Running a marathon

For the last two years I have run a marathon in the fall. My first marathon was 6 years ago, running in the Portland Marathon. I ran it again in 2012. This year my sister and I decided to run in the City of Trees Marathon in Boise, Idaho. Kevin didn't make it to Boise but I ran and enjoyed the race. I also ran a personal best. This is the shirt I ran in. 

For me finishing is always my goal but I train for a time and didn't quite make my planned time but still did well. It takes about 4 months of training to get up to the distance to run without totally hurting at the end of the race. I have the added advantage of a great support crew while I run. My wife, Diane, brings me sandwiches at mile 9 and mile 18. This gives me a great boost and keeps my morale up. About 200 people ran in the race with 19 in my age class. This is me at the finish.

Finish area where the chocolate milk and chili was served. 

At 58, I don't know how many more marathons I will run but will keep it up as long as I enjoy it. 

Horse racing on a Sunday afternoon at Portland Meadows

Diane and I have been wanting to go out to the racetrack and watch the horses run all summer long. We finally went and had a great time. Portland Meadows has been around for a long time but in recent years does much more business in off track betting than live racing. We have gone out to the track to watch the Kentucky Derby and place a wager on our favorite, but this is the first time we had been out to see the horses run. We had some great food which surprised me, picked a winner in the main race, the Portland Mile, and enjoyed the sunshine. The horses were beautiful to watch run and as they came down the stretch you could feel the hooves pounding and the crowd really gets into rooting home their favorite. 

Diane going over the racing form to figure out her next bet.

Huge crowd for the Portland Mile. Overwhelmed the food service and I overheard one of the bartenders saying  he was worried they were going to run out of beer. 

Walking the horses down to the saddling area.

On the river tonight

We ate on the river tonight at the Island Cafe. It was a gorgeous night, warm and sunny. We got the same table we had last time we ate there which allows us to watch the boats go up and down the river.

Of course I had the best looking date there.

Here are some of the boats we saw going on the river. The cafe has a dock so you can come by boat or car to eat there. 

This last one was a group of people in tubes and rafts all tied together. They were having a very good time.

As usual the drinks and food were excellent.

Out and about the harbor

Diane took lots of pictures as we made our way around the bay. 

We rode out on the pier to look at the crabbing and birds. There were lots of people throwing crab pots over the side and seemed to be catching lots of crabs. Crab season in Oregon goes on all summer and into the fall and is a popular activity at the coast. 

Lots of seagulls hanging around waiting for the bait to be thrown away. 

When the bait for the crab rings is thrown away the seagulls swarm around it and fight over it. 

These are our bikes. They fold up and fit very nicely in the trailer. 

Diane getting some final shots in before the fog rolled in. 

Camping and getting there.

Trip to Deschutes Recreation Area in April

Enjoying life in the trailer

Multnomah Falls

Multnomah Falls

Fancy dinnerware to class things up.