Confessions of a Low-Mileage Ultranner - 2009 Year in Review

Well, I just did my first event of the year yesterday (Woodside Trail Marathon), so I figured it was about time to make some notes about my 2009 running. It was a good year overall, I did my first 50 miler and was able to do a number of other good events. The low point was my DNF at Miwok 100, but its no big deal in the grand scheme of things.

Hopefully this post can be some small inspiration to aspiring ultrarunners out there - you don't need to crank out 100 mile weeks to do ultras. Granted you're not going to win anything with my routine, but I'm able to comfortably finish most events in the middle third of the pack.

Birds gone wild

We took Beetle over to the Campbell/Oka Percolation Ponds yesterday (about .75 mile from our house). We had quite a day birdspotting, I think it was the most different species we've seen in one day (20).

For the record, we saw:

1. Hooded Merganser
2. American Coot
3. Lesser Scaup
4. Osprey
5. Rock Dove (Pigeon)
6. Anna's Hummingbird
7. Gadwall
8. Common Goldeneye
9. Ruddy Duck
10. Canada Goose
11. Pied Billed Grebe
12. Black Phoebe
13. Ring-Necked Duck
14. Mallard Duck
15. Double-Crested Cormorant
16. Bufflehead
17. Great Egret
18. Mute Swan
19. Snowy Egret
20. Great Blue Heron
    

Beats for Boobs

A few weeks ago I volunteered for and participated in my first breast cancer fundraiser. Beats for Boobs is a huge party held every year at 111 Minna Gallery (and bar) in San Francisco with local DJs, bands, singers, fire dancers, artists and fashion designers that exhibit their work or perform to help raise money for programs that educate young women about the risks of breast cancer. I worked with the catering crew for a few hours, then did the young survivor walk with a dozen other women diagnosed before the age of 40. This ain't your grandma's disease anymore, ladies. My friend April gave an opening speech about the rising rates of breast cancer among young women and how it connects to environmental pollution and the increasing levels of toxins in our bodies. Then, we all did Miss J. Alexander proud with our fierce catwalks. Since I had no hair at the time, I had to improvise...

photo by Jim Vetter (Flickershack.com)

Wordless Weekend

Kitty Snuggle

Morning Walk Critters

After a month of morning lakeside walks, it seems that fall is finally in the air. This week we have noticed brisker mornings, the return of migrating fall birds, and the last of the local waterfowl's summer babies swimming about. Although we are looking forward to whatever the seasonal changes will bring to our walks, we will surely miss the warm sunny mornings that will soon turn foggy and chilly. Here are a few of our more successful pictures taken after weeks of learning how to skulk about the edges of the lake in search of fishing Herons perching on branches and waterfowl babies swimming around the marsh grasses. Fortunately, Beetle was happy to sit patiently while I tried to snap photos of the elusive critters, and in exchange I sat patiently as she meandered into every lake opening to swim countless circles in the water.

Water Beetle

American Coot

Pied-billed Grebe Babies

Blue Heron

Juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron

Black Crowned Night Heron

Little Green Heron

Spider

Pop the Champagne, Uncork the Wine, Order the Pitchers

Seriously, I still can't drink, so everyone has to do it for me. Chemo is done! One more week of sluggish energy and low cell counts, and then I will be on the mend. I'm already feeling the cabin fever and am ready to break out of the narrow scope of activities that have defined my life for the last 16 weeks. Expect to find me zipping around for visits in no time! J, on the other hand is ready to collapse, much in need to decompress from being the greatest and most loving supporter anyone could ask for. He worried endlessly, attended every single doctor's appointment and proceedure, woke up to feed the fuzzball crew almost every single morning at the crack of dawn so that I could get my needed 10 hours of sleep, and had to work massive amounts of overtime to boot. I am grateful to our families that came for visits to help take care of me, to keep us company and to keep our spirits up. I am grateful to all of our friends who called, wrote, sent presents, and kept us in their thoughts. But, I am most grateful to J, without whom I would not have had the constant companionship, support, love and compassion I needed to get through this.

the gentle Squirrel Boy, continues his work with a new squirrel community at Vasona Lake