One of the most important ways to maximize performance as a runner is to eat well and stay properly hydrated. As runners, we can easily lose 2 to 3 liters of fluid per hour while running. But #HydrationGoals aren’t just about the amount of water or sports drink we consume right before, during and after a race. Our everyday hydration can help us feel better and run stronger.

Drum roll please: An estimated 75 percent of Americans are chronically dehydrated. And, yes … sadly I am one of them.

Even as a seasoned runner and marathon coach, I’m constantly dehydrated. I often complain to my husband on a daily basis that I haven’t drank enough water, which results in frequent headaches and sluggish runs in the Florida humidity. I know I need to drink more daily, but for some reason I often fall short.

Until now.

The team at Thermos recently reached out to me with a solution to solve my problem. It’s quite possibly the greatest new thing I’ve tried all year (and you know I don’t say that lightly).

It’s the Thermos Connected Hydration Bottle with Smart Lid.

I received a free bottle from Thermos to try before Thanksgiving, and it is changing my life. Now, I know you are thinking: A water bottle changed your life? Really?

Yes! The Thermos Connected Hydration Bottle is not just any water bottle. It is the smartest bottle on the planet that actually tracks how much fluid I’m drinking and sends that data to my iPhone where I can keep tabs on my water intake throughout the day. Yes, there’s an app for that.

I’ve been using my Thermos bottle for a week and it hasn’t left my side since I received it. Sometimes setting a goal and being able to “compete” against yourself is all it takes to get that kick in the pants we need to reach our #HydrationGoals. Here’s how it works:

• When you take the Thermos Connected Hydration Bottle out of the package, immediately charge the lid for three hours. There is a little USB port on the back of the lid (which can get wet).

• While the lid is charging, download the free Thermos Smart Lid app from the App Store℠ on a compatible Apple device (you can see the devices it’s compatible with here). Open the app, sign in and answer the hydration questions to determine your water intake goal. After inputting my weight, gender and activity level, I was shocked to find out that I should consume 117 ounces of water every day. I have definitely been a hydration offender.

These were my stats for Friday, the highest amount I’ve drank since I’ve had my bottle (although still under my goal of 117 ounces). You can see the app tells you how much you drank and throughout what periods of the day.

• Using Bluetooth technology, pair your Thermos Smart Lid with your phone, and BAM! you’re ready to start tracking. The Connected Hydration Bottle continually monitors your water intake to help you achieve your daily #HydrationGoals. You can see the temperature of your water as well as how much you have drank and how close you are to your daily goal.
• You can set it up to receive alerts when you’re not drinking enough. The bottle also synchs with FitBit.
• The Thermos Connected Hydration Bottle with Smart Lid has a rechargeable, lithium-ion battery that will hold a charge for up to 12 days. So far, I haven’t had to recharge mine yet. It’s made from BPA-free, impact-resistant material and comes in a teal and smoke color.
• The bottle is not meant to be used with hot liquids and should not be put in the dishwasher.
• Each Thermos Connected Hydration Bottle with Smart Lid holds 24 ounces of water and retails at $59.99. You can learn more about the Thermos Connected Hydration Bottle here.

I am in love with this bottle. My brother made fun of me for being overly connected to technology and obsessive with my personal health stats, but when you struggle with daily hydration like I do, it’s such a great motivator. The bottle has also opened my eyes to realizing I think I drink more than I really do, and I wasn’t drinking even close to what I should be drinking. I’m on my way to better daily hydration, which is really important to me.

There are only a few things I would change about the Thermos Connected Bottle with Smart Lid:

• When you put ice in the bottle or make the water really cold, the bottle sweats. I would love to see the next version of the bottle be made with material that prevents it from sweating. I suggest using cold water without ice to avoid this problem. I actually put a koozie on mine so my hand didn’t get wet when drinking ice water out of it.
• It would be great if the app allowed a place for you to edit your hydration intake so you could add other water you may have drank that day but were unable to consume out of the bottle. For instance, if you drink out of a standard plastic water bottle at a running event, football game or even out of a glass at a restaurant, there is currently no way to track that. It would be nice to be able to manually show that you met your daily goal if you were somewhere that required you to drink out of something other than your bottle.
• I’d like to see Thermos find a way to allow this to pair with Garmin products as well as Android products. I wear a Garmin Vivosmart as my tracker, and I know a lot of people who don’t have an iPhone, although I use the iPhone 6.

I am thrilled to have had the chance to try this product, and it is now an everyday must-have in my arsenal of fitness and health tools. This would make an incredible holiday gift and is one of my top suggestions for the fitness fanatic in your life (ok, just go buy it for yourself already).

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