Finding what works: hydration belts, phone holders and vests

[CBDB]

A late Sat 4.5k, running around the sun-gathering walking crowds. But my bounce was there. Only 2nd run this week for me, as busy week. Ran to 145BPM music and Zombies, Run!

But more excitingly, this was the first time I took my hydration belt for a run.

I have a bit of a longer history with vests and belts. Started with a cheap flip-belt, but my first real dedicated ‘luxury’ buy was the then novel and new to market Freetrain V1 vest, which I simply adore. You put your phone in, plug headphones in, and forget about it. And if you need to look at the phone, you unbutton top and it flips open, but still attached and secure. Most of my photos are even taken still in the pocket! The only thing missing with that vest was hydration. But unless you need water on your run, this is my preferred choice for keys and phone!

In the run-up to starting the Magic Plan, i knew I had to deal with hydration on route. I am an ultra-slow runner, so the 10k will take me just below 2 hours! 😳 I know! 🐌🐢 But im quite happy with my Niko Niko delightful slow runs. So I had for Christmas received a AONJIE hydration backpack, but I fear it really never worked for me. My bust is a bit too ‘gorgeous’ 🤣 to have a vest fit in such a way that it doesn’t make me feel awkward. It just never sat right.

So I had been investigating different solutions and came across a hydration belts. And I found the TOMSHOO hydration belt with fairly small bottles (I don’t need more, 10k will be my limit ... although I have heard other say that and they’re now running HMs). The phone fits in there as well, with thumbprint area as well.

I was not sure it would work well, or if it would bounce around my hip, but it was simply perfect! No slipping, no bouncing, and very easy to get bottles in and out.

It’s a bit of a fiddle to get the phone out if you want to take a pic, so not quite as easy as my V1 vest phone holder, but then the V1 Vest does not have hydration.

So in the future my 30-60 min runs will be with Photos and the V1 Vest, and my longer 60-120min runs will be with my hydration belt and without pics, I fear.

So big thumbs up for me!

So have added my run to my virtual challenges:

- HU COGH yay! And ... brrrr 🥶

- End2End RunLEJOG! Getting close to Gloucester ...

- Conqueror Hadrian’s Wall, 77% and closing in on Carlisle

And yesterday I was doing a bit of rowing, which I am challenging myself with Conqueror’s English Channel, and I knew I was close. But when checking after my 3k row only after a shower, I realised I was only 500m from the French shore!

So I’m getting closer to my first medals!

Happy Running everyone!

[David_G]

Well done CBDB I have both a Free Train vest and Aonijie hydration vest, very similar to yours. Luckily for me I don’t have the same issues as you though (sorry!) so I can wear both at the same time for long runs (say over 10K).🏃‍♂️👍 I don’t need the bladder💦 at the back unless I go over about 15K of it’s particularly hot and/or humid🥵 but I can carry the small bladders in the chest pouches.🙂

I tried a hydration belt previously but I found it got in the way of my arms, but it didn’t look like yours which seems better designed.

Who knew we’d need all this clobber when we first started out!🤣

[CBDB Graduate10 in reply to David_G]

🤣🤣 yes, and it’s been a long time since I had so much fun giving my partner my XMas list! 🤣🤣 And he rose to the challenge! 🥀🌹🎁💝

[dijep Graduate10]

I'm glad you've found something that seems to work for you. It's impossible to tell without actually taking them for a spin and at the moment with the only option being buying on line it's even more hit and miss.

I got one of those little bottles that you can put your hand through for Xmas, I've not tried it yet. I also got an Omm 6L waist pouch which has a bottle, I've used it to put stuff in when I ran to the post office a couple of times and it was fine.

Well done on all your challenges that's a lot of balls to juggle 🤹‍♂️ lots of baling to come too 😉

[CBDB Graduate10 in reply to dijep]

Yeah, there’s also a longer story to the number of virtual challenges 😆😏

Yes, I did took a whole day reading loads of reviews but most reviews were very mixed no matter which belt. So I feel quite lucky that it worked out!

[Week7 Graduate10]

So pleased you posted this. My runs are starting to get a little longer and with the warmer weather approaching (hopefully) Ibhave been wondering how to carry water. I don't find back packs comfortable to carry in work weather and all the belts I have seen on line gave looked very bulky.Yours looks a nice size and I'm going to look it up on Mr Google right away.

Good luck with all of your challenges. I couldn't cope with that many and would get all muddled rowing over Hadrians wall, never knowing if I was in Gloucester or Russia!

[CBDB Graduate10 in reply to Week7]

Great! Hope you find the perfect one for you!

Yes, number of challenges keep creeping up, but then I was getting impatient with the long challenges, as I have yet to get my first runners medal! 🏅 Of course now my first medal will not be for running, but for rowing! 🤣🤣

[Fionamags Graduate10]

That's a really helpful post CBDB as I've been looking at something to carry water in for a while now. I know that I would benefit from water and something to nibble on once I run past 60 mins - if I do the same pace as my 10k before then I'll be on the go for nearly 1.5 hrs. It's quite difficult finding the right kit, though, isn't it? But when you have the right gear it really does help. a revelation for me was finding leggings with a pocket in them for a phone - that is great. I stopped carrying it for a while as I found it really annoying until the legging revelation. That waist belt looks like just the ticket - I'll be interested to hear more about how you find it on the long runs.

[CBDB Graduate10 in reply to Fionamags]

Leggings, I did think of that but I have a large iPhone and also wanted to take photos without too much hassle. So yes, getting the right gear for one‘s own preference makes running even more enjoyable than it already is! My next long run will be 8k, so we‘ll see!

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

All sounds great, i haven’t yet taken hydration with me maybe in summer i might, i have leggings with pockets which fit my phone nicely

[CBDB Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

Yes, leggings with pockets seem very popular. 👍🏽 When looking into this, I was actually amazed how many different solutions for hydration/phone-holders there were!

[Couchphoenix Graduate10]

Well done CBDB 👍it sounds like there’s definitely a gap in the market for more suitable belts, which offer easy phone access and hydration too......be good if they’re waterproof too what with you currently rowing the channel 🚣‍♀️ 😂

[CBDB Graduate10 in reply to Couchphoenix]

🤣🤣

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10]

Good gear there CBDB. It’s all trial and error really. Some people like belts, some like vests. I have an Aonijie hydration vest and bladder which I haven’t worn for a while, but it is great and I’d definitely use it on a long hot run.

My preferred method of carrying water is my little belt with 2 small bottles, one of which with plain water and the other with Tailwind or an SIS tablet popped in. There’s a pocket big enough for my phone and jelly babies too. I’ll be taking that on my upcoming HMs - unless we have a very early March heatwave!

I’ll be finishing LEJOG4 on Monday! Very exciting. 😀 Have fun on your journey. 🏃‍♀️

[CBDB Graduate10 in reply to cheekychipmunks]

Oh wow! Hope you celebrate your LEJOG finish properly! I’ll be on the virtual sidewalks cheering you on!

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to CBDB]

Well my plan was to finish in style with the HUHM on 28th March, but I was ahead of myself. So I thought I’d finish with the Virtual Bath Half on the 14th. Nope, ahead of myself for that too! So it’ll be an underwhelming run of 7k or so on Monday that’ll do it! 😂

[Over62]

Great you’ve put your hydration vest on! I feel strange not wearing it now even if it’s just fit a very short distance! You’re going great guns with all your exercises 🏅🏃🏻‍♀️🧘‍♀️🚣‍♂️👏👍🎉

[CBDB Graduate10 in reply to Over62]

🤣yeah, it becomes an integral part of your running body, alongside headphones, caps etc.

I only once went out running, crossed the street , put on my music, thought my phone was broken as sound was weird, until I realised I had forgotten to plug my earplugs in and on! Had to go back in and get them before heading out. Couldn’t contemplate running without!

Similar for my vest! I really felt I’m missing some support when I had only the belt on!

[Over62 in reply to CBDB]

🤣🤣🤣

[Coddfish Graduate10]

If you need to try something else: I have a similar boob problem and a similar need for water on long runs (or in hot weather). I have a Lava Activ belt. It has 2 x 300ml water bottles, so you stay balanced, and a reasonable sized pocket with sections. It’s sturdy, made of neoprene and adjustable to I would think most men and women. I wear it low on my hips with the bottles at the front but it can be worn on the waist and / or with the bottles at the back.

[CBDB Graduate10 in reply to Coddfish]

Yes, that looks very similar to my belt with my bottles being 2x175ml and my belt not having a place where you can attach a race bib! (Nice!) So I’ve bookmarked this one (thanks! 🙏) in case my belt does not endure and in case I need more water. But for now, I’m pretty happy. And I’m glad I came across hydration belts, as they really are a nice solution for bigger busted women.

[Coddfish Graduate10 in reply to CBDB]

Mine is 4 years old and has got me through a lot of running. The race bib attachments would result in my race number hanging over my groin... not a good look. I removed them.

[CBDB Graduate10 in reply to Coddfish]

🤣🤣yeah, I wondered about that ... 😏🤣