The Winter Post

Christmas around the corner. Lots of rain here. It is cold. Nose-biting cold. But the photo to the left puts the whole Berkeley winter weather thing in perspective. I took this picture about five minutes ago--it's what I see out my window as I sit at the computer. The rose is smooshed up against the glass. Roses love rain, even cold rain, and when rain beats down they get giddy and leggy and happy to bloom.

I've had weather luck in my running since CIM--have managed to slip between the raindrops, so to speak, for every run except one, which I used the treadmill for (see my last post).

Here's another rain-related image, taken last week as I was logging some early morning miles. Not very wintry by Christmas-carol standards (no building a snowman in this meadow), but lovely nonetheless--a burst of winter color: a cushiony underfoot mosaic for a passing runner to appreciate.


Saturday I ran with the Oakland Marathon training group I'm in. I was amazed and pleased to do ten miles without a great deal of effort or any lingering post-run pain. I think my CIM run was more a long training run than any kind of a race. That's both sad and not so sad--I had a slow time, but my body absorbed the heavy mileage and got stronger from it.

As I accumulate more mileage, I'm beginning to think my vegan diet is a keeper. I started it last April 1, determined to stick with it for a year, and am finding that I feel energetic and strong most of the time.

Breakfast of champions

Full disclosure: I am occasionally eating eggs. Because my move to veganism was motivated more by an aversion to factory farming and the animal cruelty and environmental disaster it engenders than by a blanket condemnation of any and all animal products, I don't feel that eating the eggs I eat is a violation of the anti-impact contract I have with my conscience. The eggs come from Flyaway Farm, which is an elegant name for one of my work colleague's backyard chicken coop. I have met the Flyaway Farm chickens, and am fully satisfied that they meet the cruelty-free standard that is one pillar of veganism. If anything, they are so happy and well cared for that they add to my stock of anti-meat karma. And I'm sure that the protein, choline, and vitamin D in the eggs contribute to my running health.


I was able to get out for a run early this morning. One pleasure of running before dawn this time of year is seeing all the holiday lights. I rounded a corner and met with this illuminated column shooting into the dark sky--what the picture doesn't really show is that the strings of light are attached to the trunk of a very tall tree. The lights define the trunk, and a lacy garment of evergreen branches swirls around it. Magical.

Peace on Earth? Mark me down as in favor of it. May your holidays be as beautiful as these lights.

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