Cinco de Mayo Half Marathon - Running Derailed -

The Cinco de Mayo Half Marathon in Portland, Oregon is a combination of downtown and lush green trees during the out and back to Keller Woods. Portland was the final stop of our “baby-moon”. It was filled with good beer, good food, a gorgeous run and a train that stopped right in the middle of the half marathon. That’s definitely a first.

A Good Rub

This is the trip where I found my world famous Rib Eye Steak rub called Espresso Rub by Spice and Tea. Hands down this has been the best addition to by BBQ lineup and has transformed me into a slightly above average BBQ guy. So glad we stumbled into this shop during the trip! As a side note, they also have a wonderful chicken rub that my wife doesn’t like as much as me called Backwoods Hickory Rub. I’ll try to get my Rib Eye recipe up soon since its one of my Go-To dishes.

The Race & A Big Stopped Train

The Cinco de Mayo Half Marathon started like every other race. However, at about the 1.5 mile marker our path was blocked by one very large freight train what was still moving. I recall the confused looks on all the runners faces as we stopped in a big crowd as the train slowly made its way down the track. And, then just came to a screeching halt. The entire race stood and waited for about ten minutes until the train started moving again. And then stopped again. Eventually some of us jumped up and over the train cars and made our way down the track. We have beer to drink! No time for a stopped freight train!

The race was gorgeous and hilly. The first few miles were all in downtown Portland but eventually we made our way up to the top of the ridge line in Keller Woods. The elevation gain was only 450 feet but I was huffing and puffing at the top. After mile eight its all down hill. Almost time for food and beer.

Beer, Beer and More Beer

After the race Amy and I did a little walking around and visited three breweries. Our first stop was Deschutes Brewery where we grabbed lunch and a quick tasting. One of my favorite things about micro breweries is that the food is usually better than the beer. I still remember the tasty burger and the six or so beer tasting that went with it. Amy thought the food was amazing too. Our second stop was at Rogue Brewery. Rogue is dingy, dark, dirty and WONDERFUL. I had a quick pint of their Yellow Snow Pilsner before we headed off to our third and final stop Bridgeport Brewery. Bridgeport was the biggest and nicest but also the least memorable. Perhaps it was the three or four beers? Or perhaps its just that nothing really stood out. Regardless, one final pint and off to the airport we go.