WORKOUT – Ran outside 10.5 miles/1:22 no music, lots of rolling hills, warm out
Despite getting up at 5:45am, I didn’t get running until after 9 and it was already warm out. I didn’t bring any water so by the end of 10 miles, it hurt to swallow and my lips looked like they were caked in sugar… which really, they could have been. I do love my Hot Tamales.
Anyways, lately I’ve received multiple questions about how I carry water on my runs and since I’m so stellar at hydration, I thought I’d talk about it.
I usually don’t run with water unless it’s in the summer and hot. I don’t mind carrying stuff in my hands (I hold my GU’s, camera, ipod, kitchen sink in all my races) so it doesn’t bug me to have a water bottle in my hand. But here’s the gear I have:
A Nathan hydration belt where the bottle goes on your back. I bought this when I first started running and I hate it. I feel like the bottle moves around way too much and is too heavy so I never ever use this. I should get rid of it but it does such a great job of collecting dust.
A handheld water bottle that I bought at Marshalls for $6 a couple years ago. Yes, I’m using a Corona for display because my Nathan bottle is lost somewhere in San Francisco, I think.
I love this thing; you can only carry about 22 ounces, but it’s not too heavy, it’s easy to use and I don’t mind holding it.
A lot of people use belts like this with the 2 smaller 10 ounce bottles:
I’ve never used one but it would seem to work out better with multiple smaller bottles than one big one.
If you don’t want to run with a belt, a couple other tips:
*Plan your route around agua
Public parks generally have water fountains, bring cash to buy a drink at the grocery store, do a double loop course where you loop back to your car and get a drink there, etc.
*Stash your bottles beforehand
I’ve never done this and it’d take a little effort, but some people will drive their route and hide water bottles in bushes or whatever along the way.
*Pregame
You’re still going to need water while running if it’s hot out, but it helps to be hydrating before you run. Have a glass of water as soon as you get up with your coffee and drink small sips an hour before you run or something.
*Have a mixer
When it’s hot out I like to mix Powerade Zero and water. Choose some sort of energy drink, Nuun, whatever that has sodium and electrolytes in it to help ward off dehydration.
*Practice
Before it gets sweltering hot, try some different things and drinks to see what works for you. Some people can’t drink certain energy drinks and maybe a handheld water bottle would drive you crazy, but you won’t know until you try it out in your training.
Any other tips or suggestions I’m missing?
One last question: Do I have La SIDA?
That is some prime chafing going on.
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{ 55 comments… read them below or add one }
I hate ‘wearing’ my hydration. While marathon training I borrowed a Nathan belt from a friend and only used it on those 18-20 mile long runs — I also tried out a camelback style waste hydration pack (not the backpack style). It actually didn’t bounce as much which was nice.
First 1/2 marathon I ran I carried a water bottle through mile 11 (like a safety net!) and then I tossed it and finished under 1:40. Memories!!
I have a nathan’s water bottle with a hand strap and really like it. Though I try to plan my runs around water fountains.
I didn’t know AIDS was funny again…
Me + water belt = I’m throwing out freebies like I’m the headliner at a huge concert. Super bummer for me, score for someone else. Not sure why they hurt my stomach- back in the day it was just fine. Probably a mental problem.
Love my handheld. Best ever. That sounds wrong, doesn’t it?
I carry a hydration pack instead of the belts and I love it. I feel kind of like a 3rd grader carrying a backpack, but it’s comfortable and doesn’t bother me at all. Plus, then I can put other random crap in the pockets.
We stash water along our route. Luckily one of my friends lives nearby, so we get to sleep a little later and not worry about it.
I tried belts and they constrict my stomach which bloats when I run. But I do like iFitness belt with 2 add on 4oz bottles. It’s the best one. I use it for up to a 10K. I personally detest holding things so after trying and trying I got a pack. My favorite pack is Ultimate Direction Wink. Has pockets on the front straps…. I don’t fill the bladder all the way. I don’t need a ton of water but even shorter distances I like to swish and spit. My favorite is when my kids are on bike and they crew me. That’s just my 2 cents, but I have more hydration systems than our local running store….
I’ve never been a fan of carrying my water with me while I run. I’ve done the stash method a few times but usually I just pre-run hydrate. It works well for me.
I have a water belt that I never use- I can’t get it to sit right on me. I also have a clip on, for one small bottle, but I always chafe when I wear it. I finally bought a hand-held and I really like that the best.
I have the Amphipod handheld pocket bottle. Just got it last summer and only used it a few times. I prefer to stash H2O somewhere along the route. I think a hydration belt would drive me nuts!
In the summer I have to plan around water stops. My basic ten mile loop starts with 4.5 miles without water, and while that is nothing in the winter, in the summer I can actually be dehydrated by the time I get there (think 98 – both humidity and temps). I occasionally change my route in the summer…or I just suffer.
I use a hydration belt that holds four small water bottles. I usually do half of them water and half gatorade and it works great for me. I got it for dirt cheap at TJ Maxx.
Your arm is looking toned in that picture. Those Body Pump classes must be working already!
I have an Amphipod too…I have little hands, and all the other handhelds I saw had round bottles. The Amphipod has an oval bottle, which makes it easier to hold on to. I usually only bring it if I am going more than 8 or have a dog with me.
I have the same Nathan belt in the bottom picture and I love it. I mean, I hate wearing it, but as far as comfort goes it’s pretty great. I like that it uses strong velcro to close, so I can easily, while running, adjust it up or down, tighter or looser. I can also fit a metric shit ton of stuff in it. I get really hot on my lower back, so if a pack is too big I go bonkers during a run. I sometimes use my Camelbak backpack. That’s pretty comfy too.
I use the belt pictured w/the 2 bottles. Fill up both w/Nuun. Only downside is that I make the belt really tight because I hate feeling the bottles jiggle around but that sometimes causes a burn/rash. Aaack. I also just bought a 22oz. handheld so for a 19 mile run on Sunday I brought the belt and that. I’m super crazy about become dehydrated. I’d probably bungee cord a water fountain on my back if I could.
I have a hydration belt and I HATE it! It is the kind with two small bottles. It moves around way too much.
I ended up chaffing really bad during my half marathon. It was misting/raining the entire time. I hadnt’ been out in the rain and I hadn’t run 13.1 miles before. I have about a 4 inch long by 2 inch wide scar on the inside of my thigh. I didn’t even know I had it until I got in the car and saw the blood.
I don’t do belts because I have too much hip action and the belts ride up. I use a handheld for runs 6-16 miles and bust out the Camelbak for 18-28 milers. In races I rely on the aid stations for hydration.
I read on RW yesterday actually that it’s important to hydrate on runs lasting longer than an hour,even when it’s cold out. The cold suppresses thirst or something but I have gotten more dehydrated while running in below freezing temps versus hot temps because I didn’t feel like I was thirsty.
I agree with the belts, they move around too much. I have a handheld one and like it but it doesn’t hold very much. I didn’t use it during my first half-marathon and regreted it – I can’t drink out of the little cups, it always goes up my nose!
yes, chafing and AIDS are definitely the same. yep.
I have a Nathan’s hydration belt and absolutely HATE it! I think I’ve used it twice. Both runs were awful. I normally don’t take water with me unless it’s really hot outside. In the summer, I usually take a regular plastic water bottle and fill it 3/4 of the way. That allows me to crush it a little before putting the lid on. Then I do the most attractive thing ever….I stuff it in the back of my sportsbra. I may look like a hunchback, but the bottle doesn’t move around and I don’t have to hold it on long runs.
I love my Fuel Belt! I scored mine at TJMaxx for 10.00! I have the Nathan’s belt with the huge bottle but I went with the small pods bc the weight was distributed more evenly!
I totally run with everything in my hands too! I have no problem running 10 miles holding my regular old plastic water bottle (I have to switch hands sometime, but for some reason I actually prefer to hold something!). If it’s a long run, I sometimes drive the course and set out a couple water bottles that I can easily snatch up as I run by. Since I live in the Blue Ridge Mountains, I usually drive out to a road that is a bit flatter anyways so I just drop off some water along the way.
I stashed water once, in a reusable nalgene bottle and someone stole it! Who would want a used old gross nalgene filled with luke warm water laying in the bushes?!? Some people…
I’ve done the whole stashing the water bottle before my run thing and it has NEVER worked out for me. I always get my water bottle stolen. HA. I would love to know who keeps taking it
I used to hold a water bottle, but I found it it annoying and I always thought it made me run slower. Haha. It’s probably just an excuse. Now I just suck it up and am usually dehydrated. By the end of my run I feel like I’ve just run 50 miles in the desert. It’s more fun that way.
I have two fuel belts and don’t use them. I am a minimalist when it comes to things *on* me while running. Though sometimes I will take the little bottles from them if I really think I’ll need to carry something with me.
I do the loop thing but stash bottles away from my house and car–if I have to go back to exactly where I started, I likely will not do another loop. I also carry gus with me, either in a pocket of my shorts if they have one, in my sports bra under my arm, or on my thigh under my shorts (spandex-type running shorts hold so much and are great!).
I love my little Nathan handheld. Like you said, it doesn’t hold much, but I can usually stop by a water fountain to fill it back up when I’m low. It’s awesome because the way they designed it, you don’t really need to “hold” it.
I have the Nathan handheld and love it. I switch hands about every 5 miles. But I found that moving to Texas, it’s way too hot and I need way more water on my long runs, so then I bought the dual belt. I hate it, its like a damn fanny pack, but it’s also like Mary Poppin’s bag, in that it seems like its endless and can hold errythang. Oh well, the price we pay to stay hydrated.
My favorite sign at Carlsbad last weekend…”chafe now, brag later”!
Love my handheld. The belt seems annoying, not sure how people carry all of that baggage while running, it seems like it would weigh you down. When I race I have gotten accustomed to not carrying hydration but definitely when I’m training and logging longer miles I bring hydration with me.
Seriously? Am I the only one that blatantly runs into convenience stores and coffee shops to drink from their bathroom tap? Then quickly makes an exit…without making eye contact or buying anything? Bueller? ……. Bueller?
I have been known to do that…
I carry a handheld. It works fine for me because the strap has enough room that it can hang off my wrist. I don’t always have to waste all that energy gripping the bottle (because I’m lazy).
Last year was my first year of really long runs, and I only ran with water. I think that this year shall be the year of nuun.
OMG! I saw that same underarm picture when I looked in the mirror after my run this morning! I hate that! I don’t know why but the underarm thing just started a couple months ago, one side more than the other. I guess I’m doing something funky with my right arm when I run! It’s good to know I’m not alone!
I love my Fuel Belt. It makes me look SUPER dorky but I have been running with it for six years. I make the strap really tight on my stomach so it doesn’t bounce and usually it works. I used to wear it during races, but stopped because of the water stops. I usually only wear it on runs that are longer than 14 miles.
I stash my water bottles along the side of the road and in ditches. I live in the middle of nowhere, Montana so it works for me!
Ouch…on the chaffing…and I can say that b/c I have experienced that exact same Ouch! (and it kind of stings too)
I want to get a belt of some sort for next summer while running…I tried the hand held thingie and it was a big dislike! Some friends have the dual or triple belt holders and love them…but, I have never personally tried them out. Interesting thoughts…thanks.
I hate when I get chaffing under my arms from running … it’s so uncomfortable!!
I use one of those Nathan handheld bottles … similar to the one that is holding your Corona.
And I really like it!
That chafing still left over from Sunday?? Ouch. Try putting some Desitin (yes, the diaper creme – but seriously it work miracles) on it before going to bed: it’ll be gone tomorrow.
I sometimes get chafing in bra line ares, but fortunately never under arms thanks to my revolutionary arm-flail technique.
Ouchy, body glide girl it works!
I love my Nathan hand held they are the best. For the days when I would actually go out on long trail runs I have the Nathan backpack, holds I think a liter or more. I have even run out of that before on a long hot day. They are very comfortable.
I bought a pack of toddler drinks from the supermarket- which i now reuse as my water bottles (i tried with bigger bottles & it didn’t work for me) . They fit into my hands perfectly ( i have very small hands) – & as they didn’t cost much i can throw away towards the end of my run.
OMW my armpits looked the same way after the Arizona RnR half! I shaved the morning of, big mistake…couldn’t shave them after the race for a good 4-5 days LOL
I’m down with the handheld water bottle and since my near death experience the other day I’ve noticed it has a pocket for a key and I.D. Who knew? I’ve tried the water belt and will use it sometimes but the last race I used it in, it drove me nuts becuase it kept riding up on my waist. I can’t believe you can run so far without water…getting thirsty makes me want to stop running.
I have the double water belt. I prefer running without it but summers in TX it’s impossible to not have water and I’m far too lazy/unpredictable to set up my water bottles before my run and then pick them up again later on… one COOL thing is a trail here in Dallas has a local Ice House (Restaurant/Bar) right off it and they LEAVE OUT ICE COLD COOLERS of water and disposable cups for runners in the summer! woohoo! They even put out doggy dishes with ice cubes for the pets. More places should do this!!
I also carry mine and love it. I don’t mind a belt but not with water on it.
OW! I chafe there when it’s really humid…which is 10 months out of the year. I swear I bathe in body glide.
I’m really not all that PC, but AIDS just isn’t funny. Strange remark.
I was thinking the same thing. Seriously tasteless.
I have that same Nathan bottle holder in green and I HATE it. The waste isn’t elastic and I feel like I can never get it adjusted just right. It’s wither a muffin top or wildly bouncing.
I went on my first run with a hydration pack the other day and really liked it.
Just ordered a pair of the Aspaeris shorts – the 50% promo code still works. Thanks!
Great tips!! I like to circle back to my car… or just be stupid and not hydrate enough BEFORE like today, and feel dizzy by the end – was running stairs and some speed hills… yea, big mistake!
I have a Nathan belt too … I hate wearing it … but I need it on the long runs I used to do … distant memory …
I have a hand held for shorter hot runs, and a Nathan belt for long, hot runs. Living in Az, running w.out water is not an option in the summer. The only way the belts do now bounce or move, (at least for me), is to secure it around your natural waist. I see people wearing them on their hips, and honestly, have no idea how they do it without it riding up! It lOOKS better, for sure, but I have tried and it just slips down. I look like a total dweeb w/it around my waist since I am short waisted…but it works.
Can anyone wear the belt around the hips w.out movement??
I received a hand held water bottle for christmas. I like it. I never used to drink water on a run, but I do now! I have planned route around water fountains on real hot days. Another idea would be to bring $ with you and just stop at a convenience store. I do this all the time when biking. Another tip is to drink before you’re thirsty. If you’re thristy, then you are dehydrated.
Is it bad I giggled when I thought about hiding my water? It does make sense! I haven’t tried it yet though.
I have done the hiding the water along the route thing, and doing a loop where I pass my car or house and grab a sip. If I dont do that, I just suffer. I hate carrying anything and I definitely wont wear anything. I wore a spi belt during my first marathon with gu’s in it and thought I was going to die from the constriction (dramatic?) I’d just rather hydrate regularly and worry about getting a drink when I get home.
I have been committed to my Amphipod hydration belt as it is comfy, does not bounce, and the pocket holds a *ton* of stuff; however, when I run really long (like over 13 miles) the tightness around my waist tends to make me feel crampy. So, I am considering a hand-held but not sure where I would put my lip gloss and camera… hmmmm…