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I swore I would never be one of "those" people wearing the hydration belts, but how else do you run for over 1.5 hrs and NOT drink water???? Nathan and I thought/fought long and hard about the fashion statement we would be making while running...he won! So- the moral of the story is that I was forced into buying and wearing a hydration belt while running.
Well I guess this is not exactly all true -- I did realize the importance in hydrating while running, I was just really against the idea of having to deal with anything while running. Although I cannot say I LOVE the fashion statement we're making while running (and yes, we do have matching belts!), I am now a big-time converted fan of the hydration belt. We now have a routine "get-out-the-gel" and "hydrate" break every 45mins! Nathan and I look forward to this part of our run so much, we might be pushing it up to every 30mins!
We tried on a lot of belts and bottles you can hold. Our favorite is the NathanSports mutation trail mix series. We like the clip/buckle instead of the other belts that have only velcro to hold them together. There are 2 10oz bottles (we could use more water while running, but I don't think I would like carrying the extra weight!). We also like how the bottles are contoured to sit at the base of your back - the bottles are easy to pull out and put back in place while on the go! There is also a fairly good-sized pocket for gels, etc. We usually pack an extra "zippie" to put all the empty gel wrappers (this fits well in the front mesh pocket). 
Here is a pic of the nathan belt we use, it can be purchased at Dicks Sporting Goods. Alot of belts on the market are sized, this one is "one size fits most". We will continue to add tips products we like along the way!
Throughout the summer, Nathan and I have been training for the Richmond marathon. The marathon takes place in November and we are working on our 24 week training program. We decided to start this blog as a way to document our training throughout this process.This past weekend, Nathan, the official router for all our runs, navigated us from our house, through downtown Richmond and back home. Our 12 mile run took a little under 2hrs. To see more about our runs, I am going to link to Nathan's mapmyrun.com page. He has saved all the various routes.
Now that we are getting into the longer runs, we have started to use the dreaded "gels & gus"! Personally, I like the way the powerbar gels taste; however Nathan has become a gu fan! Gu has caffeine- powerbar does not. (don't be mistaken though for the Omg Caffeine on the label of powerbar gel...it really means 0 milligrams of caffeine - NOT OMG caffeine!).
While we have really enjoyed our time together running, getting in shape, and pushing each other's limits/buttons; we have encountered the not so glamorous side of our training -- BLISTERS! I think we both would love to hear any advice or feedback on the subject! Oddly enough, we have both been encountering the little suckers in the same spots on our big toes. I have pics below for proof!
Nathan attempting to instill the fear of the spray bottle to stop Libbie & Winston from barking right after getting back from our 12 miler!
Nathan and I will be continuing to update our blog on our training and other tips, along with anything exciting in the Givens Fam!
Here is a pic of the nathan belt we use, it can be purchased at Dicks Sporting Goods. Alot of belts on the market are sized, this one is "one size fits most". We will continue to add tips products we like along the way!
