Run2Connect

A huge thank you to some of our sponsors: KIND Healthy Snacks and Ninkasi Brewing! 

And we're off! 

Ashley speaking with 8th graders at a Girls, Inc. STEM camp at Portland Community College on day 1.

Day 2: 21 miles from outside Portland, OR to Sandy, OR. That meant passing through Boring!

The best way to end day 2: Joe's Donuts! Yum. 

Adam met with Paul Hanneman on day 2 to discuss important Oregon policy initiatives. 

Start of day 3 in Sandy, OR. 

Yes! We found the perfect start/stop marker on the side of the road!

Adam running on Highway 26.

This photo was taken by a very kind Forest Service worker! 

Up at Timberline Lodge!

We had a great time stopping by the Road Runner Sports store in NW Portland. Krista D. gave us some excellent advice on shoes and inserts. We appreciated the product donation too! 

One of many 'adjustments' being made to our RV, Rex: removing a trailer hitch so we can put on a bike rack! 

Start of Day 5 (finally with Rex): near the turnoff to Timberline Lodge.

Stopping point of Day 6: Mill Creek Gorge. 

Delford at DMJ Auto Parts offered to take a look at Rex after some suspicious backfiring. We ended up having a wonderful conversation with him about his own life in Warm Springs, OR. 

We were lucky enough to speak with these kind Warm Springs Administrators about a number of community issues. We even ran into one of them at Safeway the next day! 

One happy runner.

Sneaky Adam!

We ran into Bill, who was biking up to Hood River. 

We had the chance to learn about the new Warm Springs K-8 Academy. 

Taking a rest on the way into Madras, OR

Thanks to Susan for interviewing us for the Madras Pioneer.

Only slightly staged. ...

We were fortunate to speak with Captain Michael Boyd of the Prineville Police Department about a number of local issues.

At the Crook County Fair. 

We can't thank the incredibly kind and hard-working firefighters and paramedics from the Crook County Fire and Rescue team enough for their ongoing hospitality

Tour of the Facebook data storage facility in Prineville! 

Victory! Adam won a bet and Ashley had to buy him an ice cream cone. 

Post-fire in Ochoco National Forest. This summer has been particularly challenging throughout the northwest.

Spectacular scenery running from Mitchell to Dayville, OR. 

A shoe tree! Hopefully one of many we encounter. #needmoreshoes 

With our friend Fred Bouwman.  Fred was biking around the world for two years to raise money for an orphaniage in Thailand.  He was hit by a truck in mid-August, a few days after this photo was taken.  We wish him a speedy recovery.  Check out his website here: www.bikefororphans.blogspot.com

Ashley got to run this leg into Dayville....just beautiful. 

We had a wonderful meeting with John Day's Mayor and City Manager at City Hall. 

Our first radio interview! We enjoyed giving a Ninkasi beer as a thank you afterwards. 

Very insightful chat with Grant Union Jr/Sr High School Principal Curt Shelley. Go Prospectors!

We made it to a new time zone!

Okay, so we decided to ride for a while...  Adam's family came out to Oregon on covered wagons half-a-dozen generations ago, before it was a state!

A little toasty here...

Learning about potato harvesting!

We met with Adrian K-8 school principal Mr. Ellsworth.

We met with Adrian HS principal Mr. Purnell.

Thanks to Boise Police Chief Michael Masterson and Ada County Sheriff Gary Raney and his wife for speaking with us about positive developments in Boise at the Flapjack Breakfast. 

We enjoyed learning more about how the United Way Treasure Valley chapter works with its community from CEO Nora Carpenter.

We learned about an initiative for healthy childcare practices as well as transportation developments from Boise City Council members TJ Thompson and Elaine Clegg.

In front of the Boise capital building.

Very insightful discussion with Boise district school superintendent Dr. Donald Coberly.

After a chat with physical science teacher Aaron McKinnon, we had to get the bobcat in the picture at South Jr. HS in Boise!

We learned a lot about the Caldwell, ID community from Fire Chief Wendelsdorf.

We had some tough runs along the Oregon Trail. Note: we did not die of snakebite (yet), dysentery, or cholera. 

Richard made some new friends on Rt. 20 on the way to Fairfield. Such a nice couple!

A very cool visitor center in Fairfield, ID. 

We ran to the visitors center at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve and had a good chat with Ranger Lennie. 

I'm ready for takeoff! 

Being sworn in as Junior Rangers (or more specifically, Lunar Rangers). 

Thank you Ranger Holly!

With Dallas Myers, Director of Special Services for Fremont School District 25.

With Captain Todd Bylerly of the Riverton Police Department.

A few photos along the Western Heritage Trail between Riverton and Shoshoni, WY.

With Detective J. Hatcher and Captain S. Freel in Casper.

With Casper City Council Member Bob Hopkins, his wife Jeanie, and former school teacher Barbara Maguire.

With Mayor Paul Meyer (not related!) in Casper. 

With Chad Baldwin, Director of Communications at the University of Wyoming.

With Eve Newman from the Laramie Boomerang. Later a photographer took some photos of us running towards Cheyenne!

Adam with Laramie City Manager Janine Jordan and Mayor Dave Paulekas.

With Outreach Science Educator Dr. Ana Houseal at the Science and Mathematics Teaching Center at the University of Wyoming.

Enjoying dinner with our wonderful hosts in Cheyenne, Mary and Erin Johnson. 

In front of the Wyoming State Capitol building in Cheyenne.

Nebraska! State #4!

Sidney: "Small town values...big time opportunities." 

Sporting the Sidney windbreakers graciously given to us in Sidney! With City Manager Gary Person.

With Sidney High School principal Chris Arent.

Showing some curious youngsters our trans-America route in Brule, NE.

With Ogallala City Manager Aaron Smith.

View of the Union Pacific railyard from the Golden Spike.

Visiting the Golden Spike with North Platte Area Chamber and Development Corporation President/CEO Dan Mauk.

With Kathleen Moore, founder of the Portland-inspired Chapman Swifts Coffee in Kearney, NE.

With Nicki Stoltenberg at Grand Island City Hall.

At the Career Pathways Institute in Grand Island, NE.

With a class of IT track students at Career Pathways Institute.

With CPI Coordinator Daniel Phillips.