I had no idea getting water into my body was so complicated.

Yesterday morning I was on the Pinckney area trails with other runners training for the Run Woodstock ultramarathons in two weeks. While I will be volunteering this year and not running an ultra, I’ll accept any excuse for a run with fellow trail enthusiasts.

The morning was warm and humid, and as is standard with trail runners, we carried water bottles. When we felt like we needed a drink, we took one. And when our bottles got low, we refilled them from gallon jugs that the wonderful RF Events staff put out for us at various points along the trail. After finishing, I wrung out my shirt and went for coffee.

Little did I know how behind the times we were. We’re highly trained athletes and depend on keeping our bodies in peak condition. Can you believe I ran for three hours and AT NO TIME did I know if I was optimally hydrated, or what exactly was in those gallon jugs. Ignorance is bliss!

So imagine my shock when I came across this latest entry in the Stuff I Didn’t Know I Needed department.

More than just a water bottle, the Pryme Vessyl Hydration Tracker hooks up with your Fitbit or other fitness tracker to monitor your hydration level. The idea is that you can be optimally hydrated throughout the day, as least as long as you’re carrying the bottle around. Here’s what the Product Description on Amazon says:

Pryme is your personal hydration metric. It takes into account your height, weight, age, and biological sex, as well as ever-changing factors such as your activity level and hours of sleep. Whether you bike, lift weights, or simply walk to work each day, Pryme Vessyl also connects with Fitbit, Jawbone Up, and Apple Health to let you know how close you are to your Pryme.

The blue light means you’re Prymed for your moments of greatness. Optimal hydration can lead to mental balance, physical endurance, more energy, healthier skin and much more. In concert with the app, Pryme provides real-time personalized insights and notifications to help you get to and stay at your best.

Just think of what I’ve been missing. When I’m out on the trail, I could get a to-the-second alert on when to take a drink, and not rely on such a crude indicator as thirst. And if I’m at Body Specs heaving and groaning my way through a tough set? BEEP BEEP! “Sorry, Skip, need a moment! I’m losing my optimal hydration!”

Now such hydration perfection doesn’t come cheap. The Pryme Vessyl is $120.00 on Amazon. I suppose it’s not really that much compared to an investment in a fitness tracker and smartphone. But since I don’t have those either, I’ll have to rely on other people to tell me if the PV is worth it. (Your comments are welcome.)

So that’s all well and good, but even with perfect timing, your personal hydration is only as good as the water you’re drinking. And thanks to modern technology, you don’t need to settle for ordinary tap water or regular old bottled water. No sir, why bother with that when you can have – wait for it – Zero Water!

Tested and certified by the Water Quality Association and NSF International for removal of several minerals, ZeroWater is the only filtration system that fits the FDA definition of purified bottled water. The ZeroWater pitcher not only improves the taste of your tap water, it also helps to improve the environment. When you use the ZeroWater Pitcher, you’ll reduce your use of plastic water bottles that clog up landfills and harm ecosystems. You’ll also contribute to water conservation, because unlike reverse-osmosis systems, ZeroWater is gravity operated and doesn’t waste electricity or water.

Now I’m big on improving the environment. After all, I’m heading up the RF Events Zero Waste team this year. So Zero Water sounds like a perfect fit for my lifestyle, doesn’t it?

Well, Bohemian that I am, I wouldn’t have bothered with this innovation either. Fortunately (?), my wife found out about this and made the investment for me. So we have a large Zero Water filter pitcher sitting in our refrigerator.

And how is the water? Actually, it’s pretty good, compared to our home’s tap water and especially the tap water at work, where I admit to running it through a Brita before making coffee. As for why the Zero Water tastes good, perhaps it’s the magic filter, or perhaps just because it’s pre-chilled. I guess I don’t really care. She’s happy with it and is drinking more water, so life is good.

Come to think of it, she also has a Fitbit and a smartphone, which means she could also use the Pryme Vessyl hydration tracker. I hope she’s not reading this post.