I have one particular trail run, (Mill Pond Conservation Area for any that are interested), that I have been running at least once a week that takes me between 53 and 54 minutes to complete... distance unsure but somewhere between 6 and 8 kms I think, lots of hills. I'll run it with a GPS sometime. Normally I just carry a water bottle in my hand that is about about 1/3 full in case I need a sip, which is typically 2 or 3 times over the course of the run, dry mouth. This past week I picked up a running bottle belt at Sport-X in town as I anticipated a run or two while I was away during the week on business and thought it might be a handy upgrade. It rained and I never managed to get out.
Today I used my new accessory and liked that it left my hands free. I was only figuring that it was just going to be a nice change as I really have nothing else to do with my hands so carrying something seemingly insignificant has never been an issue.
On this particular run I have points along the way, major turns, trail branches and whatnot in the first leg of the loop, where I normally check my times; more for progress reference than anything else. The distances have typically had me at the 10, 20 and 30 minute marks but this time they were more like the 8.5, 18, and 27 minute marks. Running 3 minutes faster near the half way point was encouraging and completely unexpected. Seeing as the water bottle was the only thing I changed about this run (same temperature, clothing, route, pre-snack etc.) and I managed to shave between 4 and 5 minutes off of my time, I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. That is a 7.5% to 9.2% change, appreciable..
Oh, the belt that I got is a little overkill for my fall running sessions, insulated and all, but I am aiming to do a fair amount of cross country skiing this winter, conditions permitting, and it will come in very handy for those treks.
Here is a snapshot of the sunset as I finished the run and was heading home... even though there is a paved road in the shot, there is no pavement included in this run.
Jeff.
