After driving home from Kingman, I took a quick run. I ended up doing 8 miles in 60 minutes, despite stiff, sore legs from the backpacking this week. (see previous entries) It felt great to move fast with no backpack on, and nobody to prod and encourage along. Our trip was a fantastic way to spend spring break. I'd recommend it to anyone in relatively good shape. To wit, my 7 year old niece completed all the hikes carrying a 10 lb pack, so it's feasible for anybody, really. Havasu Canyon is a beautiful place, a desert oasis. Even in early April, the water in the river was warm enough for swimming. My oldest got 7 hours of driving practice, which he desperately needed. Despite not going on the training hikes I suggested, my daughter had no trouble with the backpacking. After struggling a bit on both the longer hikes, my younger son found his rhythm on the most challenging part of the ascent, and got up the mountain in great time. We had an unforgettable time. This was supposed to be a recovery week, and I guess strictly speaking in terms of running miles, it was. I was slated to run 38, and I got in 24. But adding in those hiking miles, I definitely loaded up the schedule. I'll enjoy a guilt-free day off tomorrow, for sure.
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