With a month to go for the Tokyo Marathon, my training has intensified. After a half-week of rest (post 10k race), I ran
19 miles on the canal on Sunday. This week I have Yasso 800s (times 10) mid-week and then a fast-finish 16-mile run on the weekend.
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| Peace on Earth sign seen during my 19-mile canal run |
My next race is the Sedona Half Marathon with a crazy close-to-thousand-feet elevation change. At all times, you are either running uphill or downhill. Sedona sits at an elevation of about 4,300 feet adding to the torture (our house sits at an elevation of about 1,900 feet). When your hobby is to run marathons, mental toughness and torture mean the same thing!
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| Sedona Half Marathon Elevation |
Birding and wildlife-viewing in January is progressing nicely so far. The lake next to our house now has a few Common Mergansers who have joined the Ring-necked Ducks. There’s also a female Belted Kingfisher who has taken an interest in fishing the lake. The best time to visit is late evening just before sunset. With the orange light of the setting Arizona sun, warm colors come alive on the birds with purple mountains in the backdrop. Since it is a private lake, hardly a human soul is in sight. The only noises are the loud chattering of the Kingfisher, the drumming of a distant Woodpecker and an occasional jetplane flying overhead. It’s a serene scene every evening. Here are some pictures.
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| Common Merganser Couple |
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| Belted Kingfisher Female |
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| American Wigeon Male (taken at the lake in Granada Park) |
