Sport Today

I'm not a speed demon, will be running just slightly over 10 minute mile
pace throughout if all goes well, and as I say I am experienced with the
pack. The shorts I prefer to wear in races have no pockets so the pack
would help me avoid pinning gels to my shorts, allow me to carry along
some of my own drink through parts of the run, etc. I don't feel
strongly either way, just curious about others who have tried it both
ways. Yea or nay?

chris

I've run marathons both with and without wearing a waist pack. When I was
running in the 3:40s, no pack; now that I'm finishing around 5 hours, I wear
a pack.

I also wear one on my long runs - since I live in AZ, I use a Camelbak GoBe.
For marathons that have a lot of aid stations, I just wear a *** pack and
stick some candies, GU, toilet paper in it.

On Sunday, I'm running a local marathon I've done before, and I know it's a
little light on the support along the course. So I'm wearing my GoBe to be
sure I have fluid when I want/need it. And I'll stick the other stuff in the
side pockets.

Good luck in your marathon.

Brian

--
Caveat Lector
"the further you go outside, the further you go inside" - B. McKibben
Doug Freese

I ran both of my marathons with a waist pack so I could carry a few critical
items like gels and a cliff bar.  (The first time I even brought my cell
phone in case I missed my friend who had my son with him - don't tell Roger
though...). I'd rather have that sense of security that comes with knowing
I'm prepared. I was never bothered by them, even though they are actually
different than my bottle holder that I train with.

Good luck running the Mardi Gras Marathon. I thought hard about doing it
this year, but decided to focus on Nordic Skiing instead. What a mistake. No
snow this year, so I'm going to put it on my list for next year too, and
just plan on doing it.

Todd - in snowless MN

- you can drink whenever you want, not just at the aid stations.

- I find it much easier to drink from a bottle than from a paper cup.

- If you have fluid in your bottle you can run past the aid stations and avoid
the congestion.

- I ran my races with a bottle about 1/3 - 1/2 full.  I skipped the first two
aid stations because I had something to drink.  At the third station I opened
my bottle and poured in two cups of water and two cups of Gatorade in quick
succession (much easier than trying to drink them).  The diluted Gatorade
lasted through the next two aid stations, and then I repeated the process at
the third station.

- You can carry your GU and powerbars in the pockets.

- The waist belt is a secure place to tuck  extra clothing that you're not
using at the time.  I find that if I try to tuck those things under the elastic
of my shorts, they eventually fall out.

- You can clip a disposable camera onto a waist belt.  It won't work on your
running shorts.

- A belt pocket is a good place to keep car keys and other valuables.  If I put
these things into my shorts pocket or attach them to my shoelaces, I'm always
worrying that I'll lose them.

- - -Robert Walter

Chris