Go, you chicken fat, go away!

For some reason, I really wanted to run under the freeway today.  I didn't even know it was a thing until about a month ago when I saw one of the guys I follow on Strava had done it.  The route is the same as my normal Canal run, but I've never gone past the gate at the Main Pumping Plant.  I knew that it's a 7.3 mile route to the gate and back, so I figured I might end up running 10 miles.  But I felt up to it, and being that it's Veteran's Day, and I don't have to get any kids ready for school, I decided to go for it.  I got to the gate no problem, and then I was in uncharted territory.  Although I have actually been there before, just not running.  I ran out to Val Vista and got on the other side of the Canal.  From the pictures my friend took, I knew there was a tunnel that went under the freeway.  I just wanted to run under it and maybe a little beyond.  After I ran under the freeway I looked at my mileage and I was at 4.4 miles.  I felt like I could do more so I kept going.  I wanted to at least go to the bend in the Canal and see what there was to see.  Turns out there wasn't much more to see.  I stopped at a canal gate and took a couple of pictures.  I tried to see if there was a way to get back on the other side of the canal without getting my feet wet, but there wasn't.  So I decided it was as good of place as any to turn around.  I just kept a nice easy pace and talked myself home.  It was kinda cool out this morning.  I might have to start wearing more layers soon.
 

I took yesterday off and opted to do a nice, easy 3 loops today.  The City of Mesa, like other cities, has started this thing where you can rent a yellow bicycle for an hour or a day or whatever.  This morning I saw what I assumed to be a vagrant, trying to push a shopping cart filled with all of his worldly possessions and straddling one of these bicycles.  He seemed to be struggling and was stopped to adjust things in his cart.  Just as he started again, one of his jugs fell out.  I ran over and picked it up for him.  He seemed grateful.  I don't know what was in it.  Maybe drinking water?

Just one loop today.  I felt good and ran fast for me.

I planned on running with Mike like I do ever Saturday morning.  I went to bed at 8pm.  But I couldn't sleep.  And I couldn't sleep.  And I couldn't sleep.  At 1am I texted Mike to tell him not to come by.  I finally fell asleep around 2:15am.  I think I was stressed out over a project I'm working on.  Anyway, I got up around quarter to 8 and my wife was already home from her walk.  But she went back to bed and fell asleep.  I wanted her to take me up to the top of Usery Pass.  But she just wouldn't wake up.  So I wore my running clothes all day.  I finally decided to run at 5:51pm.  I wanted some good miles but wasn't sure where to run.  I figured it was too late to do Usery.  I thought I would just run up the Canal to the Main Pumping Plant.  As I was running I decided to instead run up to McDowell Road, turn east and run to Higley, then turn back south and run home.  I wasn't sure how many miles it would be, but I figured it would be at least the distance of a normal Saturday run.  I brought my headlamp with me because it was dark.  I didn't put it on until about a mile and a quarter into it.  Running along the Canal in between McKellips and McDowell, I saw some creepy guys walking down the path without any lighting.  Could they be any creepier?  I stepped on a rock somewhere along the path and now my foot is sore.  Turning east, you start to head uphill, but I flet decent.  I knew from riding my bike along Higley that the first half mile south was also uphill.  But it's not steep, so I just kept plugging along.  When I got to a mile and a half to go I got a call from my wife.  She was worried about me.  I told her I was fine.  The last half mile was kind of a drag, but I made it.