When Bobby asked me to join the 60 at 60 Challenge back in September, I figured, “No problem! I already drink a lot of water and only have one cup of coffee in the morning….and maybe some sweet tea every once in a while.” What I didn’t realize was how the caffeinated beverages affect my body and undo the good I’m doing by drinking water.

The start of the challenge also happened to coincide with the beginning of my first half-marathon training. Because of the challenge, I was already conscious of consuming at least 60 ounces of water each day. But once I started running on a routine schedule, I began to notice that although 60 ounces of water sounds like a lot, it was not enough to keep me hydrated when coupled with that coffee and sweet tea. And with each non-water beverage I consumed, I had to add that much water to my daily intake.

So with a new need to track my water intake as well as my running schedule, I found an iPhone app that allows me to do both. (Of course there’s an app for that!) After each run, it gives you an opportunity to add notes about how the run went. So I started using that space to not only jot down thoughts about my run, but also log my water intake for the day up to that point.

I have noticed a very distinct pattern. The more water I drink, the better my runs are. And further, on the days that I drink a beverage for lunch such as tea, there is a direct correlation to my run success, or lack thereof.

All of these components together have made me much more conscious of how my body deals with what I put into it. It likes water. It needs water. And it tells me when it does not get enough water. It hates sugar. It hates caffeine. And it makes me pay for it when I neglect to respect those wishes.

Although I still have my one cup of coffee on most mornings, I think twice before ordering tea at lunch. I remember the gut-wrenching cramps and the disappointingly slow pace that are the results of drinking that tea. Nothing tastes as good and as a good run feels – and it’s because of drinking water!