O.K. speed racers, I run on a fairly popular trail now and then on the weekends. I see people with all sorts of hydrations systems, OR LACK THERE OFF many times. But I have a question about those fuel belts with all those little six/seven ounce (?) bottles that go all around the waist.
I see mostly marathoners wear them but occationally I see them in a Ultra.
Why are they so appealing?
Oh some have a nice little pocket for your lip gloss which is handy, if I do have to say so myself. And with the water bottles, the weight would be distributed evenly around the waist which is a good idea. But there are SOOOO MANY OF THEM!!! It would annoy the crap out of me refilling them in a race. Why, I would down one every 15 minutes. There you go, filling at least four at every aid station. Dang, I could get carpel tunnel just taking the lids on and off. But I can see a good point with them. I would get plenty of REST at each aid station because it would take me an enternity to open, fill, and close again. Oh, not to mention to get all 42 back in their holsters.
O.K., maybe I should have taken my medication today. Because I am now thinking how long it takes me to fill my two handhelds and get out of the aid station in races. And I have the lids OFF before entering them. Yes, where is that pill bottle?
Somebody fill me in on why so many peole wear the million bottle fuel belts... I want to learn... Too bad I didn't invent them as much as I see them.
21 comments:
I want to know why I've seen them in 5 and 10Ks. What's up with that? Maybe when you have multiple bottles, you get multiple flavors of drink. Who knows?
Marketing, that's why there are so many people with them. Go to any running store and the Fuel Belt Display is 10 feet tall with tons of belts with all the different number of bottles. Then Mr. or Mrs. I want to run a marathon comes in and says what should I use. Bam! How about a fuel belt.
I think an even funnier sight are the runners who safety pins 40 packs of Gu in all the flavors to their pant and shirt to run a marathon. Mmmm, Gu!
you are cracking me up here!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For Ultras: not good!
Shorter roadraces: oh yeah!
I have such a belt with 4 of these bottles; but this belt is crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You are too funny. I am one of those people that wears a fuel belt. I started wearing it while training for my first marathon a few years ago and it stuck with me. I like being able to carry everything with me.(self-sufficient) during a race. Then I only have to stop if I want too. I only use the belt that has 4-8oz bottles though. It works nice for me. I like the hand held too though. Depends on my mood I guess.
Now that I am running more ultras I'm sure I will move away from the belt and towards the hand held. I'm new at the ultras, my third one this year to be run next week. I plan to run with only hand helds for that one. I will let you know how it goes.
I see this belt alot in marathons. I'm reminded each time I should get one myself. I don't believe most have any intentions of refilling those little bottles!! usually they are empty by the end of the race!!!Now for an ultra!!they might just need refilling, but who would waste the time seems like alot of trouble!!!
I haven't worn any fuel belts just yet, since my longest run is only 4.5 miles.
That fuel belt on your post looks like one of those gun holsters in the westrn movies with the bottles as the bullet but where's the gun??? LOL...
Thank you for doing a post on this!!! Tom you are the man! I was just talking about this the other day with both my dad and Caleb. Never in a million years would I wear water belts like that (rambo style). I wish more people would see how much better they would feel and do if they just started using hand held bottles. Running becomes so much more efficient. Personally I can't stand anything hanging on me. Maybe deep in a race I would use a (1 water bottle belt) but that's it. I see people carrying so much unecessary gear around, that it has to effect their running.
ALSO: how many different water bottle combinations and designs can we come up with or need???? The whole thing is silly. I go to these hydration websites and chuckle. It's like rearranging a lump of clay. In the end ya still have a lump of clay. Or wait... didn't I read somewhere, matter cannot be created nor destroyed.
WynnMan
You got me. I could suck all those bottles dry in one drinking. I wear a Nathan Belt which holds one bottle of 20 oz in the small of my back. This is for ultras. I do wear it for 1/2 marathons and up because these races are usually training for the longer distances.
I almost bought one of those when I was training for my first marathon. Luckily the woman who worked the running store told me that a handheld made more sense. Now having that many bottles just seems plain silly! I do want to get a waistpack for the 50k, just because the handhelds tend to make my thumb go a bit numb, but really...all those bottles would just be frustrating.
Plus, without fail, you will see someone wearing them lose a bottle or two during the race because they just pop off!
Come on man! Don't you see that wearing these things make you look like a stud? Better yet get two of them and wear them over your shoulders like a Bandolier.
I just purchased a Nathan Hydration Pack and it's real comfortable. I'll still run with handhelds (runners air bags) but it will give me some extra H2O for the hot weather at WS.
I've still got all my toenails but I might be changing that after running Capital Peak 50 mile and Eugene on the same weekend. I like to think that my foot care, shoe & sock selection are making a difference. I have lost toenails due to stubs and just running marathons but not for a couple of years now. If I do lose a nail I'll have a resident expert (Michelle) to help me deal with it.
That picture is crazy. I don't get it either. I'll take my Nathan waist pack with two 22-28oz bottles any day! I agree the filling of the bottles would be a major pain.
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