How should I carry water for 10+ mi runs?

katieacor

Good afternoon everyone!
Just wondering which alternative is the best.
A belt? Is there one that doesn't bounce too much?
Arm band? Will that allow for enough water?
A vest? Is that only worth wearing on marathons?
Is water best? What about tea? Protein drink while running?
Any suggestions would be appreciated!

pinuplove

Get a Camelbak. Water only in those! Ick factor otherwise I know long distance runners need to refuel, but I'll leave that answer to the experienced runners.

myfitnessnmhoy

Several friends use camelback hydration packs (they basically make a backpack that holds water and has a mouthpiece that clips to your shoulder) while hiking. They can be adjusted to fit pretty snug so I doubt they'd bounce a whole lot (certainly better than a belt with water bottles on it).

As far as the nature of the fluid, for a 10 mile run water is probably going to be OK, but if you are doing so in the heat it might not be a bad idea to have some electrolytes in the water. Personally, when going for very long (over an hour) bike rides in the heat, I'll mix about 1/4 Gatorade into my water. Not that anything I do is likely to subject me to water intoxication (a state where you rehydrate so much with pure water while sweating that you dilute your electrolytes too much), but better safe than sorry.

myfitnessnmhoy

PS: Good point on Camelbacks, anything other than water, and the eventual "ick" factor. If electrolytes are a concern, you can always put a gel pack in your pocket and have a quick 100-calorie, high-electrolyte "booster" if you start feeling tired or "off".

brandyk77

I use a nathan hand held. The strap that goes around your hand allows you to not actually hold onto it.

I have tried the belt and hated it and camelbacks have always seemed like a potential chafing issue. Also, due to the weather, it has been a shirtless kind of summer....and therefore more chafing possiblities and weird sunburns!

mcarter99

I have a Camelbak but think it would be annoying on runs. I've seen runners with belts that hold square-ish water bottles.

I know people who take their car out and hide water along their course before a run.

CarsonRuns

I prefer a fuel belt. I loathe to have anything in my hands when I'm running. I've never considered a camelback, because I can't think of any run I have ever done (or am likely to do in the future) that will require me to have 60 to 100 ounces of fluid. My belt has four 10 ounce bottles and that is more than enough for a 22 mile run.

Honestly, for a 10 mile run, I don't even bother with water. It's not necessary, physiologically, if you are properly hydrated prior to the run. I don't bother with any fluids until I get to about 16 miles, which for me is about 2.5 hours.

mcarter99

I was going to mention that too, about hydrating beforehand means carrying less or none. Are there stores along your course? You could buy water along the way, as needed.

neverstray

I prefer a fuel belt. I loathe to have anything in my hands when I'm running. I've never considered a camelback, because I can't think of any run I have ever done (or am likely to do in the future) that will require me to have 60 to 100 ounces of fluid. My belt has four 10 ounce bottles and that is more than enough for a 22 mile run.

Honestly, for a 10 mile run, I don't even bother with water. It's not necessary, physiologically, if you are properly hydrated prior to the run. I don't bother with any fluids until I get to about 16 miles, which for me is about 2.5 hours.

^^^^^^^ this.

runfatmanrun

I ran 12.5 yesterday without any water. If you hydrate well enough normally, then you should be fine, depending on the weather. I will be getting a running/fuel belt if I get much past the half distance.

secretlobster

My friends who do the half/full marathons usually use a hydration pack. I don't run that long, but if it's less than 12 miles, as long as I'm properly hydrated from the days leading up, I'm fine without water until afterward

jacksonpt

I have 2 fuel belts. One is great, the other is terrible. The terrible one is a basic belt... lots of elastic, holds a few gels and a race bib. I bought the flasks separately to add to the belt. The elastic makes it impossible to get tight enough and it bounces all over the place. Terrible. The other is an actual hydration belt and works GREAT. No elastic at all so make sure you get the right size.

This is the one I have that I like: Fuel Belt Revenge 2.0. I believe it comes in a 4 flask version too.
http://www.fuelbelt.com/s.nl/it.A/id.1341/.f?category=2865

Adsnwfld

I use a fuel belt, don't like the camel back while running.
Most of the time I pre hydrate and don't carry anything

stronglikebull

amphipods!

http://www.amphipod.com/products/hydration/runlite-hydration

jacksonpt

Get a Camelbak. Water only in those! Ick factor otherwise I know long distance runners need to refuel, but I'll leave that answer to the experienced runners.

As long as you rinse it out when you are done, there's no reason you can't put gatorade or other fluids in a pack.

billsica

I just got a Nathans back back. I only got one run with it, but it worked great, no chafing or hand cramps from holding a bottle anymore.

josavage

I use a belt and bring gatorade. I only drink from it when it's crazy hot or after my run. I also run a on trail that has drinking fountains every couple of miles which is very nice. I always have my belt on because I run with my dogs and I attach their leash to the belt so I'm hands free. I also attach a collapsible water dish to the belt for my dogs. Another reason to be thankful for the fountains.

cushygal

I have both a camelback and a water belt that holds 2 bottles.

I used the camelback when in Disney 2 years ago and found it rather bothersome - I just used the water belt on my half marathon and I loved it. It is really all about finding the right spot on the hips to have it sit and then pull the straps snug so it doesn't bounce much at all.

mayday529

I'm surprised that many of you don't hydrate during a run when it's often recommended to hydrate during exercise particularly if it's hot. If you can lose a quart of water per hour to sweating, how can you assume performance is not being affected for exercise of longer than 1 hour?

jacksonpt

I prefer a fuel belt. I loathe to have anything in my hands when I'm running. I've never considered a camelback, because I can't think of any run I have ever done (or am likely to do in the future) that will require me to have 60 to 100 ounces of fluid. My belt has four 10 ounce bottles and that is more than enough for a 22 mile run.

Honestly, for a 10 mile run, I don't even bother with water. It's not necessary, physiologically, if you are properly hydrated prior to the run. I don't bother with any fluids until I get to about 16 miles, which for me is about 2.5 hours.

He brings up a good point... hydrating prior to the run can go a long way towards negating the need for fluids during a run. Most people are good for at least 90 minutes before they need anything (fluids or cals), but ultimately you have to know your body.

Also, if you're talking about racing, be sure to look into aid stations. Some races have aid stations every mile which, if taken advantage of, can really reduce the need for onboard water.

sbernardy

I run in a small town and or on the country roads.. I always drive my run first and put one or two bottles.. (basically hid them in the bushes).. But I only did that on super hot days.. any normal everyday ok weather.. I just hydrated before and after the run! Good Luck!

danabrash

I use my Amphipod w/ 2x 10.5oz bottles for 10 to 16 miles, and add my camelbak for longer (16+) training runs. I usually drop a Nuun in my amphipod when I carry the camelbak. Camelbak tightens down fine to not be annoying, i have the 50oz cycling one.

Need to hydrate is time and distance related, but also environmental. I carry more or choose to carry for shorter runs when the weather heats up....

MassiveDelta

I prefer a fuel belt. I loathe to have anything in my hands when I'm running. I've never considered a camelback, because I can't think of any run I have ever done (or am likely to do in the future) that will require me to have 60 to 100 ounces of fluid. My belt has four 10 ounce bottles and that is more than enough for a 22 mile run.

Honestly, for a 10 mile run, I don't even bother with water. It's not necessary, physiologically, if you are properly hydrated prior to the run. I don't bother with any fluids until I get to about 16 miles, which for me is about 2.5 hours.

^^^^^^^ this.

This is WRONG.

Frst you dont know what another runner needs or doesnt need on a 10 mile run. Second let me first state Ive never done anything over 8 miles but I know the other day when I did 4.5 in 90 deg and 92 humidity I NEEDED water. I was glad I had brought my 16oz bottle of water with me. Before I was finished I had emptied my bottle. I will easily sweat out 2+lbs from a run start to finish. You need to replace everything you lose. In severe heat like that if you tell someone not to take water on a 10 mile run you could kill them.

jacksonpt

I'm surprised that many of you don't hydrate during a run when it's often recommended to hydrate during exercise particularly if it's hot. If you can lose a quart of water per hour to sweating, how can you assume performance is not being affected for exercise of longer than 1 hour?

Because a lot of us have been at this long enough to know how much our bodies can take and when we need to start rehydrating and/or refueling. At least that's the case for me.

CarsonRuns

I'm surprised that many of you don't hydrate during a run when it's often recommended to hydrate during exercise particularly if it's hot. If you can lose a quart of water per hour to sweating, how can you assume performance is not being affected for exercise of longer than 1 hour?

It's not an assumption. It's science. There have been plenty of studies on this subject.

iAMaPhoenix

Obviously if you are planning to run 10+miles, you have done it before. I would suggest you go back to what you did in the past and try that. If that does not work, then I would look into hiring some out of work people to stand at the 2,4, 6, 8, and 10 mile marks with a cup or two of water for you. If you are low on funds, run in one mile circles and stop every 1 or 2 times to hydrate. If a circle is too monotonous for you, drive the course beforehand, and place water along your route...taking caution not to be seen by the police who will think you are placing IEDs on the side of the road. If all this fails, take up yoga...Less stressful.

SueInAz

I live in Tucson and water on long runs is a must, whatever time of year it is. The dry air (single digit humidity most of the year) sucks the moisture out of you, winter or summer. Summer, of course, when the temps don't dip below 80 at sunup, it's even more necessary.

I use an Amphipod belt with two 10.5 ounce bottles. It has velcro so you can tighten it as much as necessary to prevent bouncing. For a run as long as 10-11 miles, I'll usually go with half water and half Gatorade G2. I can refill the water bottles as necessary either from home or from water fountains along the running path, although I usually don't need much more than the 21 ounces I have with me.

Amphipod's customer service, if you need it, is excellent. I ended up buying a belt that was too small and they sent me a larger replacement for free, including free shipping and return shipping for me to return the too-small one.

jamie31

I am super cheap and dont really want to buy anything for water. Before getting pregnant I used to run about 7 miles and would actually just carry a water bottle with me. I would switch hands every mile and actually think it helped more since i was carrying weight in my hands

CarsonRuns

I prefer a fuel belt. I loathe to have anything in my hands when I'm running. I've never considered a camelback, because I can't think of any run I have ever done (or am likely to do in the future) that will require me to have 60 to 100 ounces of fluid. My belt has four 10 ounce bottles and that is more than enough for a 22 mile run.

Honestly, for a 10 mile run, I don't even bother with water. It's not necessary, physiologically, if you are properly hydrated prior to the run. I don't bother with any fluids until I get to about 16 miles, which for me is about 2.5 hours.

^^^^^^^ this.

This is WRONG.

Frst you dont know what another runner needs or doesnt need on a 10 mile run. Second let me first state Ive never done anything over 8 miles but I know the other day when I did 4.5 in 96 deg and 92 humidity I NEEDED water. I was glad I had brought my 16oz bottle of water with me. Before I was finished I had emptied my bottle. I will easily sweat out 2+lbs from a run start to finish. You need to replace everything you lose. In severe heat like that if you tell someone not to take water on a 10 mile run you could kill them.

No, it's not wrong. You didn't NEED the water, you wanted it. You can safely lose 5% of your body weight in sweat. You don't NEED to replace everything you lose. That's another fallacy. Kill them? Seriously?

Do some research before you call somebody out.

rubytOU

i wear a fuel belt. I have several types but prefer the one with 4 small bottles that sit around your waist. The belt with the one large bottle always chaffes the middle of my back when the bottle is full, plus I can never seem to get the belt tight enough. Not fun for the rest of the run... or when taking a shower afterwards.

Good luck.

mnstrpc

My husband has a 4 bottle - I think - hydration belt. I personally can't stand anything around my waist when I run, so I carry a hand-held bottle with a strap. It only holds about 10-12oz, but that's enough for me at the distances I am doing. I started needing to carry water with me when I got to about 9+ miles on long runs, in part due to the weather as it has been very hot and humid already in my area. I'd consider trying one of the camelback backpack style, but haven't needed anything beyond my one water bottle at this point, so I haven't bothered.