Training Log Archive: Becks

Today we spent the whole day at the Newberry Volcanic National Monument, and it was fab. We walked up Lava Butte before it got too hot, then drove up to Paulina Lake and saw the Falls, the Big Obsidian Flow, and then drove to the top of Paulina Peak, which was just incredible.

Oregon really is a dream like state. It's truly magical.

We were both pretty worn out today so we took an easy day. Breakfast at Jackson's corner, then into town to explore the parks and shops. It's a lovely place with lots of quirky things to do. Spent the afternoon napping then ordered dinner from Zydeco - the dinner was delicious, but that was the first and last time I will use Doordash.

The whole purpose of this visit to this particular part of the country - Crater Lake! Hit up the coffee shop and then headed out when it was still lovely and cool. Stopped at multiple points on the rim, starting at Sun Notch, which was a bird watcher's paradise. Not a single one of the birds we saw was familiar to me, but they were of many sizes and their song filled the air. It was pretty great. After a few stops to admire the stunning blue waters, we parked up at Discovery Point to hike the mile along the rim to the Visitor Centre. This was the best - the colours of this place are just phenomenal and the scale - a thousand foot deep lake?!!? What the hell?!?! It certainly lived up to my very high expectations.

Then a late lunch in Bend where we hang out for the next three days - not sure what we're doing yet, but it'll almost certainly be good. Any recommendations?

C • Bend 4

C • Sparrow Bakery 4

For some reason we were both awake at 5.30, and once we'd waited for the very nice coffee shop to open (Gathering Grounds), headed to Lava Beds National Monument. We were trying to beat the heat but it was hot and exposed, took a brolly with me which was excellent protection. We saw some pictographs, explored some of the more accessible lava tube caves, and hiked through the surreal landscape and lava flows. It was great! Made it back to Klamath for lunch.

After lunch headed out to the Running Y Ranch resort to sit out the heat with a pre-natal massage and spa visit. Definitely the right idea. Blood sugar has been back down again the last few days despite a couple of non-ideal meals in weird places, so I think I'm doing a better job of managing my activity in the heat.

Having a really great trip so far :)

Woke up early today and had a delicious coffee and breakfast at Caffe Umbria, before heading to the Portland Zoo for a couple of hours before it got really hot. Washington Park is a really fantastic city resource and it was only a bit terrifying thinking about being accompanied by our own little person the next time we go to a zoo.

Then the longest drive of the trip to Klamath Falls, our base for the next two days. The longest flattest straightest forest road I have ever driven I think, and not the most interesting drive, but we travelled through the heat of the day and it was evening by the time we made it. Interesting town, a bit town that time forgot.

Honeymoon day two, exploring Portland. Did the Farmer's Market in the morning and got the famous breakfast burritos, then explored the Saturday market and Powell's second hand book store. Had a tasty lunch at Shalom Y'All then walked up to Washington Park to visit the Japanese Garden and get the view of Mount Hood.

It was hot by the afternoon and probably a bit too much for me - had my first (only slightly high) blood sugar reading since starting testing. Probably need to avoid the heat, which is a shame because the next few days are all going to be hot. But not as hot as the East Coast! The local weather in Seattle yesterday had a graphic of the whole country and it just said "Oppressive" in big letters over the whole of the North East :)

Great day 2! Hiding in AC for a while now until it cools off :)

C • Powell's 1

Honeymoon day one. We left the lovely cool rain of Seattle to drive to Mount St Helen's, via delicious coffee and Rainier cherries in Olympia (home of Sleater Kinney and Sleater Kinney Road). Mount St Helen's was spectacular, the scale of the eruption and the devastation that resulted was just mind blowing. We walked the ridge to see the crater, then drove back out a little further to explore the Hummocks Trail, a beautiful short trail through a landscape only slightly older than us. A surreal and wonderful experience.

We are staying at a stupid hotel in Portland where Radisson are trying to be hipsters and only succeeding in being weird, but it was the best credit card points deal :) Worn out by the evening so ate close by.

Conference is almost done - it's been pretty tough but actually better than Georgia. I think having a better bed to sleep in made a lot of difference! My talk went very well and I've met a bunch of fun people and heard about good studies. Very glad I'm almost done though!

Blood sugar has been great all week - extra effort with healthy snacks and no refined sugar has been pretty much the only changes I've made to my normal diet. It's encouraging.

I know that downtown LA isn't supposed to be a good place at all but my word, it is worse than I thought it would be. I'm ordering room service and getting an early night :)

In the final hour of the 3 hour diagnostic test for GD and I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about a peanut butter sandwich in my life. Big props to the MGH crew for getting me in today though, at least will have some answers and not spend my entire holiday worrying about it.

Today we didn't get the house we put an offer on, the House of Reps passed a law that is likely to delay my ability to get a green card in the next year, and then I failed my gestational diabetes screen. Oh, and Target sent me cartoon swim shorts for a 5 year old boy instead of the maternity swimming costume I ordered.

Good day!

C • gestational diabetes 8

Things are good - very busy and not got much extra energy for exercising more than going to work and the occasional yoga. But we got married!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/wendles56/albums/721...

We are house hunting and we knew it would suck but my god - 120 groups of people at last week's open house, houses going in 24 hours for 25% over already inflated asking price sucks. We might wait till the depths of winter.

Work is great! Got one more month of quite hectic stuff (conference plus honey moon) then time to calm down and figure out how to have a baby.

C • Congratulations! 18

C • Yowza 4