Water is one thing we cannot live without. Add in the fact that you are an athlete, a cyclist, a runner and water is probably even more important to you. Considering the human body can be up to 60% water, my guess is we should not have all the questions that tend to pop up around water. We should just drink it and be done with it. Unfortunately, water is not a given.

What kind of water do you like?

Are you a tap water person? Bottled water? Filtered water? I can drink tap water. I admit, having spent the last 15 years of my life living with a well, tap water tastes weird to me. I can pick out chemicals – not bad ones, mind you – that are put in water by taste. Even with my well, I tend to filter my water. I have a filtered pitcher that stays full and in my refrigerator. My daughter, on the other hand, is a bottled water person. She likes bottled water – whether half liter bottles or the gallons you can get at the grocery store from a machine. She does not drink tap water if we are out of town nor does she drink my Brita water. My other kids – remember, my kids are between 19 and 28 – do not like tap water.  When my youngest went to college, I bought him a water bottle that came with a filter in it so he did not have the expense of purchasing bottled water but still drank water.

How do you like your water?

There is a loaded question. I like my water cold, ice cold. I have already said I keep my Brita pitcher in the fridge. I usually put ice in my water on top of it already being cold. Not as much in the winter but in the summer I tend to put “stuff” in my water. I will put lemon or lime juice in water. I’ve been known to put cucumbers in water. I like to vary the taste of my water now and then. I will drink water at room temperature but it is not a favorite. I will drink water that is – UGH! – warm due to being in my bottle and me being out running for over an hour. I just prefer ice cold water.

Do you keep track of your water intake?

I never use to keep track of my water intake. I would drink when I was thirsty. At times I would drink things other than water but I am not a milk fan – dairy intolerance – and too much caffeine makes me feel icky so not a lot of coffee and tea throughout the day. Then, I realized I was thirsty frequently. After ruling out any other issues with my primary care practitioner, I decided the way to be sure I was not dehydrated was to track my water intake. It started with an Excel sheet. Then it was an app. Now, I use MyFitnessPal.com to track my water intake.

So how much do you think about water and dehydration?