After raining all day and all night for the past day-and-a-half, the sky started to show a few shades of blue today. It was still overcast, but the sun was starting to peek through. It was still wet and muddy as I started my long two hour and fifteen minute run on the canal. I started this time near Indian Bend and Hayden.
I ran alone with my headphones on. The plan was to consume half-a-gel just before the run and then stop every 45 minutes for a minute or so to eat a stinger waffle and drink water. The first stop came at around 48 minutes in oldtown Scottsdale just west of the Scottsdale-Camelback intersection. Oldtown Scottsdale was crowded; a street art-fair was in progress. With the superbowl and the golf tournament in town this weekend, I’m sure thousands of tourists have arrived in Arizona. It was in the 50s and many people were in shorts and t-shirts. Tourists!!
I ran on and turned around on 44th street at around the one hour and fifteen minute mark. The second stop came at around 1:46 at the same spot as the first stop. I ate another stinger waffle and then continued to end my run back to where I started. I was struggling for the last mile or so, but was quite satisfied with the run overall. I ran almost 16.5 miles at a pace of just under 8:15 per mile.