Running gear review – Nathan Speed 2 Energy Belt

In preparation for my goal of running 21km at the Condura Skyway Marathon 2011. I decided to upgrade my running gear to include a hydration belt. I drink a lot of water even on days when I don’t run so I said to myself “It’s logical for me to get a hydration belt” as 21km is a hard race to be stuck feeling dehydrated.

What kind of hydration belt to get?
First, I made a mental note during the last 3 to 4 runs on what kind of hydration belt people were using. And I noticed that a lot of people preferred using Nathan (various models). Even some of my running buddies at Adidas Nation of Runners – MOA were using these. So armed with this information I went on to the next question of what particular model to choose from? I was looking at either the 2R or 4R…I finally settled on the 2R or 2 bottled version because when I tested the 4R version, I somehow felt off balanced.

I apologize for the pic, I rotated it to have a vertical orientation

Race day!
Finally, I filled up my flasks with cold water and gatorade, made sure the pocket of the Speed 2R had my energy gels, cellphone, and omega pain killer, and headed out the door. Condura Skyway Marathon here I come! At first I had a hard time with the belt bouncing during the first 5 minutes of the race, but finally found the “sweet spot” and the rest of the run was uneventful and I didn’t really notice any problems along the way. It took some getting use to…drinking while running and consuming energy gels while jogging, but I really found that the belt really did its job and helped me finish my 21km.

This mighty handy running gear should be on every runner's list! Well, maybe not every runner...

After the Race
When I removed the belt, I noticed that it wasn’t as wet as I was expecting…moisture wicking is a real cool feature and should be on every running gear we use! Clean up of the bottles was fast and easy, and at the end of the day they are happily tucked away until the next race beckons!

RANT and Suggestions
The only things I hope they would improve on is the addition of an option to adjust the flask holders, being able to adjust whether at the back or in front is an important feature for some runners (like me). Another is that I wish this could hold my race bib. I had to get a race belt just to clip the race bib on. Finally, just like its competitor Amphipod, I wish there would be accessories that we could add such as an additional pouch for cellphone, ipod or something else.

So what are you waiting for! Save up and go out and buy one! Thanks to A Runner’s Circle Ph where I got my Nathan. Guys were always ready to answer any questions and would provide suggestions and inputs that helped me decide what to get.