OMG, I have a new toy (a hydration pack!) I am EXCITED about it

At outdoor retailer last week, I was going out, and I would look at the booths and go “I don’t need that”, “I have that”, “I’d never carry that”, and then, for once, something stopped me on me feet, like glucose deficiency at mile 22. Eeeeeeeek.

I spotted a backpack with a water bottle in it.

Wait. What?

I’ve had two hydration backpacks, neither worked for me for more than 10 minutes. Also, Blaise had suggested to do a long run to the beach a week ago and I was all whiny “I don’t have a bag to carry my stuff…” so my inadequacy, lack of hauling/hydration resources, and peer pressure and was fresh in my mind…

I turned around and looked, trying to not look suspicious, do I really want to engage on convo on my way out?!?!

I couldn’t look away.

There was no bladder on this thing. I hate bladders. How do you clean those things?? (I don’t have a dishwhasher before you say it, most people don’t in NYC! Or washer/dryers. Or space.) Also, I always have lipgloss on, which makes everything gross.

Anyway, I did stop. I did look at it. I couldn’t stop getting excited. The guy didn’t even have to sell me on it. Most regular bottles (Gatorade -though I am a nuun girl-, Vitamin Water, etc) go right in, no need to open the valve, you just bite it, and another valve for air. Perfect. Sold.

I think he felt my excitement. He said “you like pink?” I probably giggled like a little girl. Check my baby out!

It IS pink. Here is the website. It says:

What’s Jetflow?

The Jetflow hydration system replaces a soft side bladder with a water bottle or bottled beverage of your choice. The bottle rests upside down (held into place in a Jetflow pack) attached to the manifold. Two hoses connect to the manifold. One delivers liquid to the Bite value and the other releases vacuum pressure through the Jet Valve.

Advantages over a bladder include no plastic taste and easier maintenance by recycling bottles or washing a bottle instead of a moldy bladder!

Check out the website, their pictures are obviously better than mine. But, just in case:

and… some more info, I like graphics that make sense…

If you’ve ever met me or seen any pictures of me running, you KNOW I will carry and wear as littles as possible. But… I was too excited. I got the pack on Saturday, flew to NYC that night with it in my back, slept a total of 4 hours and at 3 pm, with 93 degrees and just 1 piece of toast all day (but a lot of nuun), I took it out on my mandatory 16 miler. I had made nuun and frozen the bottle. It was PERFECT. I didn’t even had to break stride to drink! It was SO easy, like I had an IV. The pack was tiny and didn’t bother me at all. I have the tomahawk, which probably would fit 3 bottles, I am guessing though. I packed just 1 frozen bottle there, and just kept refilling it at the water fountains (had nuun tables with me!). I ended up drinking 4 (yes FOUR) bottles, so that’s 16.9 ounces per 4 miles!!! And two gels. Best way to get rid of jetlag and no night-sleep-on a flight because of catching up on Olympics (and watching the marathon when I landed).

So, I loved it. Forces me to drink a lot more than I usually would. Could pack some more stuff in it. When I got in the shower though… AAAGGGHHHHH. Something had chafed in my back. You KNOW I was not wearing a shirt, just the sports bra and I never even thought about that, because I NEVER wore a pack for more than 2 minutes. But I can see this baby packing (pun intended!) some high mileage!

OMG, I have a new toy (a hydration pack!) I am EXCITED about it