Why I Run with Simple Hydration

Disclosure: I am a brand ambassador for Simple Hydration and a member of the Run Simple Team. As a brand ambassador, I have received free Simple Hydration bottles and Run Simple Team kit in exchange for representing Simple Hydration at races and on social media. All opinions expressed are my own.

For a short period of time, I was on the cover of Simple Hydration’s FB page

If you’ve been following me for a while, then you know that I’m crazy about Simple Hydration, a hands-free running water bottle that can be hooked onto a running belt or the back of your shorts or sports bra. I discovered Simple Hydration almost four years ago when I was looking for a way to hydrate while running without waterboarding myself because I hadn’t mastered the art of drinking on the run. I bought a bottle, reviewed it, and it’s been a happy long-lasting relationship ever since. About two years after that review, I received an opportunity to become a brand ambassador.

It’s rare for me to run without Simple Hydration, even for easy runs and short races. I bring it with me everywhere. It’s been a while since I babbled about my love for Simple Hydration, so here’s a list of why I run with Simple Hydration and maybe after reading it, you’ll consider running with it too.

• You can carry water hands-free. Running with something in your hand causes changes in your running form, which negatively impacts your speed.
• It’s lighter and easier than a Camelbak or a vest for carrying water and not as dorky as a fuel belt. There are occasions where one needs to carry a lot of water (e.g., trail races), where the Camelbaks and vests are more appropriate, but 99% of the time I just need to carry some water. In the summer, Camelbaks, no matter how light and “breathable” the material is, make my back uncomfortably warm and sweaty.
• I can run continuously without stopping because I don’t need to stop at a water fountain. Personally, I feel there’s a difference between running continuously versus running with breaks. Not to say that I never take breaks, I do, but when in the throes of serious training, taking breaks is something I try to minimize.
• In the summer, I freeze water in a Simple Hydration bottle, so I start out the run with a lovely chilly ice pack on the small of my back. As the ice melts, I have cold water to drink and in the meanwhile, I have an ice pack to help keep me cooler in the sweltering summer.
• I run better tangents in races. At my most recent half, I accidentally forgot to bring Simple Hydration with me and so, I was forced to rely on the aid stations at the race. Normally in a race, I run the tightest tangent because I can bypass the water stations since I don’t need to drink from them. At this half, I was often forced to veer out from the tangent in order to grab a drink. Much to my dismay, at the end of the race, Garmin revealed that I ran an extra .1 mile because of it. That’s an additional 40-45 seconds for me, which is an awful lot of time.
• So not only do I run faster because I run better tangents, but I also run faster because I skip all the congestion at the water stations. Ben, who is a faster runner, never experiences congestion at aid stations, but as a mid-packer, congestion is something I’ve learned to expect. No matter how well I plan to grab a cup, I do slow down a bit and a second or two is lost. This adds up.
• Another reason why I run faster is because I confuse the clunking noise of the melting ice in the bottle for footsteps just behind me. So many times, I’m running in fear of someone bypassing me because I hear thuds just behind me only to realize later that no one was behind me and instead it was the ice bouncing around the bottle. Ha! The noise served as great unintentional motivation to keep me on pace and not slow down.

A Simple Hydration bottle holds 13 oz of fluid, which I find is plenty of water up to a half marathon in mild conditions. For longer runs or runs in warmer weather, I carry two bottles using a FlipBelt. The bottle doesn’t bounce (even with two) and it’s so comfortable that I’ve forgotten that I’ve had it at all. I’ve actually stopped in panic that I left my bottle somewhere because I didn’t realize that I had the bottle already tucked in.

If you’re interested in purchasing a bottle (I don’t receive anything for your purchase), you can buy one here at Simple Hydration or on Amazon. If you wish purchase through Simple Hydration, please email me at afastpacedlife@gmail.com because I have a coupon code for 20% off (I’m not allowed to post it online on social media).