This is just a very small sampling of the water bottles I have in my cabinets. Is this obsessive? I mean really, who has this many water bottles?? People who run and people who ride bikes, that’s who.
Just a "few" of my water bottles...
I love water bottles. I love free ones you get from different running events/races, I love the ones with insulation, and I love the ones with pretty shapes and colors. I love plastic ones. I love stainless steel ones. I even love glass ones. I love narrow-mouthed ones, and I love wide-mouthed ones. I love ones with hand-holders and ones without. I love them all.
I also have these that didn’t make it into the photo (thanks to the dishwasher/washing machine).
I also just ordered this little number from Fleet Feet of Baton Rouge and it should be in any day now!
Amphipod Hydraform ThermaLite 20oz
When you live in Louisiana, and you know it is going to be 95 degrees on your afternoon run, you also know that being well hydrated is a non-negotiable. If you don’t hydrate properly, you will most absolutely feel it on your run. Headaches and fatigue will set in, followed by the muscle cramps.
Yesterday, I’m not going to lie, I drank the hell out of some water and Cytomax (approximately 100oz) because I knew I’d be running last night. It must have worked in my favor at the Happy’s Running group run, because I knocked out 4.77 miles in 51:42 minutes. (10:50min/mi is a-okay with me at 4 months pregnant!)
I’ve always wanted to be one of those runners rocking the Fuel Belt. While I love them, they just don’t work for me. God blessed this curvy girl with boobs and hips, and a Fuel Belt never stays in place (neither do race number belts). It always rides up and bounces around my waist…which is one of the most annoying things EVER during a race.
Just remember that whatever your distance (short or long runs), staying hydrated is important. Your performance will decrease by 2% by being only 1% hydrated. That’s a big impact, if you think about it. Drink up and keep that pee clear!
How do you stay hydrated during the day or during long runs? How much water or sports drink does it take for you to feel hydrated?
katieRUNSthis 
I have the smaller one that fits in my hand (with the holder).. but I think I’m going to have to get the larger one now for the longer runs… I’ll down that stuff like… well… water 🙂 haha!!!
i have a hand held water bottle for long runs and when it gets hot outside. I usually run in the morning but even at 77 degrees and humidity, a water bottle is needed.
Katie,
Shoot me an email. I have tried to respond to you through the BR Tri Forum PM and email, but it seems to not be working. I can gget you in touch with Bryan who has a Saris Bones 2.
Chad (lsu_engr)
That looks like the contents of my cabinet. I have eight billion water bottles of all sizes (for purses, running, cycling, super-nonspill, etc–and also out of fear I’ll lose one, which I do ALL the time).
Re: the bottles with a pocket/tab for easier grip–how do you keep those fresh and clean? I have one and the bottle is fine, but I can’t get the actual handgrip to stop being a bit stinky, no matter how much I air it and soap it up.
You mean the Amphipod and Camelback holders? For both of these brands, the outer pocket just slides off and I can put the bottle itself in the top rack of the dishwasher. (In my house, if it’s not dishwasher-safe, it’s not getting cleaned. Period.) To clean the holders themselves when they get stinky from sweat, I just toss them in the washing machine with like colors, wash on cold, and then air-dry. Or, you could even put a little Woolite in the sink and just soak them for a while. I’ve also been known to clip them to a skirt hanger and let them drip-dry over the bathtub. 🙂 I’ve never used it before, but I’ve heard OxyClean is a dream for getting funky smells out, so that might work too.
Thanks for the tips. I’m definitely going to try the Oxy Clean. The design of the bottle is pretty silly and the holder doesn’t actually detach completely from the bottle, but I’ll just have to work around that… or get another one!
What kind do you have, if you don’t mind my asking?
This one–had I known about the non-detaching pocket, I would have bought another one!
Hmmm…and that rubber band around the bottom doesn’t slip off? That’s really strange. You’d think Nike would be a bit more innovative and smarter in their design.
EXACTLY. It unhooks from the bottom, but not from the top, and the ring doesn’t unscrew from the bottle. Naughty Nike.
Got one of those belts to. Tucked away deep in my closet. I can stand the thing. NEVER stays in place. Totaly ruins your run when its all bouncy bouncy. I’ve got 1 short NIKE thight where I can ‘sorta’ put a small 33ml bottle in the back pocket. Gets to bodytemperature after about 30 min. So it’s more rinsing than actually drinking.
Occasionaly my wife rides along with her bike when I’m doing a 20km run in the summer. That’s pretty handy 😉
I don’t like to run with a bottle in my hand, so I drink way to little. I know it’s not good for you, but I drink a lot during the day so I’m fully hydrated before I’m of. That’s maybe the only upside to living in a mild climate.
I probably drink tooo much coffee during the day, which defeats trying to stay hydrated during runs. And it looks like you have some nifty little pouches to tuck in a salt packet or two…