My 32.6 mile extreme trail ultramarathon is only 2 weeks away. There are no water stops or aid stations. I bought a 100oz Camelbak Mule for the ultra. I took it out for a test run a couple weeks ago and I didn’t like the feel of it. It felt weird like it was adding to my up, and adding to my down. I felt like it would suck my energy over the 32 miles. And I didn’t like sucking through the tube much. I starting exploring other options.
For all of my runs so far I have worn a fanny pack. For som training runs I have thrown a bottle or two of water into the fanny pack. So I decided to look into a double water bottle fanny packs. One suggestion on the ultra’s website was a North Face Mountain Bike Lumbar. I found the current model online for about $50, for older models for slightly less than $40. But if I ordered one online, I might not get it in time for my ultra. And I wanted to try it out during a test run or two to see if I would like it or not. I looked around the local sporting goods stores for the North Face, but none of them had it. I found some cheap looking fanny packs at one sporting goods store. I decided to keep looking. Then at another sporting goods store I found a Marmot Excursion for $40. It would hold a couple 1 quart bottles. It seemed to have most of the features of the North Face, so I bought it. It also had storage space which I will need to carry some food, map, etc, as well as some emergency supplies.
I was scheduled for a 30 minute run last night so I decided to try it out. The fanny pack didn’t come with water bottles. So I used a couople 16oz bottles of water (generic bottled water). I strapped the thing on and ran my 30 minutes on the treadmill. It felt much better than the Camelbak. True, I only had about a third of the water, but the weight was more on my hips. I am debating about using the 16 oz bottles, or buying some 32 oz Nalgene bottles.
But after last night’s run, I am confident that the water bottle fanny pack is the right way to go.
Rob,
I don’t know where your race is, but when i run long distances, i ask my wife to meet me somewhere in the middle and pass me full bottles of water/gatorade.
The other trick that i have done in the past is go the night before and “stash” full bottles along the route. Althought this strategy is risky, the bottles have never yet been stolen.
Good luck in your race.
Al
Comment by Big Al — July 11, 2007 @ 1:00 pm
Thanks for the advise. The race is in the Adirondacks. My wife would have to hike in 16.3 miles to meet me at the halfway mark. And then hike the 16.3 miles back out again. She is not up to doing anything like that.
If there were crossroads or something, I could have her there, or hide bottles. But no. There is the start, and the end, and nothing but 32.6 miles of trail in between.
Comment by Rob — July 12, 2007 @ 7:38 am