Day 3, Week 5: Fitletic Hydration Belt Review: Just the right amount of squeeziness

My knees decided that the workout today would be weights.

Unimpressed dog wants to go running, not watch me
stupid pose

We did Cathe's Ramped Up Upper Body again because all those knees had to do was sit there on top of my shins and look pretty.  My knees aren't usually this whiny or dictatorial about what workouts I do, but that marathon Sunday really did a number on them.  That's because I'm doing way more outside running than I normally do, and all the pounding on actual pavement rather than on a nice cushiony treadmill is throwing them off their normal running game.  That's OK though-those knees are eventually just going to have to shut up and deal.

But you know what I can't shut up about?  How well that Fitletic 12 oz hydration belt performed this weekend.

Like I said before, I had some pretty bad experiences with hydration belts in the past.  These experiences have usually ended with many, many swear words, some of which I made up on the spot. But after wearing this Fitletic belt for three races over the weekend, I have much to rave about.

So here's a breakdown of the awesome:

• Not once did it ride up to transform into a bra.  
• The neoprene pouch kept my phone nice and dry during the last four miles of rain.
• Bib holders - for when you accidentally drop all of the pins they gave you in the trash can full of coffee grounds.
• The water bottles didn't feel excessively heavy when both were full.  In fact, it was kind of awesome to have water whenever I wanted to gel and not be at the mercy of where the aid stations were on the course.
• After about 5 minutes of trying to figure out how the water bottles actually dispensed water and realizing they were held in the belt by a loop I had to remove first, I found the squeeziness of the bottles strangely satisfying.
• I never once smacked the water bottles with my crazy flailing runner arms. (Although I kept smacking the bib pinned to the front of me with my left thumb.  Figure THAT one out.)

Here's the not-so-awesome:

• I felt like a total gunslinger when I wasn't running but had the belt on.  Why is this bad?  Because I kept whipping out one of the water bottles and screaming THIS IS A STICK-UP GIMME YOUR WATER AND GELS which other people found highly annoying.
• The price is pricey (around $40.00).  But I think it's worth it to get a hydration belt that doesn't completely suck.

If you couldn't tell by now, I completely approve of this hydration belt.  It will definitely be going with me on longer runs or runs where I just want to enjoy the squeeziness of the water bottles.


Post is over!  Time for Learnings!

1. I didn't really lift weights in that dress.  In case you were wondering.
2. I just hate belts that try and be bras during a run.  So annoying.
3. I find pretending to hold up other runners for their water and gels hilarious.  Others...not so much.
4. I bet you didn't realize that "squeeziness" of water bottles was a thing, did you?  It is with me, buddy.
5. I could have rotated that picture of the hydration belt on my counter so it was horizontal, but I was just too lazy to do that tonight.

Tomorrow's workout: The schedule says 6 x 800m repeats, but it's not the boss of me!  Oh, who am I kidding-I am a complete slave to the training plan.

Using a hydration backpack is better than eating snow.

Yesterday I woke up at 6 AM, fully intending to eat breakfast and then scoot on out the door on my 18-mile long run.  Instead, I spent the next few hours waffling with myself, debating about whether to do the run that day or wait until the next day (today).  I have a shin splint in the making on my right leg, and my left hip has been wobbly during the last week, so I was thinking that they may need a day.  Also, here in northern Illinois-land, we have been plunged into a deep freeze with temperatures in the teens most of the day; I hemmed and hawed about waiting until the next day to do the run because it was supposed to be warmer that day.

I finally convinced myself to suck it up and do the run yesterday, trying out a new out-and-back route in order to provide the motivation to take the time to get all of my winter running gear on and get out the door. (I like running in new places, because there are sights to see that I never even knew existed right in my own backyard--for example, a zoo and a firearms shop.)  But I put on a piece of gear that I hadn't worn before: my hydration backpack.

Backback plus bonus dog.

You see, I'm really really tired of carrying water around in my hand or on a belt, especially in this cold weather.  There's that whole "water freezes below 32 degrees" thing to contend with, so you actually end up carrying around a bottle of ice after an hour, or I have to deal with a hydration belt that eventually rides its way upwards during a run, becoming a bra by the end.  The thing is, though, when you're running for 3 or 4 hours, you get thirsty--really thirsty.  So, instead of eating snow for the last 6 miles and spitting out the road sand that comes with it as I have done before, the  logical solution for me was to shell out some serious cash for the backpack you see above.

Inside the backpack is a bladder that hold about 1.5 liters of water.  Connected to that is a tube that comes outside and down the right arm of the backpack, which ends in a bite nozzle that you bite down on (duh) to get the water to come out.  Since I wear about three layers in the cold weather, I put the backpack in-between my 2nd and third layer so as to prevent it from freezing; I also threaded the tube with the bite nozzle through the right arm of my jacket (between my 2nd and 3rd layer) so that wouldn't freeze either.

It worked like a charm.  Here's what I liked:

• 1.5 liters was more than enough water for a 3+ hour run
• The bite nozzle worked well; I felt like I could get enough water, especially after sucking down a gel.
• The straps that come around the front didn't bother me at all. (Although they did make wear marks on one of my favorite running shirts I was wearing for my 2nd layer.  Bummer.)
• I looked like a total hunchback running down the road with it underneath my jacket, drawing confused looks from passing motorists
• It didn't bounce at all--I didn't even notice it after the first mile.
• It has lots of pockets to carry your stuff.  While that didn't help me yesterday (it being underneath a jacket) these will definitely come in handy when it gets warmer.

I only had two main issues with it:

• The constant sloshy-sloshy sound of the water in the bladder was my constant companion.  However, I run with music, so I only heard it between songs.  (I found out later if I drained the air out of the top of the bladder before running I wouldn't hear it sloshing.)
• I was stupid enough to leave the bite nozzle sticking out of the top of my sleeve during the first two miles of the run.  Having tried out the bite nozzle in my house before I left, there was water sitting in the tip of the nozzle, which promptly froze as it hung outside of my jacket for those two miles.  Thankfully, I just had to press on it to break it up, and it was all good.

Overall, it was a good run yesterday, even if the first 9 miles were right into the cold and windy suck that is Illinois in February and I had to shout "NO-GO HOME!" to way too many dogs.

This was a pace run, meaning I had to negative-split the run so I was ending at my race pace.  I think I did a pretty good job, considering that I had decided I would run each mile my body wanted to run it and not get so focused on the numbers.  Compared to my last 18-mile run, I did come in a bit faster with my average pace, although not much--I started slower this time than last time, but last time I never got into the 10:00 paces whatsoever. 

However, I am going to need to watch it during my marathon--I tend to start speeding up around mile 7 or 8, I've noticed, and then I have to throttle back in later miles in order to make it to the end.  If that happens during the full 26.2, I think I may be in trouble; I am currently planning on holding back a little until the 13th mile, and then assessing the situation from there.  I just don't want to have to do a lot of the pathetic self-bargaining that I had to do yesterday just to make it through the 17th mile.  (I promised myself a new house.)

Anyway, it's cross-training for the next two days for me, which will give my shins a needed break.  Let the Cathextravaganza continue.