IM Fuel Belt or no Fuel Belt... That is the question!

My wife says that fuel belts are the equivalent of pocket protectors...

They point out the tri-nerds!

I also got mine for Christmas and don't know how I trained without it! 

Although it does kind of feel like I am armed and ready. Especially since one of the things clipped on it is pepperspray.

Back in the day when I was a youngster........I safety pinned my gels to the inside of my shorts and dropped waterbottles every 5 or 6 miles along my route the night before - and or carried a water bottle w/ me.  Had a little ziplock bag full of jolly ranchers that usually got dropped the night before w/ the water. This was WAY back when shorts and shirts didn't have little pockets! Can you imagine such a world??

I use a fuel belt for my long runs.... mine has three bottles on it and a pocket for gels. I cannot imagine doing a long run without it!

I always used a fuel belt (although not that brand) during training but I trained with the same stuff they had on the IM course so when it got to race day I didn't carry anything and just took from the course.  Having said that 4 bottles wasn't enough so I had to plan for refills on my long runs too

Why do you need one, exactly?

I've trained for 2 ironmans and over a dozen marathons and never used one. I have an awesome pair of deSoto shorts with big pockets that I carry gels in. That plus water is really all I need, and I run courses with easy access to water.

Who needs all that junk bouncing around?

The IM run is a frickin' smörgåsbord ....... You don't need to carry anything at all on it.

Training?  Sure, you need to hydrate.  I would just do loops around the neighborhood or at a local park and have a water/drink station set up at my mailbox or near my car.

I do have a 6 bottle and a 4 bottle Fuel Belt.  But they literally have not been out of the drawer where I keep my racing stuff in over 2 years ......

I agree with Jim.

And now I think I need to go take a shower.

x2

I hate having bouncy stuff when I run. It throws my rhythm off.

I use a cheap Target belt that holds a water bottle for runs over 10 miles.  Anyting over 14 miles my wife meets me half way to swap out.  has a pocket for cell phone and gels.

this season I'll probably get a fuel belt for training only....water stops at races are fine with me....

Classy.

You've been missed.

I haven't used a fuel belt in my past 3 IM's but moving forward I will use a 2-bottle system. Mainly because I've screwed up my nutrution so bad on the past ones that it'll help me to carry a bottle system and take nutrition when I need to and take stuff my body needs/can handel. Also because I don't like to run with things in my hands so the fuel belt eliminates that.

Shanks

I use a fuel belt on training when doing long runs or transition runs (aka bricks) because it allows me to drink when thirsty, test a nutrition plan as I would do on a race and keep myself hydrated on warm days hence I can recover faster. Next year when I do my 1st IM I most likely will wear one for no other reason beyond it will be my personal preference.