It has been a hot, muggy weekend and I had a 7-mile run scheduled for Saturday.  I got up early and was out the door by 6:30 a.m.

Using 1:30/:30 run/walk intervals, I took things slow and easy.  It was cloudy and breezy, so it really wasn’t too warm throughout the run.  At one point, there was a light rain for a few minutes which felt really good!

For my marathon training, I decided to invest in a Camelbak hydration pack.  Yesterday was the first time trying it out.  Filling the water bladder was pretty easy, but then I had a hard time getting the cap on tightly without spilling water.  I don’t think I got the cap on securely because when I got back from my run, the front and back of my shirt were soaked and the hydration pack was wet, like there was water leaking from the bladder.  Other than that, though, I thought the hydration pack carried well.  It didn’t feel cumbersome.  The straps rubbed a bit on my shoulders, but otherwise felt good.  The hydration pack has large side pockets for my phone and energy gels.  There will also be room for bug spray and sunscreen when I bring those for the really long runs.  Overall, I think it was a good investment and it will help to keep me hydrated during those really hot training days.

Today will be a 3-4 mile recovery run.  It’s really muggy outside right now, but the humidity is supposed to go away by mid-morning, so I’ll wait and do my run then.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!