Dare You To...

I'm supposed to be running a 10k right now.  I should be out on Roosevelt Island with Alec and Jen, running 6.2 miles for theNew York City 10k.  I should be feeling simultaneously fatigued and energized, on the brink of glory, as I was one month ago at my first 10k.

Instead, I'm lying in bed, drinking tea, considering what type of soup I want, and coughing up a storm.


I've been sick since precisely September 24, when I first felt the itch in my throat.  Over the following weeks, my upper respiratory infection got worse, and then better, and worse again.  Even after I felt well again, my cough persisted, and I was continuously short of breath.  As a result, I did not continue training for my next 10k, and I didn't hit the gym at all.Walking wore me out, and talking exhausted me.After too long, I finally admitted that this was more than a cold and went to the doctor.  He first tried to knock it out of me with some strong meds (which worked for only the one day after tak…

As someone who carries around water with her at all moments of the day, I'm surprised I haven't shared this dare sooner.

Dare you to drink (more) water.  Water is, literally, a primary element of life, and proper hydration is the key to health.  Interestingly, this is one piece of advice that seems to be unanimously agreed upon, no matter what type of health professional you ask.  It's almost too obvious; of course you want to drink water!  Of course it's good for you.  Of course it's pretty much all you need to be drinking.


If you're already a water fiend like I am, then ditch this post and go down your bottle.  If you're not a fan of water, or think you could benefit from drinking more water, read on:

Why? There are plenty of benefits to drinking water:
Hydration. Duh.  Our bodies--which are 60% water--are constantly losing that water, so it's important to replace replace replace!Increased energy. Our cells require water to function, and thus so do we.…