I won't make that mistake again

Ever since my 50K trail race I've been using my fuel belt to run with during my morning runs. Up until then, however, I didn't carry water with me if my run was 10 KM's or less. As I started to run again after that race, my morning runs have been 12-15 KM's depending on the day and how I feel. Because of that, I decided to bring water with me as sometimes those last few KM's can be tough if I'm dehydrated.

Today, for some strange reason, I decided to do my 13 KM run at 5 AM without my fuel belt. Even though I know the importance of having water with me, sometimes carrying the extra weight of the fuel belt around my waist can be tough.

The run started out fine and not having the extra weight did seem to help, at least initially. However, as I entered the last 6-7 KM's of the run, all I could think about was water. I thought about how nice it would be to have my HEED (electrolyte drink) with me today and much it would have helped. As I passed one gas station I thought about heading in there to get a drink of water but didn't.

It was colder today than it has been this week and when it gets that way it's easier to forget to drink as you don't "feel" as dehydrated as you do when the temperatures are warmer.

I wondered, though, if my "craving" for water had more to do with me not having water with me. I thought about my clients and how I tell them that I will never say you can't have a certain food. If I do that, I tell them, then it's the first thing you will want to have. It's human nature to want things that we are told we cannot have. I'm sure that this had something to do with that today.

Those last few KM's were tougher today than normal and thankfully I had some good music to listen to as I raced home. I felt like my mind was constantly trying to tell me to take a walk break today and that's something that I fought off. I know that if I had taken a walk break it would have been harder to get going again.

Needless to say, the next run I do I'll be packing my water bottle with me.