Can you believe i ran with a hydration pack??? Road runners are never seen with hydration packs on. This is because "roadies" want to run with the least weight possible so a hydration pack is definitely out of the question in the quest for super fast running. However dehydration has the ability to SLOW YOU DOWN much more than weight (i found this out after the first day of the Goretex TR3 when i bonked from not hydrating well enough running uphill at altitude!).
The new Nathan Hydration pack was a perfect solution. It was much lighter than i anticipated and it was super easy to take multiple small sips of my sports drink during the climb up Hope Pass. The only minor problem was that i drank too much and ended up having to pee at the top of Hope Pass. To make matters worse Hope Pass is over 12,500 feet. It is so high that it is above the tree-line which means there are no bushes to hide behind when you need to go pee!
After cresting the top of Hope Pass i was free to make my way all the way down the other side of the mountain to the finish line of Day 2. By the time i made it to the bottom i had no skin left on my elbows or knees from falling over multiple rocks and tree roots. This slows you down too. It does not feel good to be passed by little old men and ladies who made me look bad by hopping ever so nimbly over every obstacle as they negotiated the treacherous descent. Mental note to self: MUST PRACTICE downhill running over big rocks and sticks for next trail race.
The funniest or silliest thing is that I cant wait to go back and do it again next year. I will definitely be working on improving my knee lift and agility as well as taking my Nathan Hydration Pack with me!
