Hydration in 2021 and Beyond

Hydration in 2021 and Beyond

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2021 has brought a lot of changes, one of which is figuring out how to keep hydrated on a run longer than an hour, be it a long run or a race. There are several options of water vessels that can be carried on your body. Below are the pros and cons of each.

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Hand-Held Flasks- held on to the hand by a strap 

Pros:

- Some shrink as you drink to eliminate slosh and weight

- Can tuck flask into a pocket when empty

- Small pockets to stash keys and GU

Cons:

- Can affect arm swing and start to feel heavy

- Flexible bottles can be cumbersome to fill up

- The small size might not offer enough water

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Waist Pack/ Hydration Belt- place weight of water on the small of the back 

Pros:

- Arms are free to swing and run form is not impeded

- Can carry more than a hand held

- Pockets for fuel/ key/ phone/ etc…

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Cons:

- Can bounce or move during run which can be irritating and can cause chafing

- Some might have pockets too small for phones

- May be hard to put the bottles back in the belt after re-filling

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Water Vest- worn on shoulders and around waist

Pros:

- Evenly distributes weight around core

- Carries a lot of liquid

- Tons of pockets and compartments

- Less bounce and movement

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Cons:

- Covers more area and reduces evaporation

- Hard to gauge how much liquid is left 

- Cumbersome to refill because it has to be taken off

- Added weight because it holds so much

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