Very nice Catrin!

I can't stand a handheld bottle either. Waist packs - try before you buy, if you can, and be aware that once you put water in the bottles they have the potential to bounce like crazy. I still say two liters of water in my Nathan Intensity rides lighter than 24 oz in my three-bottle Amphipod waist pack, but that might be more money than you want to spend.

Any water (extrinsic weight) is going to throw your movement off - the best you can do is keep it symmetrical and as centered as possible. You might even experiment with carrying *two* water bottles, one for each hand - some people do that. Handhelds put a bunch of weight at the end of your arm ... waist packs pull your lumbar spine straight and make it hard to rotate your pelvis ... vests make you want to lean forward to center your total upper body weight over your hips. It's whatever is least uncomfortable for you and least aggravating to your particular biomechanics, I think...

I did 9.5 yesterday, rode a little bit today, thinking I might do 10 tomorrow. Depends on the weather.