Running rave review: Steel Bridge to Tillikum Crossing Waterfront Loop (also I geek out about the USS Oregon)

This may be the most common run I do (87 times so far according to my Strava data) and it's always a good time. 4.3 miles or so of riverside running crossing two bridges (which is fun, bridges are fun) with tons of strava segments to keep up your interest and competitive urge (and because it's Portland where there are tons of elites the KOM will be a real challenge).

There are sections right on the water which means fishermen a fishing:

occasional sea lions

Love locks and bridges and views:

after the snowstorm

boats of all sizes:

the severed mast of a 19th century battleship*:

the end of the USS Oregon

USS Oregon in happier days

The waterfront offers transient indigents aplenty and for a brief moment in spring dozens of blooming cherry trees

And, of course, a submarine!

It's mostly flat, fun, and solid stuff.

You can extend it out to 5.5 miles by running from steel to the Broadway bridge along Front avenue, doing the bridge stairs like Rocky, crossing then running past Moda and back to the eastbank esplanade

*a fascinating ship
The Oregon was connected to Presidential history. It was ordered built by then Naval Secretary Teddy Roosevelt, nicknamed “McKinley’s Bulldog,” honored with a valedictory speech by a young Lyndon Johnson and personally ordered scrapped by FDR

• Her 66-day journey from San Francisco to Florida, while being chased by the Spanish fleet, riveted the nation’s attention and provided a strong argument for the necessity of a Panama Canal

• The ship served in Cuba, the Philippines, China and Siberia.

• She “Escaped” harbor while unmanned during a typhoon and was found weeks later over 500 miles away
• Smokestacks have been stored at the Zidell Yards in Portland out of view since 2013

Rave Review: Taotronics Bluetooth Headphones for Running

I lose headphones. I break them. They end up in pockets of winter coats where they're undiscovered until spring. They fall out my drivers side door. I go through a ton of them.
Which is why I've really been happy with the various Taotronic brand wireless headphones I've purchased. They're cheap (can usually be found for around or under $25.00) and (thanks to China's lax enforcement of IP and copyright) are of an excellent build quality. I would not be surprised if the exact same Shenzhen factory that churns out Beats and other bespoke headphones is also pumping these things out with the night shift.
But I am not here to bitch about IP enforcement. I've come to praise Taotronics, not bury them.
For the thrifty or clumsy consumer I honestly think these are best possible wireless headphone option. I've noticed the sound quality to be universally excellent and comparable with their expensive odoppelgängers. Battery lasts long enough for the longest runs, they can hold up to the sweat and the jostling of a run, and they're just a nifty product. Again, they really are just clones of more expensive products but the lax enforcement of international copyright really pays off

these cost over $200

these cost $20

For the thrifty or clumsy consumer I honestly think these are best possible wireless headphone option.

Rave Run: Santa Fe Rail Trail

The Santa Fe Rail Trail: This is a fantastic resource and an incredible trail that's a real joy to run on. You can get a solid run along pavement from end to end of Santa Fe and an unpaved section that will take you deep into the boonies. The trail is intended to eventually end up all the way in Lamy. At a couple points the trail does cross some sections of busy road which can be stressful in New Mexico; people drive fast, Descansos are on every street corner, and pedestrians are few and far between. For the most part, however, it's a great and scenic run parallel to the New Mexico Railrunner train which comes pretty regular during the day. My favorite area is the section here:

Where the walls have been decorated with some absolutely fantastic murals that are just so perfectly New Mexico. All in all it's a great run on a great trail and an excellent way to see a solid chunk of Santa Fe

Sweet sweet Santa Fe

unpaved countryside section