Re: hydration packs

Phil M. said:

Ignoramus7876 said:

Are they worth it for half marathons? I would fill mine with some
electrolyte solution. Maybe would stixck an mp3 playes into it. Is it
a big impediment to running?

They are worth it for training for a half marathon. But they are not
necessary for the race itself. First of all, many races do not allow
headphones (check the race's web site). Secondly, at the aid stations they
will be serving Gatorade and water. Why carry your own?

His religion doesn't permit gatorade.

Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi
http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/

Donovan Rebbechi said:

Phil M. said:

Ignoramus7876 said:

Are they worth it for half marathons? I would fill mine with some
electrolyte solution. Maybe would stixck an mp3 playes into it. Is
it a big impediment to running?

They are worth it for training for a half marathon. But they are not
necessary for the race itself. First of all, many races do not allow
headphones (check the race's web site). Secondly, at the aid stations
they will be serving Gatorade and water. Why carry your own?

His religion doesn't permit gatorade.

Well, I wasn't going to get into that. Besides, I think you'll need a
pneumatic drill to tear down the brick wall. ;-)

Phil M.

--
"Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make
them all yourself." ­Martin Vanbee

Phil M. said:

Donovan Rebbechi said:

Phil M. said:

Ignoramus7876 <[email hidden]> wrote:

> Are they worth it for half marathons? I would fill mine with some
> electrolyte solution. Maybe would stixck an mp3 playes into it. Is
> it a big impediment to running?

They are worth it for training for a half marathon. But they are not
necessary for the race itself. First of all, many races do not allow
headphones (check the race's web site). Secondly, at the aid stations
they will be serving Gatorade and water. Why carry your own?

His religion doesn't permit gatorade.

Well, I wasn't going to get into that. Besides, I think you'll need a
pneumatic drill to tear down the brick wall. ;-)

Maybe they should make low carb gatorade.

Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi
http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/

In article <[email hidden]>, Donovan Rebbechi
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Maybe they should make low carb gatorade.

Yeah! Diet Gatorade. Gatorade Lite. Atkins Gatorade. I bet it would
sell, as well.
--
Mel Rimmer

Dear I,
It wouldn't hurt to atleast invest in a hand-carrier water bottle
(about $12, holds 16 oz)...I use it for any training runs over an hour
depending on the weather (heat). I find it much more comfortable than the
fannypack types around my waist. Also, for a 2 hr run or more I carry a gel
and take it around an hour into my run, I have noticed a huge difference on
runs that I use these. Good luck in your half marathon.....R

"Ignoramus7876" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article said:

Ignoramus7876 said:

Are they worth it for half marathons? I would fill mine with some
electrolyte solution. Maybe would stixck an mp3 playes into it. Is it
a big impediment to running?

They are worth it for training for a half marathon. But they are not
necessary for the race itself. First of all, many races do not allow
headphones (check the race's web site). Secondly, at the aid stations
they
will be serving Gatorade and water. Why carry your own?

I guess that if, as Donovan said, I do not need electrolytes, and if
water is going to be available, then I do not need to take a hydration
pack...

i

"Ignoramus7876" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I guess that if, as Donovan said, I do not need electrolytes, and if
water is going to be available, then I do not need to take a hydration
pack...

What will you do if they only serve Gatorade, spit out the carbs. It's
not clear that you know the difference between carbs and electrolytes.

-DF

Phil M. said:

They are worth it for training for a half marathon.

The key is that you're training with the system, whatever it is.
I wouldn't want to go into a long race with something unfamiliar.
You can get nasty surprises. E.g., I've learned that the
chaffing from my [censored] pack can cause cuts serious enough to leave
a scar over my hip bones... and I didn't feel a thing at the time.
Now I know what precautions to take.

The training effect is so important that I'm continuing to wear my
[censored] pack (complete with a bottle of accelerade) during my short
runs just because it's what I'll be wearing on race day.

Quoted message said:

Secondly, at the aid stations they
will be serving Gatorade and water. Why carry your own?

They might not serve what you've been training with. This might
not sound like a big deal, but you really don't know what to
expect. E.g., gatorade is essentially sugar water, accelerade is
20% protein. (Or as a friend says, "fruit punch, now with BEEF!"😉
I wouldn't want to switch drinks during a run. That's enough of
a difference that you might find yourself in the bushes puking
your guts out. Or worse.

Even if they serve the same product, you might want to carry your
own supply for personal preference. I hate chocolate power gels
so I don't mind carrying some strawberry and raspberry gels so
I'll have some choice if the only thing available at an aid
station is the dreaded chocolate. They aren't that heavy, esp.
since I've been carrying them for months now.

Bear G said:

Phil M. wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Secondly, at the aid stations they
will be serving Gatorade and water. Why carry your own?

They might not serve what you've been training with.

We already know they're serving Gatorade. That's why (in another thread I
think) I suggested he get used to Gatorade. I started training with
Gatorade about a month ago for my upcomming marathon because this is what
they'll be serving at the race. Not my preference. I prefer Cytomax
mainly because of the slower burn that it provides because it is a
maltodectrin based drink. IMO, the Gels and the populer drinks like
Gatorade give you too much of a sudden lift that will later send you in
the tank. The maltodextrin avoids these spikes in energy.

I've even gone so far as to train with Orange flavor Gatorade, since this
is the flavor they will use. I'm not taking any chances.

Quoted message said:

This might
not sound like a big deal, but you really don't know what to
expect. E.g., gatorade is essentially sugar water, accelerade is
20% protein. (Or as a friend says, "fruit punch, now with BEEF!"😉

Yep. I've tried Accelerade on a few 20-milers. I do like it better than
Gatorade, but not as much as Cytomax.

Quoted message said:

I wouldn't want to switch drinks during a run. That's enough of
a difference that you might find yourself in the bushes puking
your guts out. Or worse.

Again, if you've read my posts, you know that I always recommend getting
used to race day conditions as much as possible.

Quoted message said:

Even if they serve the same product, you might want to carry your
own supply for personal preference. I hate chocolate power gels
so I don't mind carrying some strawberry and raspberry gels so
I'll have some choice if the only thing available at an aid
station is the dreaded chocolate. They aren't that heavy, esp.
since I've been carrying them for months now.

I've done gels before for marathons. I think the only good reason to use
a gel is if you absolutely cannot stomach the drink they will be serving.
In that case you can bring gels and wash down with their water. Another
good reason is during training runs when you know you'll be passing by
water and then you can eliminate the need to bring your own fluids.

Phil M.

Phil M. said:

I've done gels before for marathons. I think the only good reason to use
a gel is if you absolutely cannot stomach the drink they will be serving.

With 5+ hours near AT I have to treat my run as something closer
to an ultra than a marathon, and I simply can't get enough
calories from a sports drink. Not without causing other problems
from that much fluid.

Quoted message said:

Another
good reason is during training runs when you know you'll be passing by
water and then you can eliminate the need to bring your own fluids.

One of the drawbacks of trail running is that there's no water.
At least no safe water. Fortunately I can make it about 3 hours
with my [censored] pack, assuming I start in the morning before it gets
hot.

"Ignoramus23984" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I know the difference... Do you have any useful suggestions?

Sure. Drink a cup or two of the provided sport drink at every aid
station but this would negate your LC test of one.

-DF

"Phil M." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Bear G said:

Phil M. wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Secondly, at the aid stations they
will be serving Gatorade and water. Why carry your own?

They might not serve what you've been training with.

We already know they're serving Gatorade. That's why (in another thread I
think) I suggested he get used to Gatorade. I started training with
Gatorade about a month ago for my upcomming marathon because this is what
they'll be serving at the race. Not my preference. I prefer Cytomax
mainly because of the slower burn that it provides because it is a
maltodectrin based drink. IMO, the Gels and the populer drinks like
Gatorade give you too much of a sudden lift that will later send you in
the tank. The maltodextrin avoids these spikes in energy.

I've even gone so far as to train with Orange flavor Gatorade, since this
is the flavor they will use. I'm not taking any chances.

Quoted message said:

This might
not sound like a big deal, but you really don't know what to
expect. E.g., gatorade is essentially sugar water, accelerade is
20% protein. (Or as a friend says, "fruit punch, now with BEEF!"😉

Yep. I've tried Accelerade on a few 20-milers. I do like it better than
Gatorade, but not as much as Cytomax.

Quoted message said:

I wouldn't want to switch drinks during a run. That's enough of
a difference that you might find yourself in the bushes puking
your guts out. Or worse.

Again, if you've read my posts, you know that I always recommend getting
used to race day conditions as much as possible.

Quoted message said:

Even if they serve the same product, you might want to carry your
own supply for personal preference. I hate chocolate power gels
so I don't mind carrying some strawberry and raspberry gels so
I'll have some choice if the only thing available at an aid
station is the dreaded chocolate. They aren't that heavy, esp.
since I've been carrying them for months now.

I've done gels before for marathons. I think the only good reason to use
a gel is if you absolutely cannot stomach the drink they will be serving.
In that case you can bring gels and wash down with their water. Another
good reason is during training runs when you know you'll be passing by
water and then you can eliminate the need to bring your own fluids.

Phil M.

another good reason for a gel is to get in adequate CHO. Typically the
sport drink on the race course is watered down.

For instance, a PowerGel has 28 g of CHO; to get that much from Gatorade
(even at 6-8% solution which is probably not what it will be on the course)
would mean I would need to drink almost 500ml of Gatorade. (6% would be 6 g
per 100ml of fluid) That is a lot of fluid for me especially in a half.

Bear G wrote in message ...

Quoted message said:

Phil M. said:

I've done gels before for marathons. I think the only good reason to use
a gel is if you absolutely cannot stomach the drink they will be serving.

With 5+ hours near AT I have to treat my run as something closer
to an ultra than a marathon, and I simply can't get enough
calories from a sports drink. Not without causing other problems
from that much fluid.

Quoted message said:

Another
good reason is during training runs when you know you'll be passing by
water and then you can eliminate the need to bring your own fluids.

One of the drawbacks of trail running is that there's no water.
At least no safe water. Fortunately I can make it about 3 hours
with my [censored] pack, assuming I start in the morning before it gets
hot.

When I go on backcountry runs I sometimes take my 2 bottle belt and one
hand-carry bottle. In one of the belt bottle pockets I put a squeeze
purifier bottle. That way I can fill the other bottles from any stream and
carry about 60oz of water total. - Tony

Sam wrote in message <[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"Phil M." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Bear G said:

Phil M. wrote:

Quoted message said:

> Secondly, at the aid stations they
> will be serving Gatorade and water. Why carry your own?

They might not serve what you've been training with.

We already know they're serving Gatorade. That's why (in another thread I
think) I suggested he get used to Gatorade. I started training with
Gatorade about a month ago for my upcomming marathon because this is what
they'll be serving at the race. Not my preference. I prefer Cytomax
mainly because of the slower burn that it provides because it is a
maltodectrin based drink. IMO, the Gels and the populer drinks like
Gatorade give you too much of a sudden lift that will later send you in
the tank. The maltodextrin avoids these spikes in energy.

I've even gone so far as to train with Orange flavor Gatorade, since this
is the flavor they will use. I'm not taking any chances.

Quoted message said:

This might
not sound like a big deal, but you really don't know what to
expect. E.g., gatorade is essentially sugar water, accelerade is
20% protein. (Or as a friend says, "fruit punch, now with BEEF!"😉

Yep. I've tried Accelerade on a few 20-milers. I do like it better than
Gatorade, but not as much as Cytomax.

Quoted message said:

I wouldn't want to switch drinks during a run. That's enough of
a difference that you might find yourself in the bushes puking
your guts out. Or worse.

Again, if you've read my posts, you know that I always recommend getting
used to race day conditions as much as possible.

Quoted message said:

Even if they serve the same product, you might want to carry your
own supply for personal preference. I hate chocolate power gels
so I don't mind carrying some strawberry and raspberry gels so
I'll have some choice if the only thing available at an aid
station is the dreaded chocolate. They aren't that heavy, esp.
since I've been carrying them for months now.

I've done gels before for marathons. I think the only good reason to use
a gel is if you absolutely cannot stomach the drink they will be serving.
In that case you can bring gels and wash down with their water. Another
good reason is during training runs when you know you'll be passing by
water and then you can eliminate the need to bring your own fluids.

Phil M.

another good reason for a gel is to get in adequate CHO. Typically the
sport drink on the race course is watered down.

For instance, a PowerGel has 28 g of CHO; to get that much from Gatorade
(even at 6-8% solution which is probably not what it will be on the

course)

Quoted message said:

would mean I would need to drink almost 500ml of Gatorade. (6% would be 6

g

Quoted message said:

per 100ml of fluid) That is a lot of fluid for me especially in a half.

Very good point. For runs longer than 3 hours I like to take in as close as
possible to 60gm carbs / hour, which almost always means some gels in
addition to whatever sports drink I'm taking. For very long runs I've used
Clip 2, which has 37gm food, for shorter I like accelerade. Under normal
conditions I drink a 20oz bottle (1 clip 2) every hour, so that leaves room
for taking a gel also, washing it down with a few oz of plain water. I
prefer accel gels for their added protien.

- Tony

Which one did you get?

A good one in my experience has been the Camelbak Catalyst...more of a [censored]
pack type affair. Have used it successfully for long training runs.

"Ignoramus23984" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I just bought a hydration pack on ebay, and will now try to figure out
what to put in it. Maybe I will mix water with some "lite salt", will
read up on it.

i

Ignoramus30067 said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

teknofyle said:

Which one did you get?

This one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7102633105

Quoted message said:

A good one in my experience has been the Camelbak Catalyst...more of
a [censored] pack type affair. Have used it successfully for long training
runs.

Well, thanks, but by now I already got one. 🙂

i

If you do a google groups search on rec.running you'll see a lot of
references to CamelBak and Ultimate Direction. They are both known for
making quality hydration packs that are geared towards runners. At any
rate, you will need to take the pack out for some long runs, especially if
you plan to wear it for the half. You'll be amazed at what little things
can become a major annoyance after 10 miles or so. Let us know how it goes.

Phil M.

--
"Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make
them all yourself." ­Martin Vanbee

Quoted message said:

If you do a google groups search on rec.running you'll see a lot of
references to CamelBak

Why do you guys insist on making fun of my old GF? It's bad enough she had that
hump, and had that nickname, but for you guys to continuously bring it up is
just in bad taste.

Ignoramus30067 said:

In article said:

A good one in my experience has been the Camelbak Catalyst...more of a [censored]
pack type affair. Have used it successfully for long training runs.

Well, thanks, but by now I already got one. 🙂

The more experienced people in my group all said that they tried a
number of different systems before they found one that worked best
for them. Something is probably better than nothing, but don't
expect an item quickly found on eBay will be _the_ system for you.