Portland!

Ah, Portland. Home of Bitch Media, my brilliant and lovely friend Alberto, and, according to the Virgin America departures lounge at SFO, more microbreweries inside the city limits than any other city on earth.

I knew I'd like it here.

Portland, or rather the greater Portland area, is also home to my upcoming seventh race in this 50 Races in 50 States project I've taken on. Saturday morning, I'll be running the 5k "Fun Run" event of the Greater Portland Half Marathon at Forest Grove. (Haha, I do love that my race is the "fun run" event. It makes me feel, somehow, so minor league. But then again, when it comes to racing, I am so minor league. So I guess it fits.) [Edit: On rereading the website, I realize that the 5k and "Fun Run" are two separate events. I may still choose to amuse myself with the idea that my race is the JV event.]

I enjoyed a really pretty run around SE Portland today, my final training run before Saturday's race. I ran out to and around Laurelhurst Park, including paths around Firwood Lake, where I saw a family of mallards sunning themselves on a rock. SO cute! It was also nice to run somewhere relatively flat, after my struggles earlier in the week. It had been several days since I'd maintained a pace below 11:00, and it was good to remember that I can.

My introduction to the city of Portland has been even nicer than my introduction to running here. After arriving yesterday, Alberto and I walked to Powell's City of Books (because, as he put it, "obviously"), browsed around, stopped for tea and snacks, and somehow ended up googling microbreweries to find out about gluten-free beer options. Well, long story short, about half an hour later we were at the Northwest Public House in the Alphabet District, and I was drinking a locally-made gluten-free red beer by Harvester Brewing Company and eating some truly awesome gluten-free mac&cheese with mushrooms and caramelized onions and excuse me, I have to stop typing and go back there RIGHT NOW.

 

(Okay, it's only 9:30 a.m., perhaps I can wait.)

Dessert was ice cream from Salt & Straw, whose line out the door and around the corner was very well-deserved.

... Annnnnddd, before this dissolves into a travel/dining blog, I'd better go find myself some breakfast. I'll leave y'all with this bit of brilliance from The Onion.