January 27th, 2010
Time for a video with some actual value. This one is a demonstration and comparison of hydration belts and handhelds. I thought it might be worthwhile for those folks that haven’t yet dealt with the different methods for carrying water/sports drinks, especially the newbies, but even for the experienced souls who might not have considered all the options.
As always, the production values suck (I need to buy a proper light) and I did it in one take because it was too long to want to do again, lol, so please excuse any Alzheimers moments.
For the moment, I’m linking it directly to YouTube because I need to start getting some YouTube love in their rankings, so if you guys and gals want to help out, please rate the video or even comment there – that’d be super cool. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this one!
Handhelds and Hydration Belts – A demonstration and Comparison
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love the video. very informative. when i first started running i just carried a plastic water bottle then got annoyed with it after a summer and haven’t taken water on a run since. oops. i think a belt would annoy me because i don’t like things on my waist or riding up either. and i am in love with the mini-handheld you have. it looks like the perfect option for bringing water on the run.
Yay! So glad it had some value for you. I really do love that little bottle and yeah, the belts are too much mass for me. Get something pretty soon, you don’t want to be ignoring water when it starts to warm up again (as if it ever will).
“Marathon running, running, life is horrible…” LOL
I wear a belt on my long runs, a bit like that first one. In my latest marathon I tried a throwaway hand-held for the first time. I got a 20oz bottle from 7-11 and added a duct-tape handle, doubled over so it didn’t stick to my hand. Big success. It was a cold day, so it took me more than 20 miles to empty it.
If the video wasn’t already too long, I’d have taped one up as an example because that’s a great way to cover a race if you don’t plan on refilling it, but epic length was already happening. Might demonstrate it in another video as our marathons get closer.
Wow, you’re all about the social media these days.
I keep putting off the issue of hydration belts, etc. but I suppose I need to figure it out as my runs start stretching up into the higher 20′s and beyond. It gets tough to depend on vending machines at that point…
I’ve got even more surprises up my sleeve beyond this [rubs hands together] – 2010 is a year for ideas and fun.
Yeah, get something for water, it’s important for those 20s especially, plus then you don’t have to stop during your runs. I did that once, stopped at a gas station, and hated the interruption.
I have the small hand held and love it. It is very comfy. That is a nice looking plant in the corner – hard to make it out ;-)
Thanks, I don’t know what it is, it was given to me by the studio owner where I do a lot of voiceovers. I was admiring it and he said “ya want it?”. I love it. (and it’s sitting on some books so it gets in the shot, it’s actually a little shorter than that, lol)
wow!! you ran 11 minute miles at some point? i’m in complete disbelief. seriously.
ok, back to watching the video now … hehe.
It was really funny to look back in the log to get the details, though I will never forget the day itself because I was so thirsty and kept passing people drinking water and wanted so bad to snatch their bottles right out of their hands. But yeah, I started in Feb 2007 and by May was doing some high 9s (just 3 and 4 milers) but mostly 10s and some 11s. And with that, I gotta go to bed now, have a great night!!
That was a good one Flo. I’m a 4-bottle Fuel Belt guy (only 900ml but I have taps for long runs). I also have an elastic hand strap thingy (from Raceready) to use on plastic bottles. This is good for races because you can toss the bottle when you’re close enough to the finish. And, you don’t have to clean the bottle!
Nice touch to thank the volunteers
Thank you Quentewen, Lol! You crack me up – thanks for the YouTube comment, I got a great chuckle from it.
Very nice video!
Funny though I thought the hand held you were always using was the smaller 12 oz one….that’s why I got it. I remember telling Chris “oh this blogger girl uses it for really long runs…I bet I would like it”. Now i have three and never run without the 12 oz hand held (it’s like a security blanket).
When marathon training starts I may have to go to the bigger one.
Great Job!
You’ve become a collector :-). I’ve probably been using that bottle since you’ve been reading, seems like I’ve had it a year. Yeah, if you don’t have a place to refill in the summer, you’ll want a larger one for the longer marathon runs. I’ve even carried two when I was doing a really long trail run.
I sweat, you glow.
I’ve worn a Fuel Belt a couple of times, and found it was not nearly as bothersome as I feared, although it kept rotating. I hate carrying stuff; on long runs I’ll plan for places for water, a lesson learned during a no-liquid August 13-miler.
Did I mention that I hate your homepage?
Yes, you mentioned you thoroughly dislike my shithead wig, though I certainly find it very fetching. Are you afraid of pooh, Joe? Is there some dark memory lurking in the depths of your runner brain?
Yeah, it does just take one awful non-watered run to make you appreciate that carrying it isn’t so bad.
Flo,
Loved the video thingy on youtube…helpful and funny! Great job getting yourself out there…I’ve been wearing my “run, sweat, love” shirt on the treadmill….didn’t “love” the 10 mile run on the darn thing, but I looked nice doing it.
Aw, thank you so much for the cool YouTube comment too, between this and that, I just want to hug the crap out of you. :-)
I have a question for you: Does your handheld have elastic wrapping around it? I’ve been using Nathan handhelds but the strapping that holds the water bottle is elastic which wears after a while and eventually loosens up, thus needing to replace the actual carrier. I plan to replace it with the Quickdraw Elite but that still has elastic which will eventually wear. Now I’m wondering about the Amphipod, maybe it lasts longer than a year?
I’m like you, I’ve gone through the whole gamut of hydration options: fuel belt (hated it), belt with the single, tilted bottle (hated it) and am currently on my second handheld (favorite by far!) I love the improvised water station refill, you’re right – 4 cups of water to refill the bottle.
Keep doing the videos, they’re great!
No elastic, pretty much indestructible. Glad to hear you’re another water refiller-er. I feel geeky needing to take mine but it’s worth the mental salve and being properly hydrated.
As far as other brands, I was wanting to try the one with the bite nipple. Is that the Quickdraw? Just don’t know if I’ll like the round bottle as much, that’s what I love about the Amphipod, the shape is good.
Hmmm, I’m not sure what you mean about the bite nipple.
One of the handhelds has a bite nipple that you don’t have to open or close, just bite on it to get the water out and it reseals itself. Sounds nasty, I know.
i so need to get an 8 oz. where did you get that?
It’s a 12oz (8oz would be teeny weeny). I got it at Running Warehouse:
http://www.runningwarehouse.com/descpage-AHHL.html
my bad lol…thanks! I’m doing new jersey and since it won’t be too hot then I just need a nice small bottle
Sorry for me being anal, just didn’t want to disappoint if you were actually go for 8oz. Sounds perfect! Cool on New Jersey, they say it’s a great race.
Great information! Thanks!
My pleasure.
And thank you.
Hi Flo, Jim’s friend Loraine here.
Wow, this is so timely (well almost). I just spent about an hour in REI last weekend agonizing over which new bottle/hydration thingy to buy – wish I’d had the benefit of this before that. I also have a love/hate mostly hate thing with the amphipod clip on belt (rides up). So I bought a hand held for the first time, not amphipod though.
Tell me, I loved trying out the amphipod hand held but I thought it might get annoying only having it on the inside of your hand (palm side) whereas other more rounded hand helds could go on the outside of your hand (knuckle side) – maybe that would be weird. You tried that?
Hey there Loraine, nice to see you here!
I never even thought about wearing the bottle any other way but in my palm, it fits there so naturally, so I can’t say I’ve thought about that. I’m laughing over the agonizing at REI, I do that with anything new added to my running collection. You should have seen how long I spent at the arm warmer section of Running Warehouse, only to return them because the ones I got were too thick. I bet whatever bottle you bought works a treat, so happy hydrating!
Nice running blog and i like the moevie!.
You can run fast and a good marathon time.
I think you can run faster the marathon, but i read that you do the boston marathon and than stop?.
You can try run more marathons and i think you can do it fast.
Problem of the marathon, you must learn the marathon to run many marathons.
I say, try it!.
Have a nice weekend and run whit fun.
Rinus.
http://www.rinusrunning.nl
Hi Rinus! I recognize you from Julie’s blog, glad you made it over here. Your blog is cool too, wish I could read it though. I will say, I had a great trip to Holland a couple years ago, how I loved those coffee shops, lol. No more though. ;-)
You’re right with the marathon, I could get better the more I do them but I don’t love the training enough to want to do it, it’s not so fun for me. But you’re a sweetie for being so positive. That’s what I like about you when I read your comments on Julie’s blog.
You have a great weekend, too. (and sorry this didn’t get posted right away, my blog mistakenly thought you were spam)
Hi,
I am spam!, thats nice to hear ;-).
Sorry for my english and i hope you can read it.
You are right, when you have no fun whoit the marathon training, than it is better to run shorter.
You can translate my blog to english, on the left site on my blog you read “Google vertaal” and “kies taal” http://translate.google.com/translate?client=tmpg&hl=nl&u=http%3A%2F%2Frinusrunning.punt.nl%2F%3Fhome%3D1&langpair=nl|en
Not always 100% accurate!.
Maiby i see you at the Newyork marathon in November?.
Rinus.
Lol, you are no longer spam, you are now That Funny Dutch Guy. Cool on the translation, you’re so global. Speaking of, how wonderful that you’re coming over for the NY marathon. Unfortunately, I won’t be seeing you but will be happy to be sharing this continent with you that weekend.