“A person should set his goals as early as he can and devote all his energy and talent to getting there. With enough effort, he may achieve it. Or he may find something that is even more rewarding. But in the end, no matter what the outcome, he will know he has been alive.” - Walt Disney

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Belting It Out

I always said that my handheld water bottle was enough for me and I didn't want to run in a hydration belt, but I recently realized that as much as I love my handheld, it just wasn't going to cut it for the long runs involved in marathon training.  So I asked for suggestions from my group members as well as friends who are runners.

After an exhaustive search, I finally found a hydration belt that feels good, carries the right amount of water and gels, and, that very importantly...holds my phone!!!  Yay!  Actually, I found two!  After several strike-outs, I found the Nathan Speed 2 and the Nathan Trail Mix.  I was initially going to choose between the two, but decided to keep both.  Why?  I like the option of having a "sleeker" belt - the Speed 2 - for shorter "long runs" (HM distance or less) because this will hold my phone as well as up to 3 gels.  But for any longer "long runs" I'm going to need a little more room for a little more stuff - so I'll break out the Trail Mix.

I ran in the Speed 2 this Saturday with the group - and liked it!  It will still take a little getting used to, but I can see myself quickly getting to the point of not noticing it.  There was very little bouncing, I had no problem retrieving my gel, the flasks were easy to remove and replace, and refilling them at the water stop wasn't a issue.

Just goes to show that getting out of your comfort zone can be a good thing!

Saturday's Group Run:
  • 8.23 mi; 1:54:28; 13:55 min/mi avg pace
Tuesday's Treadmill Run:
  • 10 min warm-up walk
  • 3.0 mi; 0:40:00; 13:20 min/mi avg pace