I am looking for suggestions from the readers (few) of this blog:
how would you carry some gels during the marathon ?
I plan to intake 4 gels during the race, that should give me some small energy for the final miles.
2 can fit into the small pocket of the running shorts, but I am tinkering on where to stick the other 2....
using arm pouch ? (horror...), sticking them to the number bib ?, pinning to the singlet (will not they bounce all around ?) ?
NOTE: in the past I never made too much use of gels during marathon, but in the last Boston, I started with 2 on my own and than take other 2/3 given out at the food station at mile 18. It was really a good boos and felt full of energy also in the last 2/4 miles, when I would be normally struggling (placebo effect ... let it be)
5 comments:
You might try a small belt pouch - something like the Amphipod "RaceLite Go" belt. Another alternative are the RaceReady brand shorts, which have plenty of pockets. In a pinch, you could sew another pocket on the inside of your shorts.
Good luck at Fukuoka!
-Patrick
A tried and proven method:
1. Use two medium size safety pins, they tend to stay closed better, one for each inside waist band of shorts pinned off left and right hip
2. Pre-tear a small amount of the gel pouch to make it easier opening in the race.
3. Each pin can hold two gels. Depending on pouch size, some get too heavy and will pull shorts lower and also have bulky material.
4. Have singlet tucked in under shorts with gels next and then shorts to prevent chafing.
5. When grabbing with two hands while running the small tab will stay in place while pulled. Always hold from top to keep gel in the pack.
some runners have put them in their hats
im sorry i have no idea on the gel packs but let me say that you finishing a matron is impressive and motivates me to try
I like Mark's idea. I use some shorts made by Brooks that have small, half-depth pockets on each side just behind the side-seam. They close with a tiny velcro tab and don't catch any air. I pin the gels inside them so they don't accidentally fall out the way Mark describes. As a bonus, pinning the tops creates less waste as they stay fastened to your shorts instead of ending up on the road after you use them. Just find a trash for the gel packet itself and you're set.
Thanks everybody for the ideas.
I will sort out something with pins as recommended by Mark. Unfortunately my running shorts have only 1 pocket. I guess that I could make use of the outer layer of the shorts (the inner works as "underpant". Pinning 2 gels should not destabilize the whole setting too much.
To Patrick: thank you for the suggestion, but I am in China .... I can barely find basic stuff like shorts/singlets ... forget about the choice available in USA
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