Short Reviews: SPIbelt, RoadID, Nathan Water Bottle

Workout:  Ran outside 10.1 miles (97 min)

This run sucked. I was all gung-ho to get out there but once I started, it was rough. I probably wouldn’t have done the full 10 miles if it wasn’t for me parking the car, running 5 miles out, and needing to get back.

I ran on Cady Way Trail, which was most of the course of the Baldwin Park Half Marathon that I ran in November. I didn’t take pictures during that race, so I thought I would get some today.

I thought that I would do a couple quickie reviews of some of the running gear that I use particularly since I was like a Christmas Tree of running gear today.

First up, my new handheld water bottle. (If you missed my Garmin review, click HERE.)

The Good:

• It’s much easier to carry than a regular water bottle.
• It has a pocket to carry small items.
• The sport top makes it easy to drink out of.

The Bad:

• The pocket is small, so you can only fit one or two small items in it, like a key and one Gu. I used it for my Driver License.
• You’re still holding a bottle during your run.

I think I’ll use this one on shorter runs when I know there will be no water fountains, and start using my CamelBak again for longer runs. After about 8 miles, it gets tiresome to hold. But I’m also still hurting from Friday’s chest/back/tricep weights workout, so that probably didn’t help.

Next Up, my SPIbelt. (SPI stands for Small Personal Item

Can you see it? It’s the purple thing. Love looking like I’m taking a picture of my junk in public.

The Good:

• The band is elastic and adjustable.

The Bad:

• You can’t keep much more than a cell phone in it without it bouncing around. It’s probably better for an ID, a key, and a Gu (the lighter weight stuff).
• If you have bigger hips and a smaller waist (like me), it will eventually ride up.

I used to use the belt for my phone before I had a Garmin. I have the Droid X, and that’s all that could fit in there. Today I used it for my camera. I have to keep it really low on my hips to keep it from riding up, otherwise I become the Urkel of SPIbelts.
And lastly, my RoadID.

I love my RoadID, and I think anyone who runs, walks, swims, or bikes outside should have one for safety reasons. I have the WristID Sport. The Sport has a velcro closure and can be itchy. 
I would recommend getting the WristID Elite. The Elite band is rubber and probably similar to a LiveStrong wristband (but adjustable). Once I find a coupon code that saves me more than just a few dollars, I’ll buy the Elite.