Sauvie x2

I started to get worried last week when it was pointed out to me at that 10 bridge route for Bridge Pedal is 36 miles and the farthest I've ridden my new bike so far was 12 miles so I decided to ride the Sauvie Island loop twice to see if I could do it. The last few miles were a little rough since it was a windy day and it was blowing right in my face after the last turn, but I was able to do it! I'm a still a little sore today but I feel alot more confident about the 36 miles that are coming up :)

Mixed Bag

Today was a mixed bag of a day starting with a bike ride at Portland Waterfront Park. Its a pretty park and very bike friendly but was more crowded than I thought it would be and many of the access paths from the Max line were blocked off due to the Brew Fest setup that was going on. It is probably a much less frustrating ride when there is no big event going on but I'm not sure its worth the 2 hours on the Max (1 hour each way) to get there and back.

I did my first 'official' weigh in yesterday after 1 week on the South Beach Diet only to find that I had only lost 1 pound! Everyone I know who has done this diet has lost 7-10 pounds in the first 2 weeks so I am way behind the curve. I got on the scale again this morning and it said I had lost 2 additional pounds so I'm wondering if I'm not consistently drinking enough water or if my scale needs a new battery.

I cheated a little tonight by eating a burrito bowl at Chipotle but I only got half the normal amount of rice and Jim and I walked there (~4 miles round trip) so I don't feel too guilty :)

Hot, Hot, Hot!

Friday was the hottest day ever on record in Hillsboro at 108deg. Arizona does get hotter but it isn't humid and everywhere has air conditioning, unlike the apartments here. This weekend reminded me of another reason why I no longer live in upstate NY because it would be like this for 3 months. The wind finally started blowing around 5pm today so I could open the windows and get a little breeze. One thing I do like about Oregon is that even though it is hot outside, the water is still cold so you can take a refreshing cold shower.

Most of this weekend was spent trying to keep cool but I did get another short bike ride in on Saturday. I rode over to the Dawson Creek Business Park which has a very well maintained trail that goes by duck ponds, a bunch of office buildings, the future Hillsboro public library, and the airport. The most amazing part for me was that I lived in the Dawson Creek apartment complex for 9 months (about 5 years ago) and never had any idea that this nice trail was there!

Champoeg State Park

I never would have guessed that Champoeg is pronounced 'shampooey' but no matter how you say it this is a very nice state park not too far from Portland.

The weatherman said it was supposed to be above 100deg today (and he was right) so I got up early, drove about 30 mins, and was on the trail by 9am. The bike path at Champoeg is in need of a little work but it shaded and cool with very nice scenery. It was a nice bike ride that I was able to complete before it got too hot.

This park also had a nice looking disc golf course that I may have to try out sometime. I'm terrible at it but if you get a group of people together who don't take it too seriously, it can be alot of fun.

Day 2 of South Beach is going pretty well. I had alot more energy today but had a huge craving for pasta. Lucklity I don't have any pasta in the apartment and it was way too hot to cook anything anyway.

South Beach Diet

I started phase 1 of the South Beach diet today. I decided to give it a try after a few friends had good success with weight loss on it and also after reading the book it seems to make sense health-wise. Phase 1 is no fruit and no bread, pasta, rice, etc. Today was pretty tough since I had to buy lunch in the cafe at work and my normal sandwich was calling to me but I was good and got the salad. I am not hungry at all but I have no energy and a little headache. I'm hoping that this is just my body's reaction to the lack of sugar and will pass after a few days.

A new bike, a bike ride, and a plane crash

A New Bike
After shopping around for a few days of shopping around, I was finally able to find a bike shop the carried a ladies frame hybrid bike large enough for a 6' tall women. The Bike Gallery on Canyon and Hall and specifically the salesman Eric were great! Eric spent a total of about 3 hours with me over 2 days fitting me for a bike and getting me the right accessories to get started. I ended up with a Trek 7200, a helmet, gloves, lock, and a repair kit.

A Bike Ride
On Saturday I rode my bike a little bit around the apartment complex and general area to get a feel for it but at dinner that evening at Raquel and Chad's house (fajitas that were very yummy!), they invited me to go along on their Sunday bike ride on Sauvie Island. The ride was about 12 miles long, the weather was perfect, and the road was nice and flat for those of us that haven't ridden a bike in about 15 years :) They also lent me "Recreational Rides around Portland" and Jim bought me "Off-Street Paved Bike Paths in Oregon" so I have tons of options for my next bike ride.

and a Plane Crash
After getting home from the bike ride and doing a little grocery shopping, I was nicely settled on the couch and all ready to take a nap when I hear all kinds of sirens and my phone starts ringing. It turns out that one of the jets from the Hillsboro Air Show crashed into a house about a mile from my apartment complex! Of course Jim and I walked towards the big plume of black smoke to see what was going on but the police wouldn't let us get very close. According to the news, the pilot died in the crash but nobody on the ground was hurt. Its scary how close it was!

Yummy Berries

One of the best things about Oregon in the summertime is the fresh berries you can go pick. The berries pictured above were picked at West Union Gardens located about 15 minutes from my apartment. These berries are so sweet and so ripe that you can just spread them on bread like jam! The owner of this farm says they will have late blueberries and about a month and fall raspberries and blackberries another month after that. I'll definitely mark my calendar!

Trip to Oregon 2006

Last week Jim and I made the trip to Oregon again. This time we drove through Vegas, Reno, Klamath Falls (pictured above, can you see the falls?), and Crater Lake. Vegas was fun as always but I actually preferred Reno. It was much more relaxed and not quite as glitzy as Vegas and the Silver Legacy hotel was awesome!

There wasn't much to see between stops except for Crater Lake. I knew it got snowy up there but I had no idea there would still be snow on the ground in July! Photos can be seen at : Crater Lake

I spent the rest of the time setting up my apartment and my office, going through orientation at work (again), and I got to have lunch with Raquel, who I have to say is looking better than ever!!.

More on my Oregon adventures is on its way....