I need to put my brain on a leash...

Because I keep forgetting to bring it with me. Yesterday, I was locked out of my house for an hour after work, because I forgot that my keys were still in my running pants from Sunday. I can usually climb through my window, but of course, I had locked it. When I finally got into the house an hour later, I realized I had forgotten to even close my bedroom door. Today, I was gonna take pictures during my lunch break, but whaddayaknow, I forgot my camera. I don't know why I am so scatterbrained! I seriously think I am losing my marbles.

Come back brain, I kinda need you!

Maybe I should wear a hat all day and make sure my brain is securely locked into place.

Moving on... till my brain leaves me stranded again.

I want to share my thoughts on my newest addition to my running family:

The Nathan Quickdraw Plus Handheld 22 ounce Bottle Carrier!

Isn't she pretty? (image source)

I got this bottle a few weeks ago from Amazon for around $15. (They now are about $17; I think I got it while it was on sale). I actually wanted a blue one, but for some reason, the pink one was about 5 bucks cheaper, so I went with the stingy/frugal/cheapo option, haha.

My thoughts: I am surprised at how snugly this bottle fits in my hand! The strap that goes around your hand (on the left side of this photo) is adjustable, and is made of a mesh material that is padded, so it feels comfortable on your hand. I've tried other options at the running store, but none of them had the same sort of padding and thus was not as comfortable/snug. I like the cushion-y feel this bottle provides.

Even when the bottle is full, I didn't really need to "grip" the bottle, so my hands do not get tired on runs. I've taken this bottle with me on two 12+ milers and one 6 miler, and it has been working well. I used to just carry a normal water bottle, but my hands and shoulders would get really tired from gripping it so hard. This bottle does not give me that problem. It's even easy to take this Nathan bottle off your hand and slip it onto the other hand mid-run if you need to.

The pocket zips closed to securely hold a few key items. I can fit my bulky car key in there along with 3-5 shot blocks. I can also fit my cell phone in there, but if I do, nothing else will fit. I usually don't run with a cell phone, so that's not such a big deal to me. I carry my Shot Blocks in there, and I have found it very easy to open the zipper and grab a block to eat without having to stop running.

Summary:
Pros:

• Cheap
• Doesn't make my hands/arms/shoulders tired
• Cushion-y feel, very comfortable, smooth
• Can hold a few key items (shot blocks, Gus, keys, etc)
  
• Gets lighter the more you drink! (Duh! but it wasn't so obvious to me at the start lol)
  
• You can detach the bottle from the straps
• I like the way it looks
• More snug than the other options at the running store
  

Cons:

• Can only hold 22 ounces; on longer runs you will need more water!
• The straps will need to be washed, because it will start to stink like sweat
• It got slightly deformed in the dishwasher, so I think it needs to be hand washed
• It has a "sport bottle top," so you need to use both hands to drink from it; unless you can run, lift that top yellow part up with your teeth, and drink at the same time. I'm not that coordinated.
• If you make the strap too tight, your fingers will get all tingly

Overall, I really like this bottle, and will continue to use it. I don't think I'll want to switch to another brand/another model. It works well for me. I think once I get to the point where I need more water, I will get a camelbak, or just hide some water bottles along the route. Maybe one day I'll get one of those belt thingies, but they just look really cumbersome to me, and I'm afraid they'll make my hips look gigantor! haha.

What kind of hydration equipment/methods do you use?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tonight I'm so amped on the Gregory Isaacs Concert. I loooove me some reggae music! There's a whole bunch of places in town that honor "Reggae Tuesdays," which I absolutely love. There are some great musicians who come through SB.
I'm kind of scared to be up so late (I am SUCH a grandma....) but have been looking forward to this for a while, so I gotta bring out my inner 24 year old back :)
7 mile run + Reggae Tuesday=should be a good one!
Here's some Gregory for ya:


Thanks for reading and happy running