How to Carry Water with You While Training

Article updated on May 22, 2020

Before starting this article, I would first like to remind you that dehydration is not so harmful as one might think on endurance performance.  In addition, it seems that relying on your feeling of thirst would be a effective strategy for running.

On the other hand, if you are training and the weather is hot or you are doing very long training sessions, it is generally beneficial to be able to have water or a sports drink nearby.

How can you make sure you have water on your course?

Here are some solutions, from the simplest to the most complex:

Plan a course with fountains

It is certainly the easiest, in addition to being a 100% free solution. Basically all you have to do is plan your route based on the water fountains. You can scout or ask experienced runners if they know of such circuits.

The downside is that during pandemics or during the winter, the fountains are usually closed.

A bottle in your hand

This type of bottle is sold in various formats. The big advantage of this type of water transport is that the water is very easily accessible. You just have to raise your elbow and squeeze the bottle.

In addition, washing the equipment is very easy!

The disadvantage is that over a long distance it can become heavy to carry and the amount of water is relatively limited.

In recent years, we have seen a lot of soft bottles (soft flask in English) which are more comfortable to hold in hand and which easily fit into the front pockets of a backpack for longer distances. Moreover, it is now possible to get some one bearing the image of the Trail du Grand-Duc!

Bottle holder belt

I think the bottle belt is the most popular hydration tool. This is actually a great way to carry water, as the weight of the belt is distributed over your hips.

A typical belt can hold about 800 ml of water, or 200 ml per bottle. Often there is also the option of placing a key, credit card and gel in a pocket on the back of the belt.

The great thing about this type of belt is that you can mix up the pleasures. That is, you could have pure water in two bottles and a sports drink in two other bottles.

The downside is that getting the bottle out of the belt is not always easy. If you run a trail, for example, I wouldn't recommend it. It might be difficult at times to keep your balance on a wet rock while your hands are busy removing your bottle from your belt.

The hydration pack

Finally, the most complete solution for carrying water is a hydration pack. As most bags can hold a lot of water, this is an often preferred solution for events longer than 3-4 hours.

There are two types of bags. Those who use flexible bottles that insert into pockets on the bag straps and those who use a pocket with a hose to water you.

There are two main disadvantages to bags:

1. They are a bit heavier than a bottle belt.

2. In the case of bags with pouch and hose, since you have to suck the water out of the tube, you should not be too short of breath, as you have to hold your breath while you suck the water.

And in competition?

When competing, for road races, I suggest that most people simply use the water that is available to participants at the refreshment points. For 95% of runners this will be enough, especially for short distances, like 5 km and 10 km.

Good race!

_________________________________________

Before starting this blog post, I would like to remind you that dehydration is not as harmful on endurance as you think. Furthermore, it seems that trusting your body when you're thirsty is an effective strategy for running.

However, if it's hot when you're training or if you're training for a long time, it is generally a good idea to have water or a sports drink nearby.

How do you carry water with you while running?

Here are a few solutions, from easiest to hardest:

Route Map Near Fountains

This is probably the easiest, if not a 100% guaranteed solution. Basically, you plan a route where there are fountains. You can find them yourself or ask more experienced runners if they know of any such routes.

If you're running along the promenade de Champlain or along the Saint-Charles River in Quebec City, you can definitely find a route with fountains roughly every 3 kilometers. Parks and shopping malls are good options as well.

A Water Bottle in your Hand

You can buy this type of water bottle in different shapes. The greatest advantage about this solution is that it is always easily accessible. All you have to do is raise your elbow and press the bottle to spray yourself with a wounded amount of water.

The disadvantage is that it can become heavy to carry over a long distance and the amount of water is limited.

It's possible to get used to this type of gear. In fact, many ultra-trail runners (who run long-distance along a trail) use these types of water bottles. However, you should get used to this type of equipment before trying a long-distance run.

You can use a regular water bottle to carry with you in your hands, but it would be better to use a strap that you can find in most stores. You can expect to spend between $ 10 and $ 20 for everything.

Hydration Belts

I think hydration belts are the most popular hydration gear. It's a great way of carrying water with you because the weight of the water is on your hips.

A hydration belt can hold roughly 800 ml of water in total, or 200 ml per bottle. There is normally also space for a key, a credit card and some energy gel in a pocket in the back of the belt.
What's good about this type of belt is that you can mix and match. That means that you can have regular water in two bottles and a sports drink in the other two.
The disadvantage is that getting the bottle out of the belt is not always easy. For example, if you're running on a trail I wouldn't recommend it. It can be difficult to keep your balance on a slippery rock while trying to get a bottle out of your belt.

Water backpack

Last but not least, the best option for carrying water is a water backpack. Since the majority of backpacks can hold a lot of water, it is often the preferred solution when running for more than 3-4 hours. Since you can drink directly from a tube, your hands remain free, which is an advantage when running on a trail. Normally, there is also enough space to keep, for example, a light jacket, keys and a hat.

There are two main disadvantages to the backpacks:

  1. They are a bit heavier than hydration belts
  2. Since you have to suck in the tube, you can't be too out-of-breath because you have to hold your breath while drinking water

And for competitions?

For competitions where you're running on a road, I would simply use the water made available to participants at designated areas. For 95% of runners, that's normally enough, especially for short distances like 5k and 10k.

Happy running!

author avatar
Daniel Riou General director
Managing Director of Challenge Group, Founder of Corporate Challenge and co-founder ofAltterre. I love anything related to physical activity and overall health. Holder of a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology from'Laval University Various trainings by The Runner's Clinic Emergence ProgramBeauce School of Entrepreneurship National Coaching Certification Program Level 2 in Badminton National Coaching Certification Program Level 1 in Weightlifting

10 thoughts on “How to Carry Water with You While Training”

  1. If I can add one disadvantage to the hydration pack, it is that this product, when used in direct sunlight, prevents the escape of body heat through the back. On the trail, under forest cover, it is ideal, however.

    Reply
  2. In my opinion, no water is necessary for competitions of 5 or 10 km (if you do your race in less than an hour), unless it is unbearable heat. Stopping at water points only slows you down.

    Reply
    • Many people finish their 10km event in over an hour.
      I also remember a study that explained that just by placing a sugary drink in their mouth, and spitting it out, some people improved their performance.

      Reply
  3. According to my readings, the ideal would be to drink water at room temperature., In your opinion is this true? the shock of too cold water temperature difference would be harmful ..

    Reply

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