New Running Swag #1: Running Belt

During this marathon journey, I've been very skeptical about the different gear people wear as competitive runners. Amongst those things, I've been skeptical about the use of a running belt. I just don't believe that there's any way that any belt, no matter how ergonomically crafted, can sit on my waist area and not slide up or down.

Despite my skepticism, I quickly realized after my first longer runs that I was going to need to find a hydration source that I could take with me on those runs. So unless I wanted to run with a gallon of water trailing behind me, my best bets were going to be finding either:

1. A handheld water bottle that is strapped to my hand
2. A belt that holds water bottles on it
3. A vest with a water pack on the back, that you drink from straws leading up toward your mouth

Each of these options have their own pros and cons, but my priorities were, in this order:

1. Find something that doesn't make me look like a huge a-hole
2. Find something that doesn't add too much extra weight
3. Find something that is comfortable, practical, and will not distract me mid-race

After all my research, I decided to go for the belt option. I knew I didn't like to run with anything in my hands, so the handheld option was out. I also knew that I feel strongly about not looking like an a-hole or Dora the Explorer while I'm running, so the water pack/backpack option was out. (Note: This will be a revolving theme. I refuse to wear something that makes me feel like I look like an imbecile, even if it's supposedly good for my running performance. It is not good for my confidence and thus outweighs any potential benefit the product would otherwise contribute.)

I also feel very strongly about the color purple, (the actual color, plus the movie, obviously), so I needed a belt with purple accents. And so I settled for this belt:

So far I can report that, I have gone on two runs with the belt and didn't feel like a complete a-hole. I did follow the instructions which stated that the belt should be worn on the widest part of your hips. I left it there, hopped around a bit, and it felt super snug and secure. I started my run and literally seven strides later the belt was up just below my sports bra. Hahahhaa I should have known that the manufacturers of this belt did not have a big butt latina in mind when they designed this belt!!

Moral of the story, I will be wearing the belt around my waist instead of my hips. I will also be wearing the belt slightly off center because the bottles seem to get a bit in the way of my arm stride when worn correctly. Should I return the belt? Maybe. But I love the purple.

Also, I am fully aware that I basically got tricked into wearing a glorified, modern, fanny pack. I am just going to try to not think about it.

95 days til Marathon Day!