getting motivated + hydrated (+ a give-away!)

Hello.....hello...is this thing on? ;)

Has everyone else's motivation been in hibernation for the winter, or is it just mine?

Life has been a bit busy lately and crammed with heaps of things - including being at the birth of my newest niece, which was such a joyful experience - and I've also started a new job in the city a few days a week.  So things have been a little full on as I get into a new routine, balancing my new job with my freelance stuff, my writing and everything else.  But eight years after changing my attitude to health and fitness, and knowing how good it makes me feel when I make the time and effort to do it, I'm still wondering why is it always exercise that's the first thing to drop off when I'm busy? Do you guys find this too?

There's no real reason, just that the excuses are all very seductive this time of year.  It's been a very cold winter but I'm trying to ease myself back in to my old routine and get myself firing on all cylinders again.  Nothing full on, just a few simple rules to give myself some structure again and hopefully I can build on things from there.

1.  Run three mornings a week.  

Not for a specified distance, just get the hell out there for a minimum of 30 minutes.  I don't want to hear about how cold it is, Phil.  That's what hats, gloves and scarves are for.  Unless it is snowing, you're out there. (It has been snowing on and off for the past month, in my defence.  I didn't fancy a broken ankle!)

I've been sticking to the plan and feel so much better for it.  I always feel amazing when I get back and even if it's a struggle to get myself out the door at first, I never regret having gone.  Even though this morning I did resemble Dennis Doyle from Run Fatboy Run.  But even Dennis gets there in the end!

If you haven't seen this movie, do.  It's one of my favourites.

Another bonus, I get to use my favourite shower gel after a run (it's too expensive for me to use every day!) so that's always a good motivator.

2.  Alcohol on weekends only.  

A nightmare commute home does not automatically demand the presence of G and his friend T. Nor their close friend Cabernet Sauvignon or crazy Italian neighbour Prosecco.  They only make getting out of bed for the morning commute in even harder! Which leads me on to rule three.....

3.  Drink more water.    

My friends at BRITA have got a Hydration Challenge going at the moment where they're encouraging people to think more about their fluid intake - the recommended water intake is 1.2 litres a day - especially this time of year where hot chocolates might hold more appeal than good old water.  Actually this time of year it's just as important to drink water - when temperatures drop and winds increase, the air actually gets dryer.  A healthy intake of water is just as important as rosehip oil this time of year!

I know without my usual couple of litres of water a day I start feeling sluggish. Some days I hit the target easily and others I don't, so for the next month I'm taking up BRITA's challenge and trying to hit the minimum 1.2 litres a day.  I'm carrying around my Fill N Go again:

  

I've mentioned my Fill N Go a couple of times - but for good reason, it's really the handiest water bottle I've ever had! It carries a decent amount (600ml) and has a filter in it that you replace as you need to so you can easily transform tap water into filtered water on the go. It's great to have a reusable bottle that not only looks good but is doing me and the environment good too. I've had mine for nearly a year now and it still looks great.  Even Tom's got one now, with a nice manly grey trim.

As it's so easy to carry it around with me, a trick I'm finding handy for keeping my water intake up is making myself drink the contents of a Fill N Go before I'll go and grab a coffee, chai, Coke Zero or whatever.  It's a great little trick - like getting a kid to clean his room before he can play video games - and it does work for me.  Yesterday I had two coffees but I had four Fill N Go's!

It's funny how we get these wonderful healthy habits going and then we just allow them to slip, without even really noticing.  We only notice how tired, less energetic and less vital we feel.  When we take the time to think about it, the solutions are quite obvious.  Even after all these years, I still have to make a conscious effort to stay on top of my fitness and well-being.  I still have to psych myself up and still have to make it a priority, regardless of how busy life gets or how alluring my couch and pile of library books look!  But even if I have a few slack weeks or months, I always manage to get myself back on track.  It all evens out in the end.  I'd like to think that, every once in a while, I deserve a break too.  But I think there's a difference between giving yourself a break and just not doing what you know you should be doing, so it's a balancing act for me, as I'm sure it is for everyone.

And now it's give-away time!

The Fill N Go give-away at Christmas was such a hit, BRITA have very kindly given me another two to give away today, to encourage SLSB readers to keep their water intake up and join us in the hydration challenge!

Just leave a comment on this post with your name and a way of contacting you, and I'll draw two winners at random at 9am UK time, Friday 1st March 2013.  Please note: competition is open to UK readers only. 

How are you staying motivated in the cold weather?  What are your tips for keeping up your fluid intake?

Update: the winners of this give-away are Alice Kate and Rachel.  Thanks for playing! There will be another give-away this week so stay tuned and feel free to enter again :)