So, when I head out for a very long run (anything over 7 or 8 miles), water becomes, y'know, important. I'm very happy that I've finally found a nice 16-mile route with not-many hills, one with stretches of shady roads, and a few places I can stop along the way to refill my water bottle. Before I found this route, I'd bike the route beforehand to plant water bottles along the way, then bike the route again after my run to pick up the empties. So this new route is a huge improvement! Still, I'm looking forward to the day when I'm back to running shorter distances, so I don't have to carry my water with me at all.
Fancy runners nowadays will purchase "hydration systems" that go on their back or on a belt or that attach to a glove -- these can cost anywhere from $16 to $80, depending. And of course, I don't want to pay that kind of money if I could find a way around it.
I somehow managed to snag (for free) a small water bottle, about 3/4 the size of the kind that goes on my bike. Even at that size, carrying the bottle is a bit of a pain -- literally, at times, because the bottle gets slippery and hard to grip. That's why other runners purchase gloves to hold the bottle. Here's my own little solution: a sock!
I found an unmatched (un-loved?) sock that had some ribbing at about the right height, and cut the sock off there. Then I cut two long slits, just wide enough for my hand to slip through one slit and out another.
Here it is from the other side. Very easy to carry, and cost me . . . let me see . . . nothing.
Fancy runners nowadays will purchase "hydration systems" that go on their back or on a belt or that attach to a glove -- these can cost anywhere from $16 to $80, depending. And of course, I don't want to pay that kind of money if I could find a way around it.
I somehow managed to snag (for free) a small water bottle, about 3/4 the size of the kind that goes on my bike. Even at that size, carrying the bottle is a bit of a pain -- literally, at times, because the bottle gets slippery and hard to grip. That's why other runners purchase gloves to hold the bottle. Here's my own little solution: a sock!
Truly an inspiration! I love this tip.
ReplyDeleteWhat's your favorite distance to run? As in, what do you plan on running post-triathlon to keep in shape?
Thanks!
DeleteMy favorite distance isn't really about distance; it's about people. Before I started this training, I ran only with other people, never by myself. I have one friend who runs 2+ miles with me three mornings a week, and that's great. I have another friend-group who runs on Saturdays; our default run is 6-7 miles. But that's the group who also bumped up mileage to 15, 17, 20 miles when we were training for the marathon, and I hung in on those, too . . . because of the friends who come along.
I don't have any plans to do anything over a half-marathon after this! -MM