Hydrate!

Who knew the importance of adequate hydration? I didn't until only very recently (as in one hour ago). The last few days I've been dragging, feeling incredibly lazy, worn out, even down in the dumps, and just like I didn't want to do anything. I've had minor headaches, felt slightly sick to my stomach, and been angry at everything, even letting it come through in my conversations with my brother, a Japanese friend, and the children I teach and co-workers.

This morning I was really dragging, woke up late, missed breakfast, was late for work, had children calling me names, and spit on my books (it happens, they're kids). Usually I just brush it off and tell them kindly not to do that again, but today I was angry, and I let it show. My head wasn't "in-the-game" and I was really distracted and basically let the kids run wild because I just didn't want to deal with it, and didn't feel like I had the energy to do anything. I basically swore off children after my first 4 classes (saying, "I'm sure I'll hate children for the rest of my life after this...") and on the way home, I was devastatingly thirsty.

I don't know that I've ever been so thirsty in my entire life. I complained to my friend about my Japanese friend who talks to me late at night saying, "I'm so tired now because my friend keeps me up late at night," but that was only half (and now I'm thinking quite insignificant) of the story. I was counting down the minutes to get home and get a drink. Every traffic light was torture, I literally felt like I was dying of thirst. We had to take a detour and I almost punched the car because I was so angry and thirsty. I nearly got out at many of the stop lights just to go to the nearest store and get a drink. Literally, I could have just passed out I was so thirsty.

Finally, we made it to my street, my friend dropped me off, and I didn't even give him a "Thanks" as I scurried over to the Family-Mart and went inside. Tunnel-vision hardly describes it, as I went straight for the drinks, I hardly even remember who was in the store or what the were doing. I grabbed 700 mL of green tea, paid, and left, downing 500 mL of that before I was 10 steps away from the store, and finishing it off within a block. 5 minutes more put me at home, where I started checking Men's Health in my email about the importance of drinking enough fluids, and how to practically do that through-out a busy day. All the while I kept drinking from another 1.5 L bottle of tea (which I finished off in an hour). What a difference that made!

A huge difference was noticable within 15 minutes of drinking the first little bit. Already I felt better, but more than that, over the course of the next hour as I continued drinking the tea, I just kept feeling better and better. My focus was back, my energy returned as well, and the children ceased being annoying little mosquito pests. I started having fun with them again, and I was reminded of why I enjoy children so much again, and just, wow! what a huge difference!

For the past few weeks I've felt that I NEEDED to go to the gym or to run/workout, something, but I just haven't had the focus, the drive, the energy, the motivation. After continuing to hydrate, now about 2.5 hours and 3.5 liters later, I have enormous energy. In fact, I'm considering not taking a taxi home from work tonight, but instead, just running it. And not just running the short 4 km straight back, but instead extending it to a much longer 9 or 10km. And I've not done that in quite a while! If I had known more about hydration in summer sooner, perhaps I'd have been far more active in the first place. I did notice that I've dropped about 3 kg over the past week (hopefully it's not just all water weight). But at least now I know.

......................

6:30pm

5 hours and 5 liters later, I still feel much better than I did this morning, and now I'm not sucking down water like I was earlier. Now, I more hungry than anything else. Time for grub.