Hydration & Hydro Flask

Welp...in two days my wheels are pointed South for the 2015 fire season and I've got distance runs, pack test, push-ups, lunges, protein, clean-eating, sun-protection, living in athletic clothes, AMRAP workouts, cutting out fatty foods (within reason), and most importantly...

HYDRATION on the brain.

We have a saying on my fire crew. 

Hydrate or Die!

 Did you know that over 75% of Americans are continually dehydrated?  That means if only four of you are reading this...3 of you are probably dehydrated.

You may not feel it because you are used to dehydration.  Lack of adequate water has become the norm and I'm just going to put a plug in here for the health of all of you and America.

Drink the right amount of water.

 Don't skip.  You may be shocked to find out how different your body functions,

the speed your brain functions,

how you breath.

How glorious your skin looks and feels,

or your hair looks and feels,

or your eyes look and feel!

Seriously.  

Basic science lesson here: Your body is between 50% to 65% water.  Water is used to flush toxins out of your body, is used to dissolve minerals and make them accessible to the rest of the body, it carries oxygen to your cells, lubricates joints, protects organs...without it you die.

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Hydration Rule 

1. Take your weight and divide by 2
2. That's the amount of oz. you should drink/day

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As a firefighter, hydration is very much life and death...as in we haul guys off the hill every year from severe dehydration which can lead to life threatening things like rhabdomyolysis (Rhabdo) and heat stroke.  In the summer I'm very conscious of my water intake and haven't had any problems.

The winter is a different story...until this winter.  This time I made a full on brain engaged Abigail-will-stay-hydrated effort.  Guess what?  I've never, ever felt or looked better.  For serious.  My hair is shiny. My adult acne is virtually gone. My eyes don't feel scratchy.  My joints don't hurt from running.  I don't have bloating and embarrassing digestion issues.  I totally give the victory to H2O.

FYI: Drinking large amounts of water without replenishing electrolytes will flush nutrients out of your body (mainly sodium, calcium, and potassium) and you will end up weak and disoriented.  The brain and muscles will not function properly.  So eat a cheese stick, eat a yogurt, drink an Emergen-C or other powdered good-for-you-drink, gatorade, banana, peanut butter, chocolate milk...google it...there are tons of easy options. Here's one website.  There are gobs more.

Ok.  Speech over.  Now on to my favorite kind of water bottles.  

The Hydro Flask.  Yes I am one of those people.  Let me assure you I'm not jumping on a brand name band wagon.  These suckers really work.  Click here for the technical overview.

I have one that was a "thank you" gift from the Prescott National Forest at the end of last season.  They gave each of us one of the 44 oz. flasks with the PNF emblem etched on the side.  I started using it right away as I drove across Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and the dry part of Oregon for 3 days.  The ice from Prescott lasted the whole way.  From there I've been a believer.

Just today I received my newest part of my outdoor gear collection.  A 21 oz. narrow mouth in white.  

These aren't just for you outdoorsy and active folk (though if you are outdoorsy...this is a game changer).  Anyone who likes to have hot tea hours (or days) after you leave the house or an iced coffee drink that lasts more than 20 minutes (try 20 hours) then this is for you too. There are many sizes and lid options to suit your needs.  

{Psssst...Amazon has sales on these a lot...so keep your eyes peeled}

I still love my Brita filtered water bottle for every-day hydration.  But I am thoroughly ecstatic to have my Hydro Flask collection for my post-workout tea (or chocolate milk) down in Arizona and continual ice water for those moments when lukewarm isn't going to cut it.

#freedomfromlukewarm

Happy Tunes and Kindness

I asked y'all to shoot me some song selections over on Facebook this Friday to make an encouraging,  happy, upbeat, playlist.

Seing as how Pretty Subsistence is new, there wasn't much feedback...BUT we do have enough songs for a super quick pump-up sesh :) It's an eclectic mix and I hope you enjoy it.

Here's the PS HAPPY collaborative playlist.  We shall add to it with time and as new happy songs come along.  Feel free to post more in comments and I'll add to it!

This week I'm finishing my last minute details before moving to AZ for my seasonal firefighting job.  Lots of new people and encounters coming my way in the next 6 months and I've been trying to come up with a focus or mantra or something simple to stick in my brain for the slow/fast/hectic/monotinous/stressful/scary/nerve grating/joyful/sad/lonely/confusing/exhausting summer ahead.

Kindness has been popping up in my thoughts, either from noticing a lack of it around me, or feeling the need to apply it more in my life.  Then I came upon a quote over on  Pinterest, made it pretty on Canva and decided this would be my summer motto {and really applied year round}

Check out what Julianne Hough had to say over on her blog.  She's an ambassador for kind campaign which is a movement that takes a stand agains girl-on-girl crime.  Basically though, I like to follow Julianne because she seems like a sweet lady, exudes happy energy, and has some fantastic hair tutorials for us short haired girls.  She promotes kindness so I'm sharing her with you.

Anyway, if you'd like to join me in pursuing a posture of kindness this summer let me know and we can encourage each other through the failures and cheer on to the successes!

Here's to a happy week :)

Back Again

Hello and sorry for the bit of silence here!

I just returned from the Arizona Wildfire Academy where I was taking classes for my summer job as a firefighter.  My how shocking to suddenly go from my rainy green home to dry red desert.  Though I like my job, I'm not a desert rat.  Not by a long shot!

Anyway it was a great first experience at the Academy which is entirely sponsored by donations from charities, businesses, and other individuals.  If you would like to support the further education of the wildland firefighting workforce click here to find out how to donate.  

One of the amazing things about the wildfire community is how it has changed in the last 10-15 years.  The emphasis on education that has morphed out of some of tragedy fires and other lessons learned is inspiring.  This is a whole group of folks that does not cease to learn and grow. Sometimes it's hard to change old ways and habits, but the Arizona Wildfire Academy is committed to training the best firefighters out there.  I'm proud to have been a part of it.

Well I'm back for a few weeks before heading to my job in the Southwest so here's to more posts heading your way!

Seasonal Gardening

Spring is almost here.  Ok for those of you buried in snow...just trust me on this...it's coming.

I've had some questions about seasonal gardening which I'd like to address before the growing season.

There will be more in depth posts later, but here's a starter infographic I found through Organic Valley that has a few basic tips to get our minds going and thinking about what sorts of steps we should take now to be ready for a successful garden later.  There are also some interesting stats that you might find encouraging.  72% of US Households get out in the garden?  That's awesome! You're not alone!

Courtesy of: The Spigot, The Official XHOSE blog

Hometown Tourist

One of the best ways to get out of the house and try new things without much fuss or expense is to be a tourist in your own town.  You may think since you've been there a long time there is nothing fascinating or interesting there.  It's all old news.  WRONG!  Look on Trip Advisor or just google you town or area and all sorts of things will pop up!  

Since I live on the boarder of the Umpqua National Forest, there are waterfalls and hiking trails galore!  Some I'd totally forgotten about until this winter when my bro and I decided to change from road running to trail running as we prep for the upcoming fire season. {we are both wildland firefighters}

On the only sunny day in the forecast for a long time {good old PNW} my bro and my sweet-sister-in-law were planning a family hike with the baby.  Of course I invited myself along.  It's like they meant for me to crash the party.  That's how I roll.

Up the North Umpqua Highway we toodled, enjoying the last rays of sun for awhile.

Check out these awesome lava tunnels!

We have this thing about trees.  We love them.  They clean our air for free...breathe deep man.

Waterfalls.  I never get tired of them.  How is water falling off rocks unspeakably wonderful?

And then there is always the random photo shoot with my bro.

And then he steels the camera.

I've been learning how great it is to know more about where I live.  It's one thing to live there.  Having actual knowledge and experience about what is around is a whole other ball game.  I encourage you to see what makes your area cool, unique, quirky, relaxing, up-beat, tasty...etc.  Go get 'em!

I Have Returned

Thank you for being patient while I was gone on my trip.  1592 photos later, I'm home.

Want to know where I went? Ok I'll tell you.  I was backpacking and traveling unplugged in the UK.

Want to know what traveling unplugged is? Ok I'll tell you.  

It's simply traveling without having to be the center of attention. It's traveling sans social media.  Instead of thinking "this would make a great instagram photo/facebook profile" you have the freedom to savor, relish, ponder, reflect, experience, and truly BE where you are.  YOU chose the adventure and YOU should be able to experience it without accolades and validation from anyone else.  

When I traveled in Israel last year, I did not go unplugged.  My phone was always in my hand and WiFi hotspots were like gold.  Not to say my trip wasn't amazing, it was.  But there was something so exposing about NOT having phone in hand.  

In the UK mine was in my pack unless I needed my google map app or an Uber from the airport.  Instead of a selfie in Trafalgar's Square, I ate my sandwich in the sun and listened to the musicians playing, watched the school children in their uniforms on a field trip, and soaked up the history in the ancient stones I was sitting on.  No one had to know I was doing it for it to be worth something.  

I know this might make some people uncomfortable, I was too at first, but let me encourage you to try it.  For me, it made my trip mine.  It gave me the freedom to have experiences without stopping to post/update/tweet or check who liked my photo.  In the words of Frozen...Let it go.

For safety purposes I did let my parents know when I was at my lodging most nights.  They also had a rough outline of what town I'd be in/traveling to in case there was an emergency.   Other than that I maintained internet silence.

Now obviously I'm a blogger {shocker I know} and travel is a large part of why I started this blog, to show that it doesn't take a Lonely Planet expert to have an amazing travel experience.  By showing you my blunders and successes hopefully y'all will be encouraged to try it yourselves.  

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Alrighty, well as I said...there are 1592 photos waiting to be organized and a lot of posts to be written...stay tuned.  For me...bring on the coffee...

I Shall Return

Douglas MacArthur made that simple phrase so dramatic when he referred to the Philippines.  I am slightly less illustrious yet some how saying those three words helps me feel a bit like a conqueror or someone important whose words are followed by either a fanfare or applause.  

But seriously, I am going on a Bilbo Baggins adventure and will not be posting on the blog while I'm gone.  My goal is to truly experience where I'm going and then I'll tell you all about it when I return.  That's a promise.

Here's an article that changed my world of travel.  Enjoy!

I hope you have a wonderful few weeks and I shall see you in February :)