Thursday, May 6, 2010

Fuel Belt for Race Day and Other Long Runs

So I've been wanting a fuel belt for my half marathon because there are some things I need to carry with me such as a phone which I have a Blackberry so its pretty big and also my camera. :)

On race day I don't have much concern about hydration because I know they'll be tons of drink stops but I wanted a fuel belt that had 2 containers for water if I wanted them and a pouch for the camera and phone. 2 containers seemed sufficient for water and a sports drink to refill my electrolytes lossage. Maybe I'll graduate to 4 ONCE I get to something longer than a marathon. IF I get to that point. haha.

I've been looking on amazon.com reading reviews, went into Sports Basement and just couldn't find anything that I liked. They either were bouncy, rode up, too bulky or just didn't fit right.

I went to Team Challenge Practice on Monday and ran with Deanna- My mentor :) and I wanted to continue my research on a Fuel Belt so I Yelped a sports store and came across The Running Revolution in Campbell. It was closed by the time I got there at 7:30PM so I told myself I would go later this week and I'm glad I did! (closes at 7pm on weekdays) Its such a cute little store and its so much better to shop at these places because the staff were the owners and they are so passionate about what they are selling because it is there business. I was able to ask the different questions about fuel belts, whats popular, what do you recommend, is it common to use etc.

I mean bottom line is that when it comes to exercise accessories its all trial and error and preference. No one person is alike when it comes to using such things so I knew I had to test this out. I know some people that don't like to have a fuel belt and some that love it. It just varies.

It came down to these two:

Amphipod RunLite Snapflask 2 Hydration Belt



I like the snap enclosure when it comes to the bottles but.. I thought it could slip easily when running. Also it came in a one size fits all so of course the belt was extra big on me and even with the adjustment it didn't sit well.

My second option which is the one I went with is this.



Nathan Speed 2 Waistpack with Two 10-Ounce Nutrition Flasks

I really liked this one because I was able to get a size that closely fit me and I was able to add on a side pocket for my camera. So in the main pouch it will be my phone and sports chews or gu. Once I try the gu- I'm going to try it on this weekend's run! ahh! I liked this fuel belt because it sat very well and I like the velcro attachment versus the buckle which kinda hurts during lots of movement. In the store it was $40.00 but for certain you can get it 10 bucks cheaper on amazon.com
I have no patience and they were so nice to me I wanted to buy from them. It also comes in pink online! which woulda been cool but oh well. I'll get to test it out today on my run and this weekend on my longer 7 mile run with Team Challenge.

Another reason why I'm getting a Fuel Belt is because in the colder season I would wear my Northface jacket and it has pockets so I'd put my phone and camera tho. Well its def too hot to wear a jacket anymore! Even if it is a thin layer.

Can I tell you how much I love clothing that has built in pockets in the back of the pants or in the sports tanks I wear? Its great!

I really hope this Nathan Fuel Belt works out or else I'll have to look for other suggestions! What do you guys use to carry water, gu, etc on your runs?

1 comment:

  1. Good luck with your Nathan fuel belt! I need one, myself. I have a hand held but not super crazy about it. Looks like I'll be running the Giants Half and the Nike Half with you! Yay for Bay Area runners. Thanks for visiting my blog! :-)

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