BIRTHDAY SIXTEEN BY THE UMPQUA

My little slice of paradise along the Umpqua River.

Last weekend I went camping for my birthday along the Umpqua River. I camp here every year with my extended family, but this camping trip was just with my friends. There were eight of us which is exactly the size I wanted... not too big, not too small (okay, #). We all arrived on Saturday, me and Stephen a little later than some because we went to the Oregon State football game first (they won!).

Saturday was a crap day weather wise so I'm glad we only really got there to eat dinner and then sit around the campfire. It had rained earlier but by the time we got there it was just cloudy. The next two days were nice and sunny. That first night I probably had a little too much to drink on my last night as a 27 year-old. I fell over in my chair at one point and bruised my hip... so I woke up on my 28th birthday with a sore hip. Great.

Anyways, I needed to run sixteen miles that weekend for Portland Marathon training, so I dragged Matt and Alejandro along with me. Matt didn't want to do the entire thing, so I plotted a route that would take us back near the campsite around nine miles where he could head back while Alejandro and I did another seven.

It worked out well. I had only ran twelve miles before while at the river, but we used the same basic route, we just went further on each out and back. The first was all the way to the Umpqua Café and back. Matt used the bathroom there so it was good to have that as an option. After he dropped off Ale and I continued south and then did the loop down to the Cleveland Rapids. All told we hit sixteen right as we rolled back into camp so it was the perfect distance. Jumping in the river afterward (and drinking a beer) made it all worthwhile.

Overall the camping trip was TONS of fun. Going with family is fun but going with friends is also really fun. They seemed to really like the river and were busy slyly inviting themselves back next year. All told I am still pretty tired from the weekend though, after my nine days in Pennsylvania I had a crazy week at work and then another three days on the road away from home. I feel the need to just be home now and do nothing.

Unfortunately I won't get rest this weekend because I had to wake up early Saturday to do the twenty mile brunch run with Portland Marathon Clinic. I really like that run though so I'm excited for that. And then on Sunday I have to wake up early again to run Pints to Pasta. Like last year, it will be the day after a twenty mile run, so I have no goals or visions of PRing. I'd just like to run it as fast as I can by feel... I'm not about to push myself too hard and fuck up the marathon though.

So while I'm looking forward to both of those events, I have another action packed weekend ahead with little rest (going to the Timbers game with Brandon right after Pints). Ugh. Another twenty miles next weekend... but maybe I can sleep in on Sunday? I'm sure something will come up.