u/Glum_Resist_7697

Hello all,

I am newish to running - I began in January of this year and have been making steady progress with a bit of a plateau this summer because of the heat and vacation. I am starting to refocus and I am wondering about intervals - pretty much all my runs except my really short ones (1-1.5 miles) feature a few 3x7 or 2x8 minute intervals because it helps me keep my heart rate down. My longest distance up to this point is 4.5 miles and I am aiming to do an 8K in November. I have been trying to go slowly and carefully so I don’t injure myself and am also strength training.

My question is - should I be phasing out walking? Even if my overall pace is almost always faster if I have at least a few minutes of walking here and there? Like, with intervals I tend to hit a steady 12 minute mile and my average time for a 5K is about 39 minutes which seems fine? (I’m not trying to be a speed demon or anything) but I’m just wondering if I should be trying to get it so I can run all the miles without a walking break?

Hello all,

My husband and I are both from the West/Southwest specifically. I’m from Teton Valley, Idaho and he’s from Tucson, AZ. We have lived in Tucson, Minneapolis, and now Baltimore together in the last 5 years. We relocated to Minneapolis for a job opportunity and then to BMore for me to complete my master’s. When I graduate in the Spring we are both itching to move back West. We have narrowed it down to probably Oregon or Southern Washington. We both want to live near mountains and water with lots of outdoor recreation. My family is in Idaho and California but I’m not eager to return to Idaho for a variety of reasons - including that my hometown has become one of the most expensive in the country. We have no desire to go back to Tucson. California isn’t totally out of the question but my sister lives in Truckee and the cost of living is outlandish (which I know Oregon has a high cost too but it does seem more reachable).

We spent a few weeks in the PNW a year or so and we loved it so much - we also have friends in Portland and I’m a major NWSL, WNBA fan so those are some perks. We also love having a sizeable airport nearby as we like to travel and have family visit. My husband is an architect and I’ll be working towards my clinical social work license and we don’t have kids so we have a reasonable income. We also considered Spokane but it’s too close to my mom, who is estranged and a menace lol

My question is - what communities around Portland or Vancouver would you recommend? We miss the quiet of rural life but want to be an hour or so from a larger city for the things I mentioned above. He often works remote so would only need to commute a few times a week and I’m open to a longer commute if need be but my current job is fully remote. We would like to spend between 400k-500k for a house, ideally with at least an acre? What I’m really hoping for also is a small town with some character and a sense community - doesn’t need to be fancy, when I was young my hometown was quite humble, not the bougie ski vacation town it is now. The closer to water the better - I love to see it, paddle it, and be in it.

Hello all - some friends and I will be camping at Point Lookout park this weekend - I’m a bit worried about it being too hot to enjoy. We will obviously plan to spend time at the beach, but has anyone been there recently? Was it wooded enough that you enjoyed it? Any recommendations to improve the experience?

Hi all,

My husbands bike was stolen last night from under our back porch where it was secured with a bike lock. They used bolt cutters to get through the eye bolt it was attached too. We know that it’s a long shot to recover it but if anyone sees a black Nishiki gravel bike with neon accents that also has a phone mount and rack on the back - it’s probably ours. Any recommendations on other bike shops we should call to put out the word?