My mother always said I was strong-willed and had a mind of my own. While I still take that as a compliment, there are some lessons I’d rather do without. Yesterday, I learned a lot.

Monday morning, I set out for my run. It was threatening to rain, but I was eager to try my new iPhone AP, imapmyrun. (I’m trying to avoid forking over the money for a watch with gps capability). I put on my windbreaker and hit the road.

Did you know the hood on a rain jacket, when caught by the wind, sounds like a rushing river? It’s lovely when you’re on a lonely path. But, it’s a big problem when running on roads shared with vehicular traffic. Fortunately, I saw the white BMW coming before I heard it. Still, it’s not the safest way to increase your heart rate.

During the run home, the wind was at my back. I put down my hood, so I could hear things like birds and large motor vehicles. In one of those idyllic moments for runners, I saw deer bound easily up the hill ahead of me. When I got back to the house, I checked my iPhone to see if it had indeed mapped my run. It appears I went 1.3 miles in 45 minutes; which is funny, because I thought I had been running, not doing the soldier crawl.

Five bucks wasted.

Apparently, I had a weak gps signal, which means the computer could only see where I had been at certain points. Instead of tracking my route in its entirety, it connected sporadic locations (when it could get a signal). Though I can’t honestly say New York is where I’d rather stay, I wouldn’t mind their satellite reception from time to time. 

 I’ve downloaded yet another AP to my phone. This one, the Runkeeper Pro, has some great reviews. We’ll see if it works out here in Green Acres.

Stats:

Miles: 5, really.

Terrain: some gravel, mostly pavement. This is a run with a variety of hills for a runner’s enjoyment.

Overall Feeling: While on my third liter of water yesterday morning (in addition to my orange juice, and cup of coffee), I realized the more water I drank, the thirstier I became. After my run, (in which I drank water at my halfway mark), I was feeling a little woozy.

After a quick google search and an extended period of hypochondriacal delusions, I cut back on the fluids and ate a king-sized bag of Cheetos. I don’t know if this is what the doctor would prescribe, but it seemed to work. I followed the Cheetos with a banana, an orange, and 1/4 cup of almonds. After popcorn for dinner and some Gatorade, I was feeling better. As I write this, I’m feeling almost normal again.

Now, before my Auntie (the RN) flips out over this post and calls Grandma to scold me, let me make it clear that I did not show  signs of water intoxication. The dry mouth may have been partially due to the vitamin supplement I was taking. And because of the dry mouth, I was overcompensating with the H2O.

An Important Note on Water Intake: Please be aware, if you have been drinking a lot of water, and you still feel thirsty, and especially if the high fluid intake is combined with things like slurred speech or other symptoms of a state of intoxication, seek medical attention immediately! Hyponatremia can lead to death.

Symptoms of hyponatremia mimic that of dehydration and can be misdiagnosed, with fatal consequences. Make sure you carefully monitor how much you are drinking.

The exact level of water intake varies from person to person. On average, the guideline is eight, 8 oz cups per day, or approximately 2 liters. The beverages you normally drink count toward this, though too much caffeine can lead to dehydration.

If you are exercising, you should drink enough fluids to replace what you have lost through sweat. Experts suggest weighing yourself before and after exercise. They recommend drinking 20-24 ounces of water for every 1 pound lost during exercise.

Find out what your body needs to stay hydrated, and don’t go overboard with the Culligan Man.