Hard Long Run, and Water in a Bag solved!

After a long week of work and the previous week of great beach runs in Kiawah and signing up for a half marathon in on June 24, I decided to run long, again, third time this year.  (I seem to be averaging one a month.)  Same track (along Bronx River Parkway), relatively flat, perfect running weather (around 55 degrees, but with a pretty stiff breeze that seemed to be in my face both ways), and a bright, sunny day.  I also decided not to focus too much on pace and my Garmin and my heartbeat, but to try and feel it some rather than let the numbers dictate my sense as to how hard I was working and how I felt.  The Ludditte run.

So, what happened?  I ended up at almost the exact same pace as last time I ran the run, 9.27 miles in 1:19. And after I got home and looked at Garmy, it had a couple of data wrinkles that would have totally freaked me out: a 10:00 mile and then a 7:00 mile, for example.  I know that didn't happen.

But the run beat me up.  My feet and lower back are sore. I popped a toenail, my first of the year.  It was really a difficult run at the end.  I wish I could say I powered through and laughed as I crossed the line, but that didn't happen.

And I may have solved my hydration issue.  For those not following along, for training long runs, I usually plant water along a route, and run a series of loops so I have water every three miles or so.  But for these sort of one off training runs that are out and back, I can't really plant water.  I don't like running with a fuel belt, and cant stand holding a water bottle in one hand.  So, I wear a Spibelt, and have been trying to come up ways to bring along a little water in that belt.

My first attempt involved imitation Ziploc bags and was a failure.  This time, though, I found some Loksaks that Spibelt people actually gave to me when I bought it at NY Marathon Expo.  The Loksaks are basically super tight Ziploc bags, water and airtight, and designed to hold things like phones and maps while scuba diving or on boats.

Hmm.  Ok, so I put some water in a loksak, squeezed out the air and stuffed it in the spibelt.  Worked great!  Just wasn't very much water and not the easiest device to use.  I will definitely keep this in my arsenal of portable water.  Later that day, after a 4 year old birthday party, I treated the little one with a trip to REI to see what I could find.  And I think I found the perfect thing: little squishy neoprene travel bottles made by humangear:

Very sturdy, flexible, two fit perfectly in a Spibelt pouch.  And they have an interior one way flow valve.  Two bottles hold six ounces of fluid, just right for two water breaks, and that is what I want for a 9 mile run.  Will give them a test drive soon!