The 4 Best Running Routes in Portland, Oregon

 

Devon Berry recently received his MBA at Western Governors’ University, adding to more than 20 years of experience in academia. He has held executive leadership positions in schools across the country, most recently acting as the executive associate dean at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) School of Nursing. Devon Berry strives to live a healthy lifestyle, and is currently training for the Portland Marathon.

 

The marathon spans 26.2 miles, and training for it involves running a set amount of miles per week mixed with cross-training. Fortunately in Portland, Oregon, there are no shortage of parks, trails, and roads to run to keep things interesting. Below are the four best running routes in Portland, Oregon.

 

Fernhill Park

If you’re not sure whether you’d rather run on a track or trail, Fernhill park in NE Portland has both—a dirt loop with a few short inclines that runs over a mile and an all-weather, 400-meter track. You can bring the family along too, with other features like a playground, baseball fields, tennis courts, and even a bathroom.

 

Wildwood Trail

A popular dirt-packed trail in Forest Park that runs 30 miles along the hills of NW Portland, Wildwood Trail presents multiple access points to make a running workout as long or short as you’d like. Plus, there’s well-labeled mile markers throughout to easily keep track of pace and distance.

 

Milo McIver State Park

More popular among anglers due to the park’s fish hatchery, Milo McIver State Park, which sits 25 miles southeast of downtown Portland, is great for runners with nearly 12 miles of trails. The paths are broken up into two sections: Rivermill and Riverbend. While the Rivermill trails offer longer loops, the Riverbend trails are closed off to horses, so you can expect more narrow paths, steeper hills, and less traffic.

 

Marquam Nature Park

In inner SW Portland, Marquam Nature Park has a host of shady and forested single-lane running paths that are enjoyable for their cool temps and moderate elevation gains. There are multiple entry-points, including the Flicker trailhead near OHSU. You can do Flicker’s 1.8-mile loop or tail off onto other trails such as Warbler trail and Towhee trail for a longer workout.

How to Make a Better Salad

 

DevonBerry, RN, PhD, is a healthcare professional residing in Happy Valley, Oregon with his family. He has served at universities across the country, including Wright State University, University of Cincinnati, and most recently, Devon Berry was the executive associate dean at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU).

 

Healthy eating is important to Berry and his family, which involves making delicious, plant-based meals. Eating nutritiously and enjoying delicious, craveable foods don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Even boring dishes like salad—with the right tips—can be tasty and have enough variety to make lunch and dinner interesting. Read on for tips on how to make a better salad.

 

Think Beyond Leaves

While most salads are lettuce-based you don’t have to use a majority of leafy greens. It can be any even ratio of vegetables, legumes, fruits, or nuts. Try to stick to plant-based ingredients—there are reasons why nachos aren’t called chip salads.

 

Top it Off

There are more options for topping off a salad than croutons. Try roasted nuts or seeds for something crunchy. You can also add nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor, herbs like basil or mint to brighten your ingredients, and lemon rind to add something zesty.

 

Add Contrasts

When you add an ingredient, think of what would be a good contrast to well-rounded flavor and texture. If the salad is mostly crunchy, add something soft. If it skews salty, add something sweet. If it’s rich, add something acidic to balance the flavor.

Clever Ways to Use a Blender

 

DevonBerry is a nursing professional residing in Happy Valley, Oregon with his family. He last served as the executive associate dean at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) School of Nursing, and prioritizes health in his everyday life. 

 

One healthy drink Devon Berry and his family like to make is a green smoothie. A blender is the appliance of choice for cold, creamy smoothies, but that’s not the only thing it’s good for. Apart from making soups or purees, there are even more clever ways to use a blender that makes the bladed device a must-have for every kitchen.

 

Homemade tea

You can use your favorite herbs, flowers, and spices such as lavender, ginger, lemon peel, and chamomile to blend a nice tea. Mix and match about three different ingredients with water, strain, heat, and enjoy.

 

Flour

A blender can double as an oversized food processor. Pulse oats into oat flour, almonds into almond meal, or stale bread into breadcrumbs.

 

Dressing

Salad dressing can run up to $7 a bottle with ingredients you likely have at home such as oil and vinegar. With a blender, you can make homemade dressing at a fraction of the cost that comes together in seconds. Try a simple lemon dijon dressing with olive oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and garlic.