I wrote on Thursday about my struggles on Wednesday, well things got interesting again today during my 19 miler. The run went well, but I swear that soda machine owners in the back mountain here need to do a little better …. i’ll elaborate a bit. Generally on my long runs I take my fuel belt with me, and it holds 22 oz. of water, and about 6 oz of gatorade. I use that for the most part in the first 10-12 miles, so I usually count on finding a machine somewhere along the end of the route (I start planning at mile 12 to find one), just to get me through. Generally i don’t let myself run out of water totally, so even when I find a machine, its generally just to supplement the little bit of water left in my fuel belt.
So along my route today, I was coming up in center Dallas where I thought there might be a coke machine outside the local hardware store. Sure enough, I saw one … so I made my way up to it .. NO WATER in it, but they did have some sports drink.. I figured I would give it a shot. Sure enough, I went to put in my dollar bill, it was shut off. ACK! I figured I was only at mile 13 or so, so I would trek up Huntsville road and find something after I come down on the other side of town.
So i’m coming down Overbrook road now, and I thought about Fernbrook corners, and a machine that I always passed when i run my morning routes. Sure enough I came down the hill and there is was, an Aquafina machine … the thing teased me, it keeps flashing ‘ice cold drinks’ … I was thirsty, tired, hot, etc … so I stuck my first dollar in, it came back out .. I put it in again, it came out, I put my second dollar in, it came out, tried again, it came out again …… AH! As the machine continued taunting me with the ‘ice cold drinks’, I decided to scream some nasty words and move on … I thought about Cooks pharmacy .. yeah, they’ve got like 2 machines out front.
So I made it another mile down the road .. during which time the Stileto decided to die on me, no more tunes … gerat … but sure enough as I got down the road without music, outside of Cooks there were two machines, one aquafina machine and another machine next to it. I check the first machine, no water, just soda .. the second machine, just soda … I almost died, then sure enough, around the corner was another aquafina machine. I turn the corner, and every slot had water, it was plugged in … I was in heaven! So I put in my dollar, it comes out, I put it in again, it comes out. Finally, I try the second dollar, it TAKES IT! AWESOME! So I hit the first button, its out, second button, its out, and so on .. until second to the bottom, it states ‘VEND’ .. but nothing comes out .. I kicked it, and sure enough, never got my water .. ACK ITS BUSTED! ANOTHER TEASER .. as it flashes ‘ice cold drinks’ ..
I decided since that at this point I only have 2 miles to go, to just suck it up and do it, which I did. I realize that along the way I could’ve stopped and gone IN and got a water, but I was sweaty, and stinky by that far in the route, and if I really needed it, I would have, but its just a nice to have in my mind.
So I have a 10 miler scheduled tomorrow prior to starting my stepback week .. I know there are many people who favor stepbacks, and many who do not and don’t think they are necessary. I think this is somewhere were personal preference fits in and you have to decide for yourself whether an easy week works for you. In my case, I use them as something to look forward to, and i really only cut the miles back by about 15%, the big difference being an extra day off and a not-so-long long run. it comes at the right time since i’ll be in Wildwood at the end of the week. For some people, they can just keep going and going without taking a break, but for me, I need it.
I hope to write tomorrow as I head into my easy week!