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Oregon Rode Trip: Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway | Long Haul Trekkers

Oregon Rode Trip – Leg II: Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway

June 6, 2018Jen Sotolongo9 min read2 comments

  This post is written in partnership with Travel Oregon, Oregon Wine Country, and Eugene Cascades Coast. To read about our entire journey check out our blog posts leg-by-leg: Portland to Champoeg,  McKenzie Pass, and Cascading Rivers Scenic Bikeways I awoke several times throughout[...]

Two two both seem to have caught a doggie cold going around Granada. . I've never had a dog get a cold before. Have you? . Poor Riia has a terrible cough, but Laila doesn't seem to have gotten it too badly. . Needless to say, we won't be adventuring much this weekend, but we will be camping tonight because I'm volunteering to sweep part of the @ultrasierranevada from about midnight to 3am. 🙃 (For those who don't know running lingo a "sweeper" is the person who runs the course behind all the participants to collect trail marker, trash, and help any injured runners.)
I need more of this in my daily practice. . Mindfulness. I tend to start a program on an app or a challenge and then stop after a few days because I don't make the time. . Lately, I've felt like I just can't get everything done in one day. I feel unproductive. I feel pressured as a freelancer to always be on the hunt for my next gig. I am constantly tired because I wake up early to run and beat the heat. I know I'm not alone. . And mindfulness always gets pushed to the side, though I know how important is is for all those things metioned above. . Do you practice mindfulness on a regular basis? . What are your tried and true Get Shit Done hacks can share with me?
We've had Riia about two months now and she's been doing really great! . Her food aggression has nearly stopped since changing her food (I change things up often to keep it interesting for her, or she goes back into "eat the feet" mode). . I've learned how and when and where to pet her to avoid growling and teeth baring. . She and Laila aren't friends and don't at, bit they're not enemies either. And I'm totally fine with that. . Riia now greets with with a full body shake and shipping tail when we come home. . And, that incessant borking while we run? All I have to do is give her a stare, hold up my index finger, and look her in the eye while telling her "no!" Or "eht!” and she runs like a normal dog. And she is *fabulous* on the trail and off leash. . Still some things to work on, but she's adjusted so well in such a short time!
You know how things look all perfect and dandy in photos, but they may be different in real life? . In photos, Laila and Riia are sitting perfectly still on the paddle boards. . You can't hear them whining when the other board and dog get out of sight. . You don't see them jumping from board to board when we are close enough. . You don't see Riia sitting, standing, walking from the back to the front, to sitting right in the middle where my paddle needs space to paddle and I bonk her in the face. . So you should see my stories to catch some of the reality! . My hope is with treats and "place" training and more outings they'll feel more comfortable on the boards. . In the meantime, I'm developing some amazing balance. . #sponsored by @zukespets #ZukesPack #LiveLifeOffLeash #LetsGoZukes
I did something scary this week... . I signed up for the race I DNF'd last year. Only I registered for the 26k and not the 50k. I'm not there yet, and that's ok. . I kept telling myself I shouldn't sign up because I didn't want to have a repeat performance and face the same disappointment. . But I fell in love with the location. With the trails. With the views. With the village. I needed to go back. . So I finally gave myself permission register for the race. And this time, I won't go into it with fear. I predicted I wouldn't finish last year. I knew it was going to happen. I made it so with my thoughts. . But this time? I'll work on training my mind as much as my body. 👊🏼 . Tell me something scary you've done recently.
Yesterday was filled with all sorts of technology snafus! . I spent two hours on a chat and remote share with Adobe because Lightroom has been crashing every single time I open it for the past couple of days. I *think* the problem has been resolved, but I'm nervous to believe it! The tech tried probably 10 different things and we kept getting the error message. 😣 . I figured I would get my Instagram post out of the way, while I had to stay in front of my unusable computer, but was not able to do so thanks to the great Instagram glitch. . If that weren't enough, our Internet has been shoddy all week and the company said they'd send a technician last Friday, but guess who never showed up? (And still hasn't 😐) . I suppose that was all just the universe telling me to take a technology break! . Happy 4th to all my friends in the US! 🎆
Dear Scotland, Please accept my sincerest apologies for complaining about your rain and chilly temps. I would like to take it all back now. I miss them and kindly ask that you send some cold winds south. Love, Girl who can't handle 100° + heat. . How are you with the heat? Love it or hate it? I prefer cooler temps where I can put things on to keep me warm. Although, I have been enjoying being the only person awake when I go for my runs. A Spaniard's version of waking up really early is 8am, maybe 7. 🤣
We started working with a new trainer for Laila. He specializes in balanced training and speaks English, so there is no risk for misunderstanding anything. . The drive to see him is five hours round trip, and we do this once a week. . I suspect we'll be making this drive for some time, as we're starting from square one with Loca. . I feel really, really good about this training. It's a huge commitment because of the drive. . Laila is a dog who goes from zero to 60 at the mere glance from a person, the sight of a dog, or the slightest hint of play. . Inside, she's fabulous, but when we take her outside, it's an entirely different world. . I can't wait to learn to communicate with her in a way that works for both of us, so that we enjoy spending time together. Because right now, I honestly don't a lot of the time. I'd often rather leave her at home so I don't have to deal with her tantrums. We don't have dogs so we can leave them at home, we want to bring them with us everywhere we can. . If we were home in Portland, I'd have sent her to @flashdogtraining a long time ago, but she did the next best thing and found me a solution in Spain. 🙏🏼
Our days have looked a lot like this, only indoors. Because inferno outside. 🔥 . I now understand the draw of waking up at 5am to go play outside when it's hot. I'm not a night owl, so morning it is! . Europe has a heat wave going on for the next several days and it's supposed to be above 100°F/30°C in the coming days. Some European cities will reach 112/44.5. 🥵 . Is it hot where you are right now? How do you beat the heat?
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