Wednesday, August 09, 2017

The 30 Second, Improvised Running Gear Belt

Apparently, I was so out of my normal routine yesterday, that when I grabbed my supplies to go for a run I neglected to bring both my belt packs. Yes, you read that right - I run with not one, but two fanny pack like containers. One holds my phone and the other holds emergency supplies and my car's bulky keyfob.

While I could imagine making doing without the emergency supplies (which is little more than some tape, a Visa card and some cash), I still had to figure out a solution for my phone and keyfob. I briefly considered leaving my phone in the car, but then I realized I'd be passing up on an opportunity to improvise some sort of solution. Did MacGyver ever say, eh, I won't bother. No, he busted out his Swiss Army knife and tape and went to work. I decided I'd do the same!

I didn't have my running belt with me, but I did have my Murse, which incidentally does contain a bit of duct tape. Weighing my options I decided my best bet was to try to create an improvised running belt from the 3x3 foot sheet of bright orange parachute material I have stashed in my bag. Because the point of the exercise was to wrap up my phone and keyfob, I don't have any photos of the setup in use. But here's a simulation of what I did:

Step 1. Take out said 3x3 sheet of fabric and ponder a solution.

Step 2. Fold the fabric into a giant triangle, laying the items to wrap up thusly:

Step 3. Tightly roll the phone and keyfob against the fabric, forming a long belt like structure.

Step 4. Tie the bundle tightly around my waist and start running!

To avoid getting pulled over by the fashion police, I wore this setup under my t-shirt. Also, I was wearing a bright orange t-shirt already. Had I been wearing something less visible, I'd be more incline to wrap this around the outside of my shirt and it would have served as both phone holder and safety vest.

The phone and keyfob were initially quite comfortable to wear in this manner, with no bounce of any kind. Though, at about a 1/3 of the way through my run, the bundle started to unravel a bit. I simply retied it and was on my way, with it holding secure for the rest of the run. Next time, I think I'll try using a safety pin to keep the fabric in place. Or maybe I should take a card out of the MacGyver handbook and just duct tape it closed.

Either way, I learned a valuable lesson: a large square of bright fabric can be turned into a phone pouch and safety device in about 30 seconds. Next run, I'll be grabbing my usual belt pouches, but it's good to know that if I find myself in a similar situation, I've got a tested solution ready to go.

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