Nature's Bounty

For the last few weeks I have been channeling my inner hippy. During this last week especially, I began to notice the incredible amount of flowers in bloom everywhere. The energy that has been emanating from these flowers is quite overwhelming.

I have also been running quite a lot and since my last post, I have participated in two half marathons and a 12k. All the running and general fitness training at boot camp has left me feeling strong and most of all very happy. The endorphins that are released while exercising are like no other feeling in the world and then when I see all the flowers popping out from their buds I get so giddy...last week I was practically in tears of joy...it was quite overwhelming but also quite wonderful.

This life works in such mysterious ways, ten years ago, I did not anticipate that I would be living in San Francisco, running races as a hobby and getting high from the sights around me. I have faith in the continued process of growth around me, I am becoming stronger, I am becoming wiser and I accept this process as part of my journey.

I am very grateful for all of life’s wonder.

I am a lucky, lucky girl.

Time travel

Last weekend I was in Carmel for the weekend, it is at the edge of Big Sur which boasts one of the most beautiful coastlines in all the West. I went down here with my friend David and yesterday we went to explore some of the vineyards. We got as far as the Carmel valley tasting rooms, they are all concentrated in one area so all you need to do is park your car and you can visit about 10 or 12 winery tasting rooms without getting behind the wheel again. When done tasting there are restaurants to get your strength back again. The wine in Carmel valley is simply delicious. We drank the best wines the region has to offer. There were a lot of whites, chardonnay, pinot gris, sauvignon blanc and some merlot and pinot noir.



It is wonderful to unwind, I spent the morning reading a book and in the afternoon I went for a nice hill run. It proved to be great way to spend a weekend away from the chores, away from the city lights and the pressures of work.

Since the first week of February, I have become really busy at work, this is great, but I am traveling more. I’ve been to New York recently; there I encountered a severe snowstorm. Two inches of snow can be fun when you have a sled, but those two inches that fell in New York amused me since I don’t see snow very often. I was still really glad to be back in San Francisco.



I have been feeling too much pressure about running recently and I couldn’t find enough time to do the long runs and have enough time to recover from traveling. I am often tired after a long flight and after my recent trip to New York I simply couldn’t face the idea of running 18 miles the following day. That is when I made the decision to downgrade the Oakland marathon from a full (26.2miles) to a half (13.1 miles). I would rather run a good half than get injured trying to run a distance I have not had sufficient training for. My focus now will be on training for the full marathon in July.

I am excited about running the half marathon distance, I am well trained for it and I intend to enjoy it. I learned an important lesson about scaling back when it was appropriate and not to simply do something for the sake of it.

To good health and a wonderful spring!

The Year of the Tiger

So here were are at yet another milestone in the year – The Chinese New Year - we are entering the Year of the Tiger and according to the people that write the predictions it is going to be a year of big change. I do not specifically believe in these type of predictions but I think change is good – for everyone – change allows us to recycle ourselves.

Just like nature dies in the winter and rebirths anew in the spring, so we must change as time does. I see myself changing every week. I get stronger all the time (even though I am aware that I am growing older every day).

I found my energy again, the blue skies and a slight change in my diet (less sugar), makes all the difference.

Long may it last and Happy New Year of the Tiger – may the roar of the Tiger drive you to the change you seek, today and every day.



Spring has arrived in San Francisco!!

Where Does the Energy Go?

I’ve never been able to understand why some days feel so much harder than others. This can be in relation to workouts, to the interaction with people, almost everything. Some days it simply feels like you’re swimming upstream, against the tide. I’m going to keep on swimming...but let’s hope my mojo kick back in soon!!

I need my energy back because I have set myself some ambitious running goals this year. On Sunday I am taking part in the Kaiser Permanente Half Marathon. Next up is the Oakland Running Festival, which is a full marathon (this will be my second ever!) and then in July I will be running the San Francisco Marathon. On top of this, there are some shorter runs in between that which I am signed up to take part in, the Bay to Breakers in May and I am part of a relay team for the Big Sur Marathon in April.

This is the schedule for the next 6 months!!! There may be another marathon in the late fall but I intend to get through to the end of July first before I make any firm plans. With all this running I will focus on optimizing my nutrient intake and I trust that my body will survive it all - I expect to emerge, stronger, leaner and somewhat meaner (in a good way)

One foot in front of the other is the way to go! The energy will come back, I know it!!!

Interesting times indeed!

I found it odd how a natural disaster in another part of the world can have such an impact worldwide, but I know I was not the only one that felt horrified and somewhat numb about the earthquake and subsequent devastation that occurred in Haiti yesterday.

Now, I’ve never been to Haiti, but it has always conjured up images of tropical beaches and sunshine so to see the images of death, destruction and outward suffering of the victims is quite disturbing to say the least.

More than this, I am feeling a certain sense of helplessness, my desire is to hop on a plane and help out…but it is not possible to do so for a variety of reasons – some practical some personal.

I do think though that the time has come for me to get some basic preparedness instruction, as a starting point I have decided to renew my first aid and cpr skills, I had been taught them through the British Red Cross over 5 years ago, so its high time I renewed them and then I am going to educate myself on emergency preparedness…as someone living in an earthquake zone it feels like the right thing to do.

I believe that as the world evolves we will be faced with more challenges; I intend to be able to cope as best I can and lend help to those that are not able. I think we all have a responsibility to contribute in some way.

I wish the people in Haiti, the survivors and the people that are helping, strength in the days ahead.

2010 is here!

I have found that at the beginning of a new year there is always a sense of optimism, it is as if there is a new sense of possibility. This collective energy is quite contagious and one can really feel it on the people you see on the streets.

I made no new years’ resolutions, these I think are usually bound to fail because most often they are unrealistic. I did however; spend a lot of time over the New Year period reflecting on the previous year and with this being the beginning of a new decade, I spent some time reflecting on the last ten years. In this time, I have lived in three countries and been through a lifetime of personal change.

Wow, what a long strange trip it has been.

I am grateful for each and every opportunity and each and every day.

The Journey is the Reward!

Oh Tannenbaum!

The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others' burdens, easing others' loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas. - WC Jones

In an effort to embrace the spirit of Christmas, today I am going down to Glide Memorial with a friend to help the folks there serve lunch to over 600 of our less fortunate citizens.

As I sit down with friends tomorrow to feast and celebrate, I will be counting all my blessings.

I hope you do too. Merry Christmas!

Street Art in La'ie

Aloha and then some ...

I just returned from ten glorious days in Hawaii where I went to run my first marathon – there is an emphasis on “first” marathon because I know it will not be my last. The experience of the marathon was quite amazing. The idea of running 26.2 miles was always a real mystery, it felt like this unknown distance during which anything could happen including hitting that dreaded “wall” people talk about. I think I did hit a “wall” at around mile 22 but I still pushed on to complete the race in a respectable time of 5:02:04.

The remainder of my time in Hawaii was very relaxing and I am very grateful to my friends with whom I stayed. They made me feel as if I had a home away from home there and I had complete freedom to relax as much as I needed. While I was there I read a fascinating book called “Born to Run” – it is a book about the Tarahumara people in Mexico and their approach to running. Quite inspiring – as said, I will be running quite a lot more in my future and god wiling, I will tackle an ultra marathon one day too.

I was really impressed by how friendly people are in Hawaii, there is a sense of island friendliness you don’t really get on the mainland. Perhaps the warm weather inspires people to be more open. I know there are some challenges and like any big city Honolulu has its fair share of crime and homelessness, but the time spent on the North Shore was very special.

I feel recharged and ready to tackle the holiday season.

Starry Starry NIght

This week a friend took me out into the ‘country’ to see the Milky Way and Shooting Stars - there was a meteor shower this week but we missed it by one day, the show however was still fantastic! Seeing stars at night is something I don’t experience very often and in fact, only if I am very lucky (and remember to look up) I get to see one or two faint stars in the city sky. I was thinking how sad it is that some folks never get to see the sky at all. Living in big cities with all the light pollution you simply aren’t exposed to the night sky and I guess then one is also not exposed to the wonders that night sky holds.

The natural world holds so many wonders. When I see the stars in the sky I wonder what it must have been like 200 years ago when we were not living like we are today – surely we were more in touch with what was going on above us, around us and beneath us. I wonder what kind of impact this out-of-touch-ness has on our souls and out ability to survive.

As much as I am a fan of progress, I can’t help wonder how we would fare if one day all of this was no longer here – no electricity, no structures, no conveniences.

How many of us would survive? I bet not everyone would.

I trust that I will be one that does.