads me to believe that I am probably dehydrated and therefore more prone to muscle injuries.

Dehydration is a dangerous thing in itself. It can lead to shock, comas or kidney failure. But it can also affect your muscles. Dehydration does not directly lead to muscle strains and sprains, but it impairs muscle function, which makes the muscles more prone to injury. When your body doesn’t have enough water, the muscles’ flexibility and elasticity are decreased. Dehydration also reduced blood flow to the muscles. All of this can lead to muscle weakness and cramps, which increased the chance of muscle injuries like hamstring strains.

I've always been under the impression that one needs to drink at least 8 cups of water, which seemingly is an unimaginable amount (I have a big cup!). But exactly how much water should we be drinking? Or the better question should ask is--- how should we be drinking? Should we "chuck" water several times throughout the day? Or should we keep a water by our side and consistently take sips? What is the best way to hydrate?

Here's some good guidelines:

The Correct Way To Drink Water 
By Dr. Willie T. Ong 

1. Drink water when you wake up. Your body loses water while you sleep, so drink a glass before you go to sleep, and another glass when you wake up. You are naturally thirsty or dehydrated in the morning. Drinking water in the morning helps flush out the toxins that have accumulated all night.
2. Drink 8 to 12 glasses a day. According to the Mayo Clinic, a 120-pound individual needs 8 cups of water a day, while a 190-pound person would require 12 cups daily. Dr. Robert Tanchanco says that we should monitor our urine color and keep it on the light side. However, drink only a maximum of 16 glasses a day, and not more.
3. Drink little by little throughout the day. It is preferable to sip water throughout the day rather than to drink two glasses all at once. This will lessen the stress on the heart (especially if you have heart disease) and give your body more time to absorb it.
4. Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink water. By the time you feel thirsty, you're probably already 2 glasses below your normal water needs. Elderly people are also less sensitive to the body's need for water.
5. Drink water, not soft drinks, alcohol or coffee. Some experts believe that tea, sodas and coffee can be potentially dehydrating. Moreover, the high phosphorus and sugar content in cola drinks can lead to conditions like osteoporosis and diabetes. One study shows that adults who drank six cups of coffee daily experienced mild dehydration. Drinking alcohol is much worse because it actually dehydrates you by making you urinate a lot.
6. Train children to drink water. Set a good example to your kids and drink water together. Make sure that children drink enough water when they're active. Pack a large bottled water in their lunch box.
7. Drink more when it's hot. People living in hot climates like the Philippines need to drink more water. They are more prone to develop kidney stones compared to those living in cooler regions.
8. Drink more as you exercise. When you exercise, you need to drink more water to compensate for fluid loss. Go for an extra 500 ml of water for a 30-minute to 1-hour exercise. Eating a banana also helps keep your potassium up.
9. Drink more when you're sick. Even though you don't feel like it, you really need to drink more water to help your body recover from various infections. If you're dehydrated, you'll feel much worse.
10. Drink more if you're pregnant. Women who are expecting or breast-feeding need additional fluids to stay hydrated. The Institute of Medicine recommends that pregnant women drink 10 cups of fluids daily and women who breast-feed take in about 13 cups of fluids a day.

This is what my recycling bin looks like-- somehow I only feel motivated to drink water when it comes out of small bottles like these. Alas! so much waste!!!

For inspiration, check out the top 10 most beautiful designed water bottles!

5K in 26 mins and Mental Toughness

My next race is NYRR Dash to the Finish 5K race, to be held on Nov 2, 2013, the day before the New York City Marathon. Participating in this race will be my 8th race, as part of the NYRR's 9+1 program, before I'll automatically qualify for the 2014 New York City marathon (my first one yet!).

In the realm of 5K, I've ran a good number of races. It used to my favorite race distance. My PR in the race is 28:36: but that was in 2009 and I've never managed to beat that. Note: 2009 might just be one of my most un-healthiest moments in history-- I was in grad school, pigging out often and not in shape. Surprisingly, however, my 5K records in 2013 have been anything but impressive, even though this is the year that I supposedly became more serious about running and racing. Here's my 5K track record this year:

1. Predictions and Resolutions 5K - 30:09
2. Coogan's 5K - 29:25
3. Giant's 5K - 33:39

Here's what typically happens during my 5K runs: I usually start out feeling excited and pumped. After mile 1, I generally feel good. Mile 2 starts and I begins a mental battle with myself that ends with my giving up..."gosh, I still have more than half left! I dont know if I can keep this pace!." Mile 2.5: "I really want to stop...ughh, should I stop? Wait, my ankle is throbbing... guess I should stop..." Mile 3: "I might as well give up, I'll never beat my PR at this rate." End of the race: <defeat>

When it all comes down to it. I think it's all mental toughness--how much adversity I can handle while running a race. Specifically, I need to work on tuning out those around me and focusing on the task of running a consistent pace, i.e. not walking in the middle of the race because of a side cramp or ankle pains. I need to develop the mental toughness to push through pain, self-doubt and all negativity, finishing the race at a level that is near or at my breaking point and physical limitations. This is at least how I would imagine a race should go. It's all about the mental game. 

Parallel to mental toughness is the notion of indomitable motivation, so that I don't lose steam like I tend to do just after mile 2. When I'm out training or running in a race, I should definitely have higher and more defined goals for myself-- this is one of the reasons that I started this blog, so that I can have the space to express what I want to achieve as well as regularly update myself and general readers through my daily training cycles.

I also think that I should develop a better strategy when tackling any race, i.e. how fast I should go out and run the first mile? What pace I should run and at what mile? How many people I should pass along the way? Where to speed up / slow down? I think that if I want to become a serious runner, I should be more methodical and really take the time to think about what I've been doing, training and racing. 

My goal for my next 5K race is to run sub 26 minutes. It's a little bit of a stretch for me, seeing that means running at an 8:30 per mile pace, but I think I can do it. During my training runs, I can easily run at a 9 minute pace, so when I'm racing-- with all the people and adrenaline, there is no reason why I can't run 30 seconds faster!

Brooklyn Half - injury :(

Stupid me, why, oh why did I decide to break out a new pair of running shoes when I'm doing a race as long as the Brooklyn Half???

There was a promotion for a black and pink running shoe and I got it because it's cheap. Note to self: never run in unbroken into shoes, it will hurt you. Lesson learned.

Brooklyn Half-Marathon

My first half-marathon!!!!

I ran my first half-marathon today and wow, I'm ALIVE!!!! Honestly, it really wasn't all that bad. In fact, I feel like I can do more and still be ok with it!

The race was located at Everett, WA (about 40 mins out of Seattle, WA). It was a small race, maybe 500 people at most in attendance, probably less. It was more or less a community event and everyone from around town came.

It was my first race, so I was really going for completion, rather than speed, which is why I was surprised to finish the race at 2:22:39!! (a 10:53 pace...mind you, I was walking a good chunk of it between mile 7-9 when it started pouring!)

My first half-marathon medal & bib

Chris told me that it's possible to do more. "You got it in you," he said. I guess?

In a couple of weeks, I will be running the Brooklyn Half-- almost done with the NYRR 9+1. If I still feel good after running that, then I'll make a decision about whether I will continue.

We'll see.