Hydration Made Easy

I’ve finally solved the age old problem of how to hydrate on a run without having to wear a fuel belt (which just looks awkward), or carry a water bottle (which just freezes your hand and tilts your kilter). This past week Candis and I found ourselves without our children on several occasions thanks to their grandparents, who unimaginably seem to enjoy spending time with the dirt-covered, balls of energy that we’ve produced. It was on one such peaceful afternoon that I decided to head out for a run, and since we are one of those annoyingly cute couples that still enjoy each other’s company, Candis decided to tag along on her bike.

I took full advantage of this situation and loaded Candis up with water bottles, Clif SHOT Gels, and anything else that I thought I might need on my run. It was fantastic. Whenever I needed a drink I just snapped my fingers and barked “Water!” I’d douse myself with cool water like an Olympic marathoner and then toss the bottle to the side of the road, because if the Olympic marathoners can do it, then I can too. Of course since we had a limited supply, Candis would jump down from her bike, scurry off to the side of the road to pick up the water bottle and then catch back up with me. Being the loving husband that I am I never once complained about how long it took her to do this.

After a couple of miles I was really getting the hang of running with a cyclist and I was demanding assistance like an entitled actor with an oversized ego. “Hold my sunglasses,” “give me a SHOT Gel,” “take my hat,” “give me back my sunglasses and hat,” “no, no, no, hand me the hat first and then the sunglasses, are you trying to make me slower?” “Go on ahead and push the button for the crosswalk and make sure you time it so that I don’t have to slow down.” I even considered asking her to wipe the sweat from my brow, but she looked so wobbly with all those things in her hands that I was worried she’d accidentally hit me with the handlebars. Perhaps once she gets a little better at this we’ll give that one a shot.

It was a good run, and I think that we both enjoyed my company. It’s really nice to have water available without having to figure out how to carry it, and I plan on doing many more runs with my wife at my side. I highly recommend this method of carrying water on runs for those of you with spouses or children who can ride bikes. It’s time to put your family to work for your benefit, you won’t be disappointed.