Thursday, October 21, 2010

Some days, it's too early to run...


And sometimes, microwaves are not healthy.

I cannot stress enough how much I love hydration. (I love a lot of things, don't I?) I've gone for very few runs without some form of water; those runs have been enough to encourage me not to do it again. Whether it's 110 degrees or 10 degrees below zero, I always need water. If I'm running 10 miles or more, I also need some form of solid food. Enter my favorite water bottle...
This is what my favorite water bottle used to look like.

Wasn't it so pretty? I loved the soft handle that kept the bottle snug on my hand so I didn't have to squeeze it. The pocket was the perfect size to hold my keys, a fuel gel, and (on my really ambitious work days) my T pass, building badge, and driver's license. It holds 16 ounces of water, which is enough for about 13 miles, depending on the weather.

Well, now I need a new hydration system. And with this 26.2-miler looming ahead of me, my old 16 ounce water bottle doesn't seem like enough. I plan my routes to pass public drinking fountains so I can refill if necessary, but those will be shut off in a month or so. Enter my new favorite water bottle(s)...
There are MANY models of fuel belt on the market and I did a fair amount of research before I bought this one. By "research," I mean watching what other runners were using. For every other type of belt I saw on the road, I saw 5 of this one. That sold me.

What I love about this belt is the lack of bells and whistles. There are belts with comfort grips, but a friend who used one got bruises from the bounce. Some other belts have clip-closures with adjustable widths, but another friend said that hers kept loosening on her runs. My belt has no bounce and the stretchy, velcro closure is easy to fit to almost any body. It holds four 8-ounce bottles, which can be replaced fairly inexpensively with a 6-, 10-, or 12-ounce model. The pocket in the rear is my favorite part. I can fit three, count 'em, three fuel gels in that bad boy and still have room for my keys!

I'm going to have to think of a new excuse to delay my long runs... :) In other news, I'm up to 17 miles on the weekend! I'll try 20 this weekend and let you know how it goes...

4 comments:

  1. you. go. girl....17 miles blows my mind!! proud of you and love your fancy fuel belt. in my activeness news, i returned to Zumba this week :)

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  2. Holler! I loved that so much when I visited. I need to find a great studio here. And the time to go :) LOVE you!

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  3. So do you live in Charleston???? I live on Daniel Island and I started running a while back. I started having trouble with everything on my body including plantar facitis!! I would love to hear more about your challenges and how you have become a successful long distance runner.My name is Amber and I would love to meet you. I also very conscious about what I eat and my health. It sounds like we have soooo much in common..

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  4. Congrats on getting up to 17 miles! Inspiring! I just picked up running 2 years ago and I'm 35. I've run a half marathon. I love it and want to run a full marathon next October. Any tips?

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