I had big plans for the day. I was going to try and do a big run from tucson (2500 feet) to the top of the catalina mountains (8500 feet) and back in preparation for the R2R2R run in a couple of weeks. Unfortunately the weather had other plans. We started out early at Sabino canyon and things were going pretty well til we got to the pallisades trail where it breaks off of the arizona trail. I don't think anyone has niked up from the bottom in some time the trail was very overgrown and if it wasn't for some well placed cairns we would have been completely lost. As it was with the grade and the trail or lack thereof we hiked for the first 3 miles of that trail. After mudsprings the trail was much better though a little washed out from the rain earlier in the week. We were able to run the flatter sections and hike the steep for the rest of the way to the TH at Pallisades ranger station. It was starting to get hot at the end, but then the clouds moved in. Shortly after we got to the TH it started raining and then pouring. I went back to the trail and it was more of a stream evem at the top we decided the better part of valor was to not attempt to go down through a monsoon rain and luckily found some hikers driving down who were willing to give us a ride. The run/hike instead of being 25-30 miles was 14 with 6200 vert and essentially no descent. I guess I still don't know if I will be able to survive the Grand canyon in a couple of weeks.
PM Run: Wade road just to get some extra miles. The legs felt Ok. a little tired from the morning and I had to do the run in the Afternoon heat (90+) but not too bad considering those factors.
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