Personally, I found carrying a bottle to be a nuisance. I tried carrying in my hand during shorter (training) runs and it was annoying. I used a fanny pack style Camelback. Not nearly as annoying, but not worth the effort for the 20 oz or so it holds.

I noticed in my one and only marathon several people with hydro-belt type bottle carriers on. Over the first two to three miles, I saw a lot of flasks laying on the ground, and not because they were intentionally dropped. I suspect that a lot of people were going to reach for their drink of preference only to find an empty holster.

Personally, I would change over to whatever the sport drink the marathon is giving out at some point in my training just so I wouldn't have to fool with carrying my personal brand.




------------------
Pain is temporary. Pride is forever.

Visit: RunKevinRun[/URL" target="_blank">

quote:<HR>Originally posted by dg12:
Carrying a bottle is a hassle, you can get used to whatever thay have on the course. If you can discipline yourself to race any distance you can stomach anything.<HR>

To me, dealing with the crowded water-stops is twice the hassle. Wasn't there just a thread on this? I almost always carry a bottle of water on training runs and in races. No biggie. But I wouldn't do it just to drink a different Gatorade.

If you think you can carry enough fluids to run a marathon, you are fooling yourself. The last time I weighed myself after a 20 plus mile long run I was losing around a liter an hour. That's a lot of weight to be lugging around for 26 miles. Find out what sports drinks are supplied in your marathon and get used to them in training. It's silly to try to carry fluids in a race where they are provided.

Tom

------------------
My Profile[/URL" target="_blank">
My Running Log[/URL" target="_blank">

I agree with figbash. Practice using what they serve on the course. I don't care for Gatorade myself because I find it tastes too sweet, but if that is what they are serving on the course, that is what I train with. When I'm racing, I don't want to carry any extra weight.

The exception, as others have pointed out before, is that in crowded marathons, I will carry a small bottle so that I don't need to stop at the first few water stops. Beyond that, it is usually pretty easy to get a cup as long as you keep your head up as you come into an aid station.

Victor


------------------
www.competitiverunner.com[/URL" target="_blank">

quote:<HR>Originally posted by figbash:
If you think you can carry enough fluids to run a marathon, you are fooling yourself. The last time I weighed myself after a 20 plus mile long run I was losing around a liter an hour. That's a lot of weight to be lugging around for 26 miles. Find out what sports drinks are supplied in your marathon and get used to them in training. It's silly to try to carry fluids in a race where they are provided.

Tom

<HR>

In the words of Ron Burgundy, agree to disagree. I think it's silly to try and navigate those stupid water stops to slug down a cupful of whatever and then hold out for the next stop. My own bottle, I get to sip constantly without the big gulp and belch, or the inevitable face full of whatever. I know the bottle won't last the whole race. I just refill it along the way, starting with maybe the 4th stop (mile 8?). You have to slow to avoid the slosh, but you can drain 4 cups into the bottle in a few seconds and trot for another 8 miles or so before it's refill time again. By the time I get to mile 24, I toss the bottle for dramatic effect and a mile psychological boost. Plus, my way, you get to pump your guns for pictures. Niiice.

The alternative is to try to slug down a liter an hour (as you say) in 3 or 4 stops (3 at 10 min.mile and 4 at 7:30). No thank you.

Silly is wearing underwear on your head.

http://This message has been edited by martinjames (edited Sep-17-2007).

I would train with the drink they are using, but still carry a small bottle of my own - not enough to last the whole race, but insurance, if you will, just in case. I have seen the rare occasion where stops have run out, or are farther apart than I would like, or a particular stop is just really crowded.

I also agree with martinjames in that I make out better pouring a full cup or two into my water bottle and sipping a little more often when I want it, rather than gulping a lot at once at a stop.

Harper, not sure how close water stations are at Chicago, but you might take packets of Ultra and / or Amino or a mix - however you normally use them - then add water to your mix in bottle at stations. You might only need to hit every other station.

Depending upon how long you're going to be out there, Ultra and Amino can make a really big difference over Gatorbarf. If nothing else, the ability to keep them down. But if you can keep Gatorbarf down and it works ok for you, then it may be a case of convenience for you. In my own case, I grew tired of the overly strong taste of gatorade pretty quickly (within a year of first using it), and have been using cytomax for short runs and Clip/Ultra mix (4:1) for multi-hour runs.

Another option is to make your Ultra or Amino into a gel (directions are on Succeed's web site) and use that combined with filling bottle with water at aid stations.

We generally don't have aid stations up here so I've just gotten used to carrying my own stuff, and a 24-oz bottle of fluid is pretty light compared with a full camelbak.

Whatever you do, be sure to test it in training enough to be comfortable with it.

http://This message has been edited by AKTrail (edited Sep-18-2007).