How to Carry Water on Long Runs

Audio Transcript

Coach Hayley: Hey Runners Connect fans. I am your community manager. Welcome to the Runners Connect Run to the Top Extra Kick Podcast. Today, we have a great question from Greg.

Greg: I’m pleased to report that I need to start carrying water on my long run. I’m very new to running and haven’t given this much thought.

I don’t like carrying anything in my hands and it’s hard to imagine wearing a backpack. Any tips or products suggestions?

Hayley: Hey Greg. When you need to start carrying water on a long run, it’s a good sign that the distance is building. Great job.

It can be confusing if you haven’t had to do this before.

We can run up to around an hour before we need to start thinking about hydrating. However, of course it’s going to be sooner if it’s hot humid. There are bottles out there that are adapted for carrying by hands.

I’ll be the first to empathize with you. I also hate carrying things in my hands during running. You would be pleased to know that there are plenty of other solutions.

The first, is a special belt that allows you to carry water around your waist.

These sometimes use smaller bottles rather than 1 or 2 big ones. This allows you to distribute the weight more easily around you which is more comfortable.

You’ll find plenty of these belts on the market. Good brands to look at include Nathan, Camelback, and Salomon. Running with a waist belt can take some getting used to. It’s important to make sure you get one that fits you well.

When placing the belt around your waist, make sure it goes around your actual waist and not your hips. A belt that’s too low can interfere with your running technique and feel uncomfortable.

Ensure the belt fits snugly and you don’t want to bounce up and down which is distracting and uncomfortable. Tuck in any loose clothing material that may fluff around and obstruct the access to your bottles.

The other option is a bag pack. I know you say that you can’t imagine carrying one of these on your run.

However, they make them fairly comfortable these days and you might be surprised. It’s definitely worth trying a few on and see what you think.

As well as the three I mentioned, Nathan, Camelback and Salomon, Osprey is another good make to consider for these.

With a backpack, you drink out of a hose comes out of the back of the backpack. They come in various sizes and capacities, so you can get one that carries what you need for your run.

You’ll want to get on with the right capacity. A pack that holds 2-3 liters is perfect. You could always fit lesser for a shorter run and you’re unlikely to meet more unless you start running ultras.

You want the backpack to fit correctly and feel comfortable. Make sure that you can reach and operate the hose easily and check there are no areas that feel like they may chayote or cause pressure points.

A bag pack should fit flushed to your back and not bounce up and down. When you try one on in the shop do some different movements and run around a bit and see how it feels and how it moves with you.

Most of these back packs come with a couple of extra features which make them even more useful. They usually have a couple of pockets in which you can put some snacks, card, and phone.

If you really don’t think the backpack is for you either, there is another option; that’s a hydration vest. It is like bag packs, but some people prefer them because they are tighter and better shaped to your body.

You might find them to be more stable and comfortable. The weight is more evenly distributed throughout, whilst with a bag pack, it’s all on your back. Some people prefer this.

Most of these hydration vests have bottles to hold the water, in pockets within the vest. Some have a water bladder like the bag pack where you drink from the hose.

Whether you prefer a water bladder, or a water bottle, depends on the person preference and needs.

Some people find it easier to drink from a hose when they’re running, it means that hydration is hands free and may not interfere with your technique as much.

However, drinking from bottles might be more natural for some people and means you can carry both water and an alternative electrolyte drink if you require as they mostly have more than one bottle.

I’d really encourage you to check out how much water you need for your run. We do have a cool spreadsheet that allows you to do just that.

You can find it at runnersconnect.net/hydration-calculator. It’s an Excel spreadsheet which helps you to calculate just how many ounces you need to drink on your run.

That can help you make a choice for the hydration system.

You can make sure you’re not carrying more than you need which adds weight to the belt, bag pack, or vest.

Regarding the bag pack, belt, vest, options, I think it’s worth going into running shop which sells them and trying on a few to see which are most comfortable. It’s an individual thing you and can ask for recommendations from fellow runners.

However, you might find he prefer something different to them. When you wear them at the shop, try moving around a bit, wearing several options seeing how they feel and move.

You might want to have more than one option, that is a belt and a best anyway. One which carries more water.

As you should see from trying out a calculator, how much water you need varies greatly from run to run.

I love that question. Thanks so much for asking. For those of you listening that want to have your questions answered by one of the Runners Connect coaches, head over to runnersconnect.net/daily and click the record button to send your question over.

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s episode. If you haven’t already, consider heading over to iTunes or your favorite podcast directory and subscribing or leaving a review to reach more runners like you. Have a great day and be sure to tune in next time.

iTunes or your favorite podcast directory and subscribing or leaving your review. It will help us reach more runners like you. Have a great day and be sure to tune in next time.