I had heard about it, saw an advertisement for it, and read rave reviews about HydraCoach, the intelligent, interactive water bottle. When I saw one at Tuesday Morning, I bought it.
Couldn't I just use a water bottle with markings to keep track of how much I consume in a day? Sure, but I often forget to drink. Even when on a long run, I have to remind myself to drink every 15 minutes or before my throat goes dry.
As a distance runner and marathon coach, I know the importance of proper hydration for performance and recovery, and to keep the body from overheating. However, I've been battling heat exhaustion all summer and have had a terrible time maintaining a good hydration level.
How does it work? You enter your current weight and it calculates how many ounces of fluid you should drink. It's simple arithmetic: take 50% of your weight. For example, if you weight 144 lbs @ 50% = 72. Make that 72 ounces. You can adjust that amount to account for other fluids you drink, like coffee, tea or juice. It tracks how much you've consumed in ounces and as a percentage of your goal, and your average intake per hour to help pace you.
Developed by a mountaineer who found himself dangerously dehydrated during a climb, it has become my virtual buddy reminding me to keep up with my hydration goals. I've found out, myself, what it's like to bonk at a critical point in a long distance event. Read more about the HydraCoach and how it's being used.