Congratulations to entry #23 Kerrie for winning my giveaway! She nabbed this particular entry by “liking” iFitness on Facebook. Kerrie will receive an iFitness Hydration Belt. Kerrie, I will send you an e-mail based on the address you entered, but if you see this first, please send me your shipping information and size/color preference to mom2marathon (at) gmail (dot) com.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I wanted to let everyone know that Kerrie was the second name drawn. The first person that came up, unfortunately did not leave a blog comment with a favorite item from the iFitness website. This was required in order to be eligible to win. I will be having other giveaways in the near future so keep playing!!
Happy Running….
Showing posts with label hydration belt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hydration belt. Show all posts
Monday, September 19, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
Review and Giveaway!—iFitness Hydration Belt
My iFitness Neoprene Double Pouch belt is one of my favorite things. In fact, it made it on my "favorite things” list last year. I also have purchased it for two of my friends and told a friend’s husband to purchase one for a third. I wear it on nearly every run and wear it whenever I don’t want to carry a purse (which is most of the time these days).
When I found out that they were coming out with a hydration belt, I was thrilled. I have recently started disliking my belt,* but for long runs, it is a necessity. I have been using my handheld a lot this summer, but I really want to carry both water and Nuun on my long runs. I was eager to try a better belt. Enter the iFitness Hydration Belt (16 oz size).
The iFitness Hydration Belt features:
Here is a picture of my double pouch with an add-on.
I received both items quickly. In the past, other belts I have ordered have arrived in a timely fashion as well. There is no set up and while I did rinse them, the bottles did not appear to need to be washed before use.
I have now worn this belt on two long runs (20 miles and 22 miles) as well as during two legs of Hood to Coast
.
Here are my thoughts.
Pros:
The iFitness Hydration Belt is priced competitively with the other belts out there. It retails for $39.95 for the 16 ounce belt. The 12 ounce belt (using two six ounce bottles) sells for $36.95. There are belts out there with ten ounce bottles that sell for the same price as iFitness.
Where the iFitness is not as competitive is when you jump to four bottles. The two bottle add-on is $19.95. That makes a four bottle set-up a $60 investment. There are cheaper options out there. The thing each person has to decide is—is comfort and convenience worth the extra $$. For me, I think it is. The add-ons offer me a lot of options, so they are worth it.
Final Word:
Overall, I really like this belt. I don’t think I will ever LOVE a hydration belt. However, when I want plenty of options for my hydration and fuel, this is a good option for me. I will most likely be wearing this for St. George. I originally was planning on running with my handheld bottle, but I like the idea of having both water and Nuun with me (I prefer to wash down my Gu’s with water over Nuun) as well as the ability to carry 32 ounces instead of the 20 ounces that my handheld holds.
The Best News:
I have the opportunity to give away a hydration belt to a lucky reader! Please find all the ways to enter below. In order to be eligible to win, you must be a follower and must go to iFitness and check out their products, leaving a comment about your favorite. There are a bunch of other ways to earn entries. See below for how to enter. The giveaway will end on Sunday, September 18 at 9 p.m. PDT.
Happy Running…
*I have used the Roadrunner/Nathan four-bottle hydration belt. The one I have is three years old and might be a bit different than what they sell today. It has a velcro closure and after losing some weight, it doesn’t fit well. It bounces and I have to jerry-rig it with rubber bands to fit me at all. It ends up looking pretty gaudy.
When I found out that they were coming out with a hydration belt, I was thrilled. I have recently started disliking my belt,* but for long runs, it is a necessity. I have been using my handheld a lot this summer, but I really want to carry both water and Nuun on my long runs. I was eager to try a better belt. Enter the iFitness Hydration Belt (16 oz size).
The iFitness Hydration Belt features:
- Water resistant pouch, stretchy and sturdy, made of neoprene will keep your cell phone or iPod (any size) dry.
- Two 8oz bottles (BPA free)
- 2 elastic slots will hold your gels on your belt, for easy access.
- A special inner pocket will keep your ID/credit cards or room key securely.
- Comes with two reflector strips in the front and one in the back, for night time safety.
- Also featured are two toggles to hold your race number, under the pouch.
Here is a picture of my double pouch with an add-on.
I received both items quickly. In the past, other belts I have ordered have arrived in a timely fashion as well. There is no set up and while I did rinse them, the bottles did not appear to need to be washed before use.
I have now worn this belt on two long runs (20 miles and 22 miles) as well as during two legs of Hood to Coast
.
Here are my thoughts.
Pros:
- The belt fits just like my pouch belt, nice and snug. If I have it adjusted correctly, it doesn’t bounce at all. I prefer it to sit down on my hips where I just forget about it.
- The bottles fit tightly into the pouches. In the past, I have had bottles fall out of the belt. A couple times, this happened in a race! Once, during a half marathon, one of my bottles was knocked out by my arm during my sprint to the finish. I just left it. I have actually used rubber bands to secure the bottles during a key race—pretty junk-show. The iFitness belt also has some elastic loops to secure the bottles, ensuring that they never pop out. They are easy enough to get out to drink, however.
- The pouch is nice and roomy without being too bulky. It is big enough for my phone, cash, a packet of flushable wipes and a Gu. Saturday, during my twenty-two miler, I also stashed a Honey Stinger Waffle in the pouch.
- There are two elastic loops that fit a Gu packet.
- The pouch seemed to keep everything dry. On my long run Saturday, it rained pretty hard. My phone stayed dry and protected.
- They have reflective stripes for safety. I don’t always run in the dark, but it was pitch black Saturday when we started. I also used it during my night leg of Hood to Coast.
- I like having ten ounce bottles. The eight ounce bottles aren’t quite big enough and I think I might have to refill during the marathon. When I ran marathons with the other belt, 40 ounces lasted me 26.2 miles. I am not sure if 32 ounces will last. We’ll see.
- While I didn’t notice it during my long run, the belt gave me a little bruise on the front of my hip. It was a little tender Saturday night, but don’t even notice it today. To be fair, this happens with any hydration belt I have tried.
- The bottles are a little too far apart to fit exactly between my hips. If I wear it straight on, the bottles lay directly on my hip bones. Ouch. I have to turn it a little catty-wompus (is that even a word?) so it lays flat. One of the bottles sits directly in front of my hip bone and the other one sits right behind my other hip bone. This puts the rear bottles in a strange place. It is ok because I drink from the front bottles, switching them with the rear bottles as I empty them.
The iFitness Hydration Belt is priced competitively with the other belts out there. It retails for $39.95 for the 16 ounce belt. The 12 ounce belt (using two six ounce bottles) sells for $36.95. There are belts out there with ten ounce bottles that sell for the same price as iFitness.
Where the iFitness is not as competitive is when you jump to four bottles. The two bottle add-on is $19.95. That makes a four bottle set-up a $60 investment. There are cheaper options out there. The thing each person has to decide is—is comfort and convenience worth the extra $$. For me, I think it is. The add-ons offer me a lot of options, so they are worth it.
Final Word:
Overall, I really like this belt. I don’t think I will ever LOVE a hydration belt. However, when I want plenty of options for my hydration and fuel, this is a good option for me. I will most likely be wearing this for St. George. I originally was planning on running with my handheld bottle, but I like the idea of having both water and Nuun with me (I prefer to wash down my Gu’s with water over Nuun) as well as the ability to carry 32 ounces instead of the 20 ounces that my handheld holds.
The Best News:
I have the opportunity to give away a hydration belt to a lucky reader! Please find all the ways to enter below. In order to be eligible to win, you must be a follower and must go to iFitness and check out their products, leaving a comment about your favorite. There are a bunch of other ways to earn entries. See below for how to enter. The giveaway will end on Sunday, September 18 at 9 p.m. PDT.
Happy Running…
*I have used the Roadrunner/Nathan four-bottle hydration belt. The one I have is three years old and might be a bit different than what they sell today. It has a velcro closure and after losing some weight, it doesn’t fit well. It bounces and I have to jerry-rig it with rubber bands to fit me at all. It ends up looking pretty gaudy.
**I was given the iFitness Hydration Belt (16 oz.) free to try, but purchased the add-ons myself. My opinions are all my own.Tuesday, June 30, 2009
A running update and a few random running thoughts
I can't believe that June is over. I ran my second Rock-N-Roll Marathon a month ago. It seems like longer. For the month of June, I ran 97 miles . Not bad, considering a) I didn't run at all the first week of the month b) I am not training for a marathon and c) I ran only a mile more in May, which included a marathon, a twenty-two miler and a sixteen miler.
My new training perspective focuses on a lot more miles at a slower pace. I think one of the mistakes I made during my marathon training was putting so much emphasis on the long runs each week and not enough on the midweek runs. What I learned in my training was that the more your weekly base miles, the better your body recovers after a long, hard run. I was only running three days a week and I often substituted bike riding for one of those runs. I figured that as long as I had a good long run on the weekend, I would be fine. I didn't realize that my body wasn't recovering properly. If you look at the chart below, you'll see that your midweek base miles really do affect recovery.
During my marathon training cycle, my long runs were often more than 50% of my total mileage (especially my twenty and twenty-two milers). That is probably one reason I suffered with the shin splints. You don't prepare your body for the rigors of a marathon by running twice a week!
My half marathon training involves running five days a week--quite a change for me. However, my long runs of twelve or thirteen miles are less than 30% of my total mileage, giving me ample opportunity to recover. As I go into my "sharpening" phase of my training plan in the next couple of weeks, I should be well prepared for tough speedwork and hill training. In theory, my fitness will be at a higher level. I am excited to see how it all plays out.
Today I went out to run seven or eight miles. It was late in the morning and starting to get hot. It has been tropically humid here lately and I knew it would be a sweaty run. I didn't bring my hydration belt because, frankly, it seemed like overkill. However, I soon learned that seven miles is just a bit too long to go without water. I should have learned. Even on Friday's relatively cool run with Jill, I stopped at a drinking fountain to take a sip.* On Sunday's thirteen mile run, I carried two ten ounce bottles and filled one up around mile eight. Why would I be able to run seven without anything??
Jill had a handy hand held bottle. I think it is the perfect thing for shortish runs that are longer than an hour. Heck, as the summer hits us, it might be the perfect thing for all runs. She has the Amphipod and really likes it. She has the twenty ounce bottle. I am wondering if I just want the twelve ounce one. If I am running long enough to need twenty ounces, I will probably just pack two bottles on my hydration belt (10 oz of water and 10 oz of sports drink). I love the idea of this brand because of the low profile and the pocket. It also seemed to fit nice and snug on Jill's hand. Hmmm.... Do any of you use a hand held bottle? If so, which one do you like?
Finally, I have a health/injury question. On Friday I woke up with a little tightness in my chest on the left side. I didn't think much of it and it didn't bother me at all on my seven mile run. Later that night, it was really uncomfortable. Every time I moved, it hurt. I had to sleep on my right side with my left arm propped up on a pillow. Saturday, it was bothering me and I was pretty grumpy about it. I figured that I pulled a muscle water skiing or something. I went on my thirteen mile run on Sunday as planned. The first few miles bothered me. As I was running, it hurt especially as I breathed out. I stopped noticing it around mile five or six. Once again that night it bothered me a bit more. It is pain that is preceded by an awkward movement, so I am convinced that it is nothing internal (like my heart). On Monday, I taught a Stroller Strides class. My chest bothered me, but I was able to demonstrate a pushup, so I know it is not my pectoral muscle. It hurt when I did things like lifting my arm back and behind me. Fast forward to today. My chest was still bothering me when I woke up. VERY annoying. I went for my run and it bothered me for all seven miles. I felt like it hurt worse when I was increasing my effort (breathing harder). Now, for the rest of the day, it is worse than it has been the last four days. I can not get comfortable and no matter what I do, it hurts.
If I had pulled a muscle, it should be feeling better four days later, not worse, right? I took quite a forward fall on Thursday while water skiing (in fact, it was my last run of the week). It was one of those falls that rings your bell. BUT, I didn't feel pain in my chest, ribs etc. If I bruised my ribs or something, wouldn't I have felt it Thursday?? Have any of you fitness folks felt pain like this? I am thinking of calling the doctor, but if it is a bruised rib or pulled muscle, he can't do anything about it. I am definitely going to take tomorrow off from running or working out. Hopefully rest is what I need.
So that is my update. Thanks for getting through all the randomness.
Happy running.
*I hate drinking from drinking fountains! You barely get enough to quench your thirst. In order to get enough water, you are bending over the stupid thing for what seems like forever (especially when you are running with a friend). And there is always the ick factor. Who else just drank from that fountain? What else has that fountain been used for?? No thanks! I would rather carry my own!
My new training perspective focuses on a lot more miles at a slower pace. I think one of the mistakes I made during my marathon training was putting so much emphasis on the long runs each week and not enough on the midweek runs. What I learned in my training was that the more your weekly base miles, the better your body recovers after a long, hard run. I was only running three days a week and I often substituted bike riding for one of those runs. I figured that as long as I had a good long run on the weekend, I would be fine. I didn't realize that my body wasn't recovering properly. If you look at the chart below, you'll see that your midweek base miles really do affect recovery.
During my marathon training cycle, my long runs were often more than 50% of my total mileage (especially my twenty and twenty-two milers). That is probably one reason I suffered with the shin splints. You don't prepare your body for the rigors of a marathon by running twice a week!My half marathon training involves running five days a week--quite a change for me. However, my long runs of twelve or thirteen miles are less than 30% of my total mileage, giving me ample opportunity to recover. As I go into my "sharpening" phase of my training plan in the next couple of weeks, I should be well prepared for tough speedwork and hill training. In theory, my fitness will be at a higher level. I am excited to see how it all plays out.
Today I went out to run seven or eight miles. It was late in the morning and starting to get hot. It has been tropically humid here lately and I knew it would be a sweaty run. I didn't bring my hydration belt because, frankly, it seemed like overkill. However, I soon learned that seven miles is just a bit too long to go without water. I should have learned. Even on Friday's relatively cool run with Jill, I stopped at a drinking fountain to take a sip.* On Sunday's thirteen mile run, I carried two ten ounce bottles and filled one up around mile eight. Why would I be able to run seven without anything??
Jill had a handy hand held bottle. I think it is the perfect thing for shortish runs that are longer than an hour. Heck, as the summer hits us, it might be the perfect thing for all runs. She has the Amphipod and really likes it. She has the twenty ounce bottle. I am wondering if I just want the twelve ounce one. If I am running long enough to need twenty ounces, I will probably just pack two bottles on my hydration belt (10 oz of water and 10 oz of sports drink). I love the idea of this brand because of the low profile and the pocket. It also seemed to fit nice and snug on Jill's hand. Hmmm.... Do any of you use a hand held bottle? If so, which one do you like? Finally, I have a health/injury question. On Friday I woke up with a little tightness in my chest on the left side. I didn't think much of it and it didn't bother me at all on my seven mile run. Later that night, it was really uncomfortable. Every time I moved, it hurt. I had to sleep on my right side with my left arm propped up on a pillow. Saturday, it was bothering me and I was pretty grumpy about it. I figured that I pulled a muscle water skiing or something. I went on my thirteen mile run on Sunday as planned. The first few miles bothered me. As I was running, it hurt especially as I breathed out. I stopped noticing it around mile five or six. Once again that night it bothered me a bit more. It is pain that is preceded by an awkward movement, so I am convinced that it is nothing internal (like my heart). On Monday, I taught a Stroller Strides class. My chest bothered me, but I was able to demonstrate a pushup, so I know it is not my pectoral muscle. It hurt when I did things like lifting my arm back and behind me. Fast forward to today. My chest was still bothering me when I woke up. VERY annoying. I went for my run and it bothered me for all seven miles. I felt like it hurt worse when I was increasing my effort (breathing harder). Now, for the rest of the day, it is worse than it has been the last four days. I can not get comfortable and no matter what I do, it hurts.
If I had pulled a muscle, it should be feeling better four days later, not worse, right? I took quite a forward fall on Thursday while water skiing (in fact, it was my last run of the week). It was one of those falls that rings your bell. BUT, I didn't feel pain in my chest, ribs etc. If I bruised my ribs or something, wouldn't I have felt it Thursday?? Have any of you fitness folks felt pain like this? I am thinking of calling the doctor, but if it is a bruised rib or pulled muscle, he can't do anything about it. I am definitely going to take tomorrow off from running or working out. Hopefully rest is what I need.
So that is my update. Thanks for getting through all the randomness.
Happy running.
*I hate drinking from drinking fountains! You barely get enough to quench your thirst. In order to get enough water, you are bending over the stupid thing for what seems like forever (especially when you are running with a friend). And there is always the ick factor. Who else just drank from that fountain? What else has that fountain been used for?? No thanks! I would rather carry my own!
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