Hydration Methods

I am training for a marathon and also a long trail run and feel that I need to start incorporating hydration in my long runs (>10 miles), especially as since I now live at altitude and it is very dry out here. I have a Nathan hand bottle that I used to use on hot/humid runs in PA but typically no longer than 5-6 miles because after a while it gets annoying. My runs around here could be configured so I can stash a bottle but I'd rather have it with me if possible in case I get dry all of a sudden.

I bought an Amphipod configurable belt and used it on my last 10 mile run, but found that I couldn't get it to stay on my hips. I am very petite, short-waisted and a bit curvy. If I pushed it down really far onto my butt it would stay put for a mile or so but eventually it would creep up to my waist (narrower) and bounce and shift around. Generally it was a pain and I ended up stashing it by the side of the road after four miles, and picked it up on the way back.

Are there any brands of hydration belts that work better for women similar in proportion/shape to me? Is there a trick any of you use with your Amphipod to get it to stay put? Am I doomed to used a hand bottle or a camelbak? I don't really want to run with a camelbak on because I don't like to wear packs on my back and I get easily overheated when I run.

Any help?

How about camelbaks race vest? Never used it, but it's a closefitting vest with an integrated hydration pocket, designed to ride very close to your body. i'd like one once it comes in other colours than white ;) Won't help with the overheating though - except if you put cold water in it should help until it heats up.

How small are you?

I've raved at length in other posts about my Nathan Intensity and Synergy vests. It sounds like I'm shaped similar to you - very short waisted and large hipped. But at 5'3" and 120# I'm stocky, not petite. I have the straps adjusted all the way tight on my Synergy, and only a little bit of room to tighten them on the Intensity.

The Intensity only holds two liters, so for marathon training you'd need to be able to refill it once on your long runs, but if you're bigger than about 110#, I'd give it a try.

Neither of these vests is anything like wearing a pack. They really wear like vests.

I actually just carry a water bottle in my hand. I tried the hydration belts too, DH loves them, but I too, am curvy and find I can't get it to sit right on my hips.

Carrying the bottle was awkward at first, but now it's no biggie. There is a bottle holder out there that has a hand strap on it. That works really well for training runs.

I am 5' 1" and weigh about 107. My waist is small and my hips, while not big, are obviously bigger than my waist. I am not built like a boy... I bought a Nathan waist pack and it works really well for me. I went into the store saying, "I have a really small waist," thinking it would be hard to find something that didn't slide around. Boy, I was chagrined to find that the small sized Nathan pack was snug! I can adjust the velcro very comfortably.
Now, I only run short distances, but I get thirsty very easily and after about half a minute, I forget I am wearing it.

I had the hip problem too with my fuel belt, and then I got one size larger. That helped a LOT. I snug it all the way down past the curve. It also helps to have on shorts or tights that do not have slippery fabric.

But I've been gravitating to the handheld on long runs. I find I typically don't consume a lot while I'm actually running - I take 1-3 gulps every 3 miles - and then drink a lot when I get home. It seems to work for me and feels more natural than running with water in my stomach - and, I never seem to get dehydrated. So I put only about 1/2 the amount in my handheld and when I get to the last 3 miles I dump everything out and then stuff it into the back of my shorts. So far this has worked for long runs up to 14 miles. I have yet to test this for longer runs.

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Originally Posted by Crankin

I am 5' 1" and weigh about 107. My waist is small and my hips, while not big, are obviously bigger than my waist. I am not built like a boy... I bought a Nathan waist pack and it works really well for me. I went into the store saying, "I have a really small waist," thinking it would be hard to find something that didn't slide around. Boy, I was chagrined to find that the small sized Nathan pack was snug! I can adjust the velcro very comfortably.
Now, I only run short distances, but I get thirsty very easily and after about half a minute, I forget I am wearing it.

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Sounds like you and I have the same Nathan pack. I find that it sits well if I velcro it above my hips. I'm not all that curvy, but nothing seems to fit well or stay in place at my hips.

Two things to add -

I have one of those Amphipod belts. I can't wear anything on my hips, it will bounce - anything that goes "around" has to go at my natural waist. The belt pulls my spine out of alignment, makes pelvic rotation difficult, it only carries 24 oz of water, and my 2-liter Intensity pack rides lighter when full than the Amphipod belt. I do still use it occasionally on runs of 7-8 miles, just barely long enough to need a few sips of water, but that's just mainly because the bottles are so much easier to clean and dry than a flexible bladder.

Also, overheating isn't necessarily related to hydration, but it very often is. 24 oz water wouldn't be nearly enough for me on a 10-mile run. I'm very prone to overheating, but in last summer's marathon training, there were only a couple of times on long runs in 95° heat that I even felt close to overheating, and that's because I'm really careful to keep up with hydration. A liter an hour does NOT replace everything I sweat out, but it's normally enough to keep me from overheating. I also have to be really careful to replace electrolytes, because I'm also prone to hyponatremia.

You might consider carrying enough plain water to pour over your head on occasion.

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

I have one of those Amphipod belts. I can't wear anything on my hips, it will bounce - anything that goes "around" has to go at my natural waist.

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This. I look like a dork when I wear my Amphipod belt (I have one of the Full-Tilt models), since I wear it up so high, but it won't stay down on my hips. I have to have it up at my waist...pretty high.

I can't wear jerseys with bottom elastic or compression tops, either. All of these things creep right up to my natural waist and leave my lower belly bare.

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Originally Posted by zoom-zoom

This. I look like a dork when I wear my Amphipod belt (I have one of the Full-Tilt models), since I wear it up so high, but it won't stay down on my hips. I have to have it up at my waist...pretty high.

I can't wear jerseys with bottom elastic or compression tops, either. All of these things creep right up to my natural waist and leave my lower belly bare.

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This, too. ;)

I wear my Nathan belt at my natural waist and I have to cinch it down pretty tight for it not to bounce too much. It's not fashionable by any stretch of the imagination, but it works. I do have a longer torso though, so I might have more room between my natural waist and my lower body curves than some, so that might make a difference.

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Originally Posted by GLC1968

This, too. ;)

I wear my Nathan belt at my natural waist and I have to cinch it down pretty tight for it not to bounce too much. It's not fashionable by any stretch of the imagination, but it works. I do have a longer torso though, so I might have more room between my natural waist and my lower body curves than some, so that might make a difference.

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This. Man, we are body doubles! :p

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Originally Posted by GLC1968

I might have more room between my natural waist and my lower body curves than some, so that might make a difference.

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Heh. There are two inches between my bottom rib and my hipbone. Count 'em. :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

Heh. There are two inches between my bottom rib and my hipbone. Count 'em. :rolleyes:

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Wow! I've got about 5!

Kirsten - body doubles except that I am not blessed with your chest! ;)

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Originally Posted by GLC1968

Wow! I've got about 5!

Kirsten - body doubles except that I am not blessed with your chest! ;)

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Meh, it's totally overrated.

Ha, I just measured from my bottom rib to my hip-bone...5". :p

Thanks all, for the input. I tried to switch it to my natural waist during the run to see if that helped (i have the one size fits all Amphipod, so I can change the velcro to fit for different parts of the body) but my torso is so short and my waist is so high that the belt is under my arms and annoys me.

What I meant about the overheating is that I just don't like to run with lots of layers on, so I'm loathe to try something like a vest or camelbak. As I said, I do have a hand bottle, maybe I'll try that on the next long run, and if it is annoying I will look into one of the vests. Maybe my local running store will let me run on their treadmill with it to see if it works.

It took 3-4 runs before I felt comfortable carrying a water bottle. But now I don't even notice it. You may want to try it for a few tries to get used to it.

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

The belt pulls my spine out of alignment, makes pelvic rotation difficult, it only carries 24 oz of water, and my 2-liter Intensity pack rides lighter when full than the Amphipod belt.

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I stopped wearing my hydration belt because it made my hip flexors, back, and pelvis hurt. It took me a while to realise what was going on, but once I stopped, I felt SO much better.

I use a Camelbak pack right now (and have for a long time) but I'm thinking about the others. The 2L gets me up to about 20 miles in normal weather, fewer miles in heat.

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Originally Posted by colby

I stopped wearing my hydration belt because it made my hip flexors, back, and pelvis hurt. It took me a while to realise what was going on, but once I stopped, I felt SO much better.

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Interesting - I don't get along with a backpack-style Camelbak because it kills my neck and shoulders, but I have a lumbar Camelbak that I love. No problems with it. I alternate between the lumbar Camelback and carrying a bottle.