9/5/2014
Even the best laid plans fall victim to circumstance. It is in the mishaps and the struggle that we progress. We gain strength, wisdom, and knowledge from our mistakes. So what did I learn on day twelve? A support vehicle can not drive very far with a screw in the tire.
Leaving the Barbra Worth Golf Resort to hit the road was not an early affair. We broke our fast at 7:30 AM with some fresh cut fruit, biscuits, and juice. After eating we shot a quick video, thanked the staff and gathered the trailer. We were on the road at 9:30. I wasn’t sure how that happened since we planned to be out at the crack of dawn. It didn’t matter. My rain dance must have partially worked. Billowy clouds lined my route. There were still shafts of light here and there but there distinct patches of coverage gave me the protection and shade I had missed for days. I listened to the constant buzzing of the power lines and it reminded me of the constant buzzing of the locusts from a few days earlier. The sound put me in a meditative trance for a bit. I ran strong until about mile nine. That’s when I saw Crystal approaching me. Her hair was a bit frazzled and it signaled to me something had happened.
There was a screw stuck in the tire accompanied by the sound of a menacing hiss. I touched the spot where the screw was located and a high pressure stream of air shot to my fingers. We decided to try and drive the thing to the closest tire shop in Yuma but it wasn’t in our stars. With only a couple miles to go, the tire disintegrated and we had to pull over on the freeway. I noticed the corpses of past tire casualties littered the side of the freeway as I waited for a mechanic.
After buying a new tire and eating at a fast food restaurant we checked into the Wingate by Wyndham in Yuma. We would regroup for a couple hours and tackle the road in the late afternoon. I was looking forward to Yuma because it would be my first chance for real rest and recuperation after two weeks of straight running.
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