Water Water Everywhere

Joy here...The other day I was chatting on skype with a colleague/friend of mine who is currently in Florida. (Side note: If you meet someone as a work colleague, but that person becomes a friend, do you list him as a colleague first or a friend first?). This colleague/friend is the one who I was able to run with throughout the winter once Nomi and I decided to sign up for the May 29, 2010 10km race in Singapore. He was instrumental in getting me to join the gym at a local hotel for the months of January and February when it was just too damn cold to run outside. I'd pick him up at his house, and we'd drive to the gym and then have a run and gossip session on the two treadmills on offer. It was great. Then when spring finally sprung, we were able to run outside, and since I was new to the town, he was able to show me some good running routes.

Now he's the one getting his running back on track, and in Florida he said that he's suffering in the heat and humidity and asked me how I managed in Malaysia. My answer was simple: WATER. Now I'm not used to being asked for advice about running, since I really don't know what I'm doing, but I do know that one really important thing with my own running has been to make sure that I stay hydrated. If I don't have enough water, I can seriously feel myself getting winded and tired; it's not that I feel thirsty per se, but rather that I slow down and the run taxes my whole system more than it should. What that means for me is that I have to drink at least one water bottle (21-24 oz.) of water per 10km; so the ideal is two bottles of water for the 21km 1/2 marathon distance. Now the glitch here is finding a way to carry all that water with me on a long run. I've tried a whole bunch of different hydration systems and will share some of my insights on the pros and cons of each.

1.) Handheld Water Bottle:

This little device has a simple strap that you slip your hand into so that you can hold onto the water bottle while you run; it also has a little pouch for you to keep a thing or two while out running.

PROS:

-it's easy and fits all different sizes of bottles

-it doesn't involve anything uncomfortable around your waist or hips

CONS:

-it's really odd to run with the extra weight in one hand; I actually find that it puts me enough off balance and gives me cramps in whatever side I'm holding the bottle in that I just can't use it; I like to have my hands free when running

2.) Camelbak:

The camelbak system allows you to carry water on your back and drink through a little tube system throughout the run.

PROS:

-you can get a water bladder of any size that you want, so depending on how long you'll be running, you won't run out of water

-you can rig them up so that they fit snugly against your back and are very comfortable while running

-there's usually a pocket where you can store a bank card or hand phone or snacks/fuel or iPod or whatever else you might need, thus freeing up your hands

-you can put the water bladder in the freezer, freezing your water, and then take it out before your run so that it just starts to melt and then have cold water throughout your run

CONS:

-the chafing of the straps against your running clothes can ruin the fabric; I have a number of running shirts that are all "pilled" where the camelback rubbed against it

-the chafing of the straps is even worse against bare skin!!! I like to run in tank tops or something without sleeves, because I HATE getting overheated in the summer, but when I've run with my camelback against my skin, I've ended up with huge scabs where the straps rubbed against my skin; I don't wear my camelback any more for just this reason

-it can be kind of heavy; if you're a serious runner wanting to be light and fast, then a camelback won't work, because it adds a little more weight than speedsters would want (if speed isn't your concern, then this is definitely an option)

3.) Fuel Belt:

The fuel belt system usually has between 4 and 6 little bottles of water evenly spaced around the belt that allows for enough water on a long run.

PROS:

-with my fuel belt, I carry 4 8 oz bottles, for a total of 32 oz of water (which is more than my 21 oz water bottle); so it's a fairly convenient way to carry enough water

-it sits comfortably around the waist and keeps your hands free

-it's what all the serious long-distance runners and triathletes use, and they must know a thing or two, right?

CONS:

-it's really inconvenient! I mean, I know that I'm uncoordinated and all, but having to use two hands to drink while on a run, is a real pain in the butt; first you have to pull out a little bottle, then you have to hold it with one hand and open the spout with the other, then you can drink, before closing it and trying to tuck it away, all while running and trying not to lose your rhythm or stride. Good luck with that.

-it gets off balance; unless you drink evenly from each bottle throughout the run, you start to feel a bit off balance when your left side is empty and your right side is still sloshing away, and this imbalance often makes the fuel belt shift around your waist while you run

-it attaches with velcro, so to tighten (or loosen) it on a run, you have to open the whole thing and readjust

4.) Waist Pack Water Bottle

It's hard to tell from the picture, but this waist water bottle holder holds the water bottle at an angle across your lower back/upper butt with the top of the bottle within easy reach of your right hand side.

PROS:

-it's the most comfortable system I've found, and there's enough room in the little zipper for a chocolate flavoured GU as well as my housekeys

-it attaches with an adjustable belt, so if you need to tighten (or loosen) it along the run you just have to pull one strap

CONS:

-it just doesn't hold enough water for runs longer than 10km; if you're only running up to 10kms, then I would totally recommend this, but for longer runs, unless there's a convenient place to refill, you'll run out of water

That's my two cents' worth of insight on the various hydration systems that I've used. The main thing, at least for me, is that I needed to learn how to drink while running. At first this meant that I had to stop in my run, stand aside, and take a swill of water before resuming running. Now I can drink and run at the same time, but I still haven't hit upon the perfect solution for carrying enough water comfortably.

PS - I just talked to the colleague/friend who said to NOT refer to him as "Topless Florida Guy," but, of course, that means I must refer to him as such, right?