Seattle to Portland report

Somewhat surprisingly, I still have a hard time calling myself a cyclist. I suppose it's just difficult for me to believe I am one even after a little over a year of riding bikes. Still, I agreed to ride the Seattle to Portland event with a friend for her 40th birthday. There were four of us riders in our group with another good friend offering to be our chauffeur up to Seattle and then back from Portland. We opted for the two day ride leaving us with a little over 100 miles to ride each day.

"Selfie" of the STP crew

We spent the night before the ride in dorm rooms at the University of Washington. While I was lying in my single bed I just kept repeating the phrase “I'm going to get a great night’s sleep” and thankfully it worked. We were off with the masses bright and early in the morning. And I do mean masses - this ride sells out at about 10,000 people. That's a lot of people and a lot of bikes. Don't let anyone tell you that it thins out, it doesn't. 

Just a quick ride with a few friends

Despite the tight pack of riders, the first day went smoothly as we quickly established our habit of stopping at every single port a potty offered.  There were after all three women in our group of four. Each food stop was well stocked and by about the halfway mark those peanut butter cheese crackers, the ones you would never normally eat due to that bright orange artificial color, became the best food in the entire world. We were wisely advised to camp in Chehalis just about 4 miles beyond the midpoint of the ride. Most folks don't want to pedal the extra 4 miles so luckily there were maybe 150 people at our camping spot versus the thousands at the real midpoint. Anyone who knows me knows I am much happier in a smaller, quieter, group.

Some yoga at the end of day one

We had the pleasure of naked group showers and of course after 100 miles in the sun any shower is the best thing that's ever happened to you. We then headed to a public house for dinner and unsurprisingly they were slammed. Luckily beer came fast, we won't mention how long the food took. We discovered a tap that said Odin and of course sent a picture of it to Taylor.  Another great night sleep after dinner (rumor has it I lay down, put on my eye mask, and was out instantly without a word).

 

We spotted this tap at the bar!

The second day started with a gorgeous morning and the only time I really felt like it was just the four of us. There were great country roads and despite still being in Washington I felt like I was home. The best rest stop of all was found on the second day. There was a handmade sign about snacks, drinks, and of course the most appealing part: a bathroom. It turned out to be a port a potty in a farmer’s front yard with homemade brownies, lemonade and one of the dirtiest dogs I've ever encountered. Clearly no one ever pet this dog and it is definitely not allowed in the house. But of course I pet the dog and it was instantly my best friend. I should also note that at this rest stop someone noticed my Tensegrity kit and said “oh are you a physical therapist?” I said “no but my teammate is!” That was the end of that conversation. (The still short but better kit story is that a random rider commented to Richard and I "sharp kits!" at some point along the way.  A testament to Julie's awesome design skills.)

 

Glad to be off the bike at one of the rest stops.

As we sat in the lawn chairs eating brownies, drinking lemonade, and watching the farmer’s son spastically flag down riders to stop and get treats, I thought I might just stay forever. Someone quickly noticed how comfortable we were getting and advised we had better get moving because we still had another 30 miles or so.

As we were finally rolling into Portland, only about half a mile from the finish line, we were in a pack of riders stopped at a red light. At this point just about everyone is hot, hammered, and just waiting to see the finish line. So there is pretty much silence. All of a sudden….pssshhhhh.  Someones tire just went flat. Of course it was one of us but luckily Richard can change a flat in about two minutes and we were quickly heading towards the finish line. We were greeted by cheering, smiling, friends and of course many strangers and thankfully ample food. We did it.

We're done!

People have asked “what route did you take?” My honest response is I have absolutely no idea. I'm pretty sure we were on a bike path at some point. The next question inevitably is “were you on I-5”? Thankfully never.

We cruised through the hometown of some of our own!

The coolest thing about riding the STP was seeing so many other people into riding their bikes. There were all shapes, sizes, shoes, and shorts out there. It was also a great reminder of the crazy fit cyclists that I compare myself to and ride with here in Eugene. The reality is they are an elite bunch and I am lucky to be part of such a great group. One day I may even really consider myself a cyclist.