I had a good laugh the other day when I saw my coach sporting his “brand-new state-of-the-art” bottle. Essentially he grabbed an old plastic throw-away water bottle and added some duct tape to make a hand strap. A natural Macgyver. I think the caption on the photo was something like “patent pending.” Classic.Good news is, there are products available that take the “duct tape model” to the next level, such as The Runner by Clean Bottle.
My bottle “posing” during a run.
I’m addicted to my Clean Bottle. I used to either carry nothing on my runs or, if it was a longer run or hot day, I’d carry a standard 16-20oz bike bottle. But really, I hated gripping the bottle while working hard on my run–too much tension created.
The other issue with longer runs was the desire to carry my phone in case of emergency (or, better yet, to take pictures to share with the social media world haha). Not to mention, a key, maybe nutrition, etc. I couldn’t risk my phone dying from sweat exposure in my shorts, plus there’s only so much shorts can hold before they get weighed down. And if you’re thinking “What about those running belts?” No thanks. There’s the odd occasion where I’ll use one, but they bother me. And I don’t like being bothered during my training/racing.
I’ll be honest, I was even a little skeptical of The Runner Clean Bottle because it just seemed like too much “stuff” and too bulky. But I gave it a shot. I was pleasantly surprised. My iPhone fit in like a glove, there was a clip for my house/car key, and room for money and nutrition. But the biggest positive was that it didn’t feel like I was carrying a small child around. The hand strap fits snuggly so you can release tension in your hand and arm and just let it sort of hang–no death gripping to keep it on. That doesn’t mean the weight “disappears” though, and like with most bottles, I will switch which hand is carrying it throughout my run to keep it even.
The other cool things: 1) The case for the phone is durable so you don’t have to worry about ruining your phone with exposure to drink, sweat (or even dropping it I’d guess!), and the clear cover on the phone case allows you to use the phone without taking it out! (Yes, I’m guilty of checking my phone if I have to stop at a stoplight or to refill the bottle, etc).
And 2) The Clean Bottle design means you can unscrew both the top and bottom to clean it out! It goes without saying that I like that feature after I’ve had to throw away bottles that start to “grow things” at the bottom.
The Runner’s price of $24.95 seems a little steep for a bottle, but I’m guessing that’s because the holder is durably made–the bottle comes with a lifetime guarantee, comforting for us runners/triathletes who use equipment for thousands of miles! Also available: You can get one Runner and two classic Clean Bottles for $29.80 online. The holder alone is also available for purchase for $14.95 to add to one of your own bottles.
I feel safer on the trails with this guy.