Bike Bike Bike!

This morning I had a cycling heyday. We discovered a couple of days ago that the Portland Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon route ran directly in front of our apartment. Roads were going to be closed and all parked cars cleared from the sides of the road. I decided to take advantage of this situation and bike the entire half marathon route before the race even started.

I left as soon as I knew the roads were securely closed. It was an amazing ride. I had the rare opportunity to bike through downtown Portland without worrying about cars or traffic signals. I ran through red lights. I went the wrong way on one-way streets. I biked down the middle of normally busy streets. All alone. I had the entire Hawthorne Bridge to myself. It was a thrill.

I left early enough that nobody even cared that I was hijacking the race route. Policemen and race volunteers alike nodded to me and wished me a good ride. It was raining and I got soaked. A cheerleading squad cheered for me as I rode past. I got to see a race from an outsider's perspective, a new experience. Turns out I really enjoy cycling as a sport. Watch out, peeps.

There is no bell on Ben's bike so when I came across people in the street I ended up looking like this: