Race hydration that is eco-friendly
In August of this year, I’ll be running the Dirt Inspires Women Trail 1/2 Marathon in Aptos, CA. (training program and motivational correspondence) The officials have decided to put an eco touch on the hydration this year so they eliminated paper cups at water stations. Participants are required to carry their own water bottles and encouraged to fill ‘er up at the designated stations. I don’t typically run with a water bottle, and when I do I carry it in one hand (the strap on belts and backpacks tend to chafe too much). So I set out to find the best water bottle to carry for 13.1 miles on a dirty trail.
If you’re like me, you have mountains of running literature scattered around your home office. From books to training logs to magazines, I love collecting this stuff. But I’m not just collecting, I scour through every page like it’s a candy bar on the hundredth mile of an ultra marathon. Even if I’ve read the advice put out in Runners World before, I can always learn something new.
Yesterday I picked up one of my favorite magazines, Running Times and learned something new. There are a lot of runners out there racing who are interested in eco-friendly races. The impact of a road race can be huge: discarded gu packets, tossed aside paper and plastic cups, and trampled on space blankets at finish lines. The list is long. So folks out there are trying to do a little bit at a time. In the June issue of Running Times I found the Hydrapouch, cup free hydration. Runners carry the pouch, stop by a “hydrapour” station which quickly fill up, then keep on racing. I have to admit, being a female runner, I do find the hydrafill dispensers a tad phallic, so beware if you’ve got a vivid imagination!
I’m a fan of new gear, I’m a fan of hydration, and I’m a fan of the simplicity of this little water unit, so I’ll be testing out the hydrapouch system in the Dirt Inspires Women 1/2 Trail Marathon. I can only hope that mine is as cool as the technicolored pouch on the hydrapouch website!
Retails for $16.95 and can be purchased online or through at Fleetfeet or Solepepper Sports. Also, for those of us with a weak grip, it comes with a handy clip to attach to your running shorts.
I like the design, but It doesn’t seem to hold very much water. How far apart are the aid stations? Ultimate Direction and Nathan make some great handhelds – http://www.rei.com/product/782103 , and have some room to store gels, electrolytes, etc.
Aww yeah – pink – http://www.rei.com/product/752160
Ah, Kelly – How do you know me well enough to suggest the pink one??
That looks like it’s worth a try too. There are 5 aid stations in the Dirty 1/2 – fairly equidistant. I’m not sure how the hydrapouch will work without the hydrapour system, though.
Hi Kathy – I’m Craig with HydraPouch in Boulder, Colorado. Thanks for taking a look at our products and the kind words in your blog. If you haven’t already purchased one (or even if you have), please let me know and I’ll send you a complimentary HydraPouch. The HydraPouch works great with or without the HydraPour dispenser – in fact it was originally designed to be filled from a paper cup by a runner while running. Once filled, it is easy and comfortable to carry, and you can drink from it without spilling the contents all over yourself. When filled from a paper cup it doesn’t do much for trash reduction, but it’s a lot better drinking experience for a runner.
The HydraPour high-speed dispenser is the thing that can really cut down on cups, and it can be used to fill anything quickly – hydration belt flasks, handheld bottles, waistpak bottles, and of course the HydraPouch. HydraPour dispensers will be used by race directors at every aid station in at least 17 races this summer, and one race director has decided to make his road race completely “cup free” by giving HydraPouches to all entrants and using only HydraPour dispensers. All but one of these races will be in Colorado, but the dispensers are available to any race director in the country to use free of charge.
I’m excited that you’ll be trying a HydraPouch in the Dirt Inspires – Women’s Trail half marathon – please let me know how it works for you. And like all new things, practice with it for a couple minutes before race day to get the hang of it.
Thanks again, Craig