Nathan Hydration Pack Review

A few of you asked about my hydration pack so I thought I would do a review. The pack that I have can be found here on the Nathan website.

I have included some pictures of the inside of the pack as well as the water container. The pack is very easy to use and you can adjust the straps to fit your body comfortably. Since I was using it for the first time on my 9 mile long run, I filled up the water to just 30 fl ounces and then did some test jogs around my kitchen to see how it worked. The pack stayed in place very well and I really didn't notice that I had it on. All I could hear was the water sloshing around in the pack.

Inside the pack

Hydration Pack

For more info, check out the video below where I give a visual demonstration of how to use the pack and go through all the specifics. (I hope the video works - I have never posted one before so let me know if there are problems!)

On the running front, after my 9 miles Saturday my legs were sore, especially the inside of my legs. I took off Sunday and got back out Monday morning for 4.2 miles. This morning (Tuesday) I got in a hill workout before work and may be heading out for a second run as I was invited to join a local running club tonight at their workout!

Happy Tuesday!

Running to the Strawberry Farm

Saturday morning and I had a long run to get to.

6:15am I got up and started getting ready.  Friday I had mapped out my run and was planning to run to the Strawberry Farm to meet Kaylie and pick strawberries!  I was very familiar with the first 4.5 miles of the route but after that I was running blind.

I pulled out my Nathan hydration pack which Brian gave me for Christmas but I had yet to use.  Well 6 months after Christmas I finally got around to it.  And this really is a common practice for me.  I love new things...and I love to keep them brand new and not use them.  I seriously will buy things (or receive things), keep them in my closet with the tags on and not use them just because I don't want to ruin them.  Weird, I know.

I filled the little hydration pack with 30 fl ounces of water (although it can hold like 70 but that would have been a lot of weight to carry) along with my phone, camera, a new raspberry hammer gel to try, a damp wash cloth, money, and ID.  I weighed myself with the pack and without.  The pack weighed about 4.6 pounds which wasn't bad. 

After a quick breakfast of raisin toast and peanut butter, I headed out.  The weather was actually perfect - cloudy and a cool 62F although very humid and I was dripping in sweat by mile 3.  But I just kept running along enjoying the time outside and the route.  I had left the house at around 7am so the traffic was ultra light plus I was on all back roads so I was pretty much alone the whole time.  I was planning on meeting Kaylie at 8:30am and had left plenty of time.

After mile 6, the area I was running in started to get HILLY!  And I mean like roller
coaster hilly!  I would reach the top of the hill, then start going down, reach the bottom of the hill, then start running back up the next hill!  It had to be the most intense hills I have ever run but I was happy I made it and knew it would be good training for the 15k.  I stopped at mile 6.5 to have the hammer gel and water and I actually think it helped a lot.  I just don't know how I am going to open and eat a gel during the race. 

I reached the strawberry farm ten minutes early but Kaylie was already there.  I put my bag in her car and off we went to pick strawberries.  It was actually good that I stayed on my feet and picked because that way my legs didn't get tight and I was stretching (sorta) by bending and picking the berries!

Running to places is my favorite.  It was so much fun to know that I was running to pick strawberries and running 9 miles!  This run reminded me I need to respect the distance because those last few miles were tough.  Plus I need to rehydrate after a run - a post weigh in on the scale showed I had lost almost 4 pounds!!  Overall it was a great run and I am so happy about it!  A great way to start off the weekend!

9.14 miles/1:11:17/7:48 pace

Have a good weekend!!

Three Things Thursday

1. Last night Brian and I met up with some co-workers and went to see the local minor league team play.  We arrived at the stadium and I got really excited because....that is where the half marathon finish line is (for my September half)!  I hadn't been there since the last time I ran the half marathon which was in 2008!

2. At the baseball game, I met the man who was the first male for our company at the Corporate Challenge.  He was telling me about a Tuesday track workout he goes to at night with a local running club.  I may have to make an appearance and see how it goes.  It would be nice to have people to run with for my speed workouts.  And thanks for all the comments yesterday!

3. This weekend I have lots of plans which include: 8 mile long run, strawberry picking and eating, running skirt shopping, and Pottery barn wedding decor class with my best friend and Bride-to-be Kaylie!

Can't wait for the weekend!  Happy Running!

Life beyond 5k

Last week, my company released the names of the top female and male finisher's from the Corporate Challenge.  I was the top female finisher (with the next woman coming in 7 minutes behind me).

Now every time I introduce myself, I receive comments like:

"Oh, so you're J(oanna)..."

Or when I see aquaintances in passing:

"Hey - I saw your name..."

And although these moments can be embarassing, today it proved to actually be a good thing.

I was walking down the hall and saw a man who is in my group.  He mentioned seeing my name and then we got to talking about running and such. I told him about my lung issues and how it affected me in the race.  He said that he has had that same problem in the past and he knew how to fix it.

When you first start to feel the cramp coming on, pay attention to your cadence and how it corresponds to your breathing.  So say you are running and breathing when your right foot strikes.  Simply switch it up and start breathing when your left foot strikes and this hopefully will releive the problem.

Although I hope to never have the lung problem/cramp again, I definitely want to try this and see if it works!  It could be a life saver in the middle of a race!

This conversion got me thinking about my running and racing.  I mean I seriously have run enough 5k's already!  But I love to have the speed that training for shorter races brings.  I just need a training partner who can train for a half marathon or even a full marathon with me.

That is why I want to try and start a women's running group at work.  I think it would be fun to get together with other women and run together.  It is healthy and social!  We already have a women's network here at my work and at the next meeting I think I will bring it up!  Let's just hope I have some takers who want to run with me!

We will see what happens!! Happy Wednesday!

My 5k Report (and Brian's Too!)

Friday dawned hot but not too humid, but still hot non the less.  I hadn't really been thinking when I packed my running clothes the day before and packed a black tank top which was horrible to run in.

 All smiles after the race!

We arrived at the race at 5:30pm on Friday to pick up our bib and t-shirts.  There was still quite a bit of time before the race actually started, so Brian and I sat down on the grass in the shade.  That wasn't a very good idea because my legs became really itchy.

Around 6pm we started warming up and stretching although since the temperature was 85F, I was already sweating.  As we ran, I saw lots of other women wearing running skirts and I told Brian that I must have missed the memo to wear a skirt! I really want to try and get a skirt to run in but the stores near me don't offer too many options and I am weary of buying on online because of possible sizing problems??

With 15 minutes to go before the race started, Brian and I lined up close to the start line.  Soon we were squeezed in with lots of people, mostly sweaty, shirtless men! EWW...that had to be my least favorite part of the whole race.

The gun went off and I started running.  I tend to get really competitive right about at the start of a race and pick out other girls and just start trying to track them down.  There was a girl in a pink sports bra who had elbowed her way passed me at the start and I worked to catch up to her.   I hit the first mile and past that girl; she obviously had gone out to fast and was dying.

Mile 1: unofficial man standing there yelling 6:22, my watch said 6:28

Right about 1.5 miles in I wanted to quit.  The rest of the race was a mental battle to maintain a decent pace.  The heat had caught up to me and I felt like I was going to throw up.  Since we were running through the neighborhood behind the church (St. Greg's) there were a lot of spectators from the houses who had also set up sprinklers.  Every time I would try not to run through the sprinkler but often it couldn't be avoided and the shock of the cold water would cause me to catch my breath and not be able to breathe.

Then there was a boy in front of me, he must have been in his teens, and he had an iPod on and since he was listening to his music he couldn't hear my labored breathing right behind me and decided to cut me off, almost causing me to fall over.

Mile 2: unofficial man standing there yelling 13:22, my watch said 13:35 (I think)

I knew there was a hill coming and then it would be pretty much flat to the finish.  I thought that a PR was still in reach at this point and tried to pick up the pace but couldn't.  The heat was killing me and I was still feeling sick.  I passed by some spectators who said "Keep it up Ladies" so I knew there was a woman behind me.

Mile 3: my watch said 20:54 (I think)

I started hauling it to the finish.  I really thought I could PR by a few seconds at least if I started going faster.  I must have looked like a mix between someone suffering and trying to run fast with her arms.  I had been passed by the woman who had been behind me, but then I re-passed her and ran to the finish.

Finish time: 21:41
Overall: 120/1085
Female: 13/450
Age Group: 3/40

I hobbled through the finishers shoot, trying to breathe normally and allow the volunteers to remove my timing chip.  Although it wasn't a PR, I am still happy with my time in the race.  The minutes ticked by as I waited for Brian to come in.  As he came to the finish he looked tired; the heat had really hurt him (and maybe also the lack of training...??)  His finishing time was 26:32, slower than last year but still good for him!

Now for Brian's Race recap (in his own words) -
We are NOT doing this race next year, it was too hot.  I ran, then I felt dizzy so I walked, then I ran again, then I felt dizzy again so I walked, then I saw the finish so I ran to the end.  My first mile was in 7:10 and then I passed mile two at 15:10.  It was just too hot.

His recap was much shorter than mine! It was hard to run at 7pm since I have been training in the mornings...I guess I need to start running after work a few times a week.

This race really got me thinking about why we race the same distances over and over again.  Is there a point where we stop PRing and getting faster??

Anyway - I have rambled on enough about this race! Here are some after photos!

Talk about a cheesy picture!  I got a beer mug for my 3rd place age group finish!

 Brian and I after the race!

Thanks for reading! Hope everyone has a great weekend and a good Father's Day!!