Blisters Heal. Muscles Recover. Friendships Last.

Happy Birthday Hotties!

WEEKEND RECAP 

As another training walk season winds down, it is amazing to reminisce about the 10 years the Warming Hut Hotties have been walking, crewing, cheering and volunteering in breast cancer fundraising walks. So many memories!

We have participated in over 40 events in Arizona, Seattle, Twin Cities, Denver, San Diego, Boston and San Francisco.  

We have had well over 1,000 people participate on a Warming Hut Hottie Team.

We have cheered events and handed out many cases of baby wipes and strawberries.

We have made tens of thousands of flower pins.

We have shared hundreds of inspirational quotes.

We have proudly worn a thousand deeleeboppers, hottie flags, blinky rings and buttons.

We have walked thousands and thousands and thousands of miles; hills, stairs, paths and trails and explored every nook and cranny in San Francisco by foot!

We traveled together.

And, in those years we have raised well over $3 million for breast cancer.

THREE MILLION DOLLARS! All from individual donations raised over months and years of our personal and group fundraising. That takes my breath away.

I had NO idea on that March morning in 2003, as I ate a banana and waited for people to come to my very the first training walk, that ALL of this would come out of the vision I had for team that welcomed everyone.

We have faced difficult times together: lost beloved friends and family members, faced illness and disease, accidents and tragedies and even had members of our community, and loved ones, diagnosed with cancer. We have shared life's joys, babies, weddings, graduations and milestone moments in each other's lives. We have supported one another through it all.

What I will remember the most are the hugs, wooohooos, the high fives, deep laughter, tears, and countless conversations shared over the many miles of training - strangers becoming friends. Of that, I am most proud.

I mentioned it at the picnic on Sunday, that when I reflect on this community I think of a spiderweb; the threads of a glistening criss-crossing web of friendship that connect us all to one another. Threads of a web that are strong yet flexible and delicate yet supportive. We were brought together by breast cancer and the desire to do something powerful to work toward the ending cancer as a life threatening disease.

This community, forging powerful relationships between women, the life-long friendships and the knowledge that our participation has made a hugely positive impact in our world is our core spirit. It is that core spirit that has grown and sustained this Team for 10 years; not the pink, not the deeleeboopers or the schwag. (Although we do love them!) Those things are just "window dressing" on the deep positivity that fuels this community to be involved and make a difference.

We greet challenges with Positivity. We are possibilitairians. 

We have forged deep, honest and sometimes vulnerable human connections. 

This Team has forever changed the landscape of my heart. I hope you feel it too, because you are an integral part of our 10 years, whether it is your first year or your tenth. Thank you for being a part of this wild, fun, emotional, meaningful, memorable and adventurous journey. 

For all of this, I will be forever grateful. My heart is full.

SHAMELESS SELF PROMO
I created 10 Year Warming Hut Hotties posters, shirts and notecards of 100 of the places our training walks have taken us. BLISTERS HEAL. MUSCLES RECOVER. FRIENDSHIPS LAST. 100% of my sales commission (10% of the purchase price) will go to my fundraising. http://www.zazzle.com/onthecusp*

10% DONATION BY glassybaby SHOPPING IS THRU 9/9!
If you were not able to make the fundraising party, or didn't find the color you wanted, you can shop online at www.glassybaby.com. 10% of your total order will go to our fundraising through September 9th. Use the code "IMPACT" at checkout. Shipping is FREE!

THIS WEEK'S MAP QUOTES 
A certain day became a presence to me;
there it was, confronting me -- a sky, air, light:
a being. And before it started to descend
from the height of noon, it leaned over
and struck my shoulder as if with
the flat of a sword, granting me
honor and a task. The day's blow
rang out, metallic -- or it was I, a bell awakened,
and what I heard was my whole self
saying and singing what it knew: I can.
Denise Levertov, Variation on a Theme by Rilke

We just have to listen to that thing that calls us and simply, bravely, show up. Kelly Rae Roberts, artist

I embrace emerging experience. I participate in discovery. I am a butterfly. I am not a butterfly collector. William Stafford

One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar. Helen Keller

UPCOMING TRAINING WALKS
RSVP here: http://groupspaces.com/InOurLifetime/calendar/ 
Sat 9/7 & 9/8: NO WALKS - SF 3 Day Event!
Sat 9/15: 12 Miles - 7:00am - Warming Hut
Sunday 9/16: 12 Miles - 7:00am - Transit Cafe
Saturday 9/22: 10 Miles - 7:00am - The Warming Hut 

Live Sincerely

WEEKEND RECAP

This past weekend was our BIG Back to Back – 20 miles Saturday in the city and 20 Miles on Sunday to Tiburon. I fondly call it our "B2B", but not to be confused with the Bay to Breakers! It is a big bonding walking weekend.

On Saturday the walk was in two 10 mile loops with a lunch break in between. The first loop took us out along my favorite trail, Batteries to Buffs. A number of us stopped to watch a pod of dolphins swimming out in the water heading toward the Golden Gate Bridge. What a rare sight! 

The Batteries to Bluffs Trail early in the morning.
#notsunny

We continued out 25^th Ave into Golden Gate Park where we were met by Connie & Renee, our route support for the day. They had plentiful snacks and hydration for all.

Getting our snack on!

We left the break refreshed and continued out of the park on 8^th with a walk trough the inner Richmond to the Presidio and back down along the Park Trail! All in all an easy 10 mile stroll.

The 3 Day Warming Hut Hotties Team (who by the way, are this.close to surpassing the $100,000 fundraising mark!Woooohooo. ) had a celebratory picnic but, after a quick lunch break, a group of us continued on the second 10 mile loop. 

The second loop took us up along the Ecology Trail, down the shady Mountain Lake Park path and onto Lake Street. We were waking along Lake Street when we stumbled upon a garage sale and these Toy Story toys looking for a new home. Money was pooled and walkers picked which toy went to new homes. (We also bought hot cocoa with marshmallows for the bargain price of $.25!)

Photo from Trina

From there we pushed on to the Land’s End Visitor’s Center, even though the cold and fog did not let up all day, our spirits remained light. After resting a bit we continued out the Land’s End trail, on through Sea Cliff, walking in the sand to Ocean Beach. Sharla spotted the pod of dolphins once again – they were swimming right along the beach! So breathtaking! (I found this video. I guess the dolphins have come around before.)

Walking into Baker Beach

We finished the day’s 20 miles by walking along the Coastal Trail toward the bridge, and as we came into view of the bay we got front row seats of the America's Cup race.

Photo from Trina

What an excellent day full of laughter, story telling, intimate conversations and support.

On Sunday, we rose early to meet at the Marina Middle School for our epic trek to Tiburon. This walk takes all day because we walk 18 miles, eat lunch in Tiburon, then we hop on the ferry for an hour and finish with another 2 miles back to our cars. It is always an adventure and a challenging day for everyone. 

The group was totally fired up for the day!

We started by walking down Chestnut Street (where we scooped up Peggy!) into the Presidio past the Letterman Digital Arts Promenade. For the first time, I had the route take us through the San Francisco National Cemetery and it was so stunningly beautiful I can’t believe I had never been there before. The sun was rising over the cemetery and there is a gorgeous view through the cypress trees out into the Bay.

San Francisco National Cemetery in the early morning.

Even though the wind was howling cold when we met, by the time we crossed the bridge it had turned into a spectacular, spectacular day! Not hot and hot cold: prefect walking weather.

GOOD MORNING San Francisco! Photo from Trina.

This was new to me: In Paris, lovers put locks on the Ponte des Arts and throw the key into the Seine. There were lots of locks on the fencing along the first part of the bridge. This lock was inscribed in German with a mock ring and all.

We walked through Sausalito and took a long break a Mollie Stone’s where we ate our Hobbit’s "second breakfast" at 10am. On a walk like this we burn close to 2,000 calories - food is fuel!

I whacked part of my old route off the second part of this walk, given that we had logged additional miles before crossing the bridge. While the second part of the day was shorter in length, we added in a HUGE hill climb before taking the Tiburon Linear Trail into town. There is a point when you are on the pathway where you can look across the water and see where we had started earlier in the day. Let me tell you… It is FAR and the sense of accomplishment is HUGE.

The highlight, other than finishing 40 miles, is our celebratory lunch at Sam’s Anchor Café. We start talking about onion rings, Bloody Marys, Mojitos and burgers at mile 15, so when we finally arrive it is game on!

Tired but totally inspired!

HUGE THANK YOU's to Connie, Buffie and Renee for their outstanding support this weekend. The TLC you showered upon us made us feel like VIPs! Fruit kebabs, camp chairs, banana bread, plentiful snacks and water refills, to carefully tracking us along the 40 miles of route and shuttling walkers in need.. You must be just a tired as we were from walking. You all are such a blessing.

I certainly am tired after our efforts this past weekend, but am totally inspired by this community of strong & compassionate women; such amazing role models, mentors, and friends. We are so very lucky to be able to tap into the deep well of our community’s support  and compassion. It never ceases to amaze me what a group of committed women can accomplish together.  I hope you feel inspired too! 

Hope you are all feeling OK after all of those miles; not too tired or too sore. Keep hydrating, take ibuprofen and stretch! Take good care of yourself in the coming weeks before your event. 

WARMING HUT HOTTIES 10TH BIRTHDAY PARTY! 

Don't forget! Our birthday party is this Saturday. Let's gather in celebration of 10 years of commitment & community with our traditional potluck picnic. Saturday, September 1st at 12:00 noon after the 10 mile walk. 

At the Warming Hut, where else?!  RSVP Here: http://groupspaces.com/InOurLifetime/item/310426 

10% DONATION BY glassybaby SHOPPING IS THRU 9/9!

If you were not able to make the fundraising party, or didn't find the color you wanted, you can shop online at www.glassybaby.com. 10% of your total order will go to our fundraising through September 9th. Use the code "IMPACT" at checkout. Shipping is FREE!

THIS WEEK'S MAP QUOTES
We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us something is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit. E.E Cummings

Take pride in how far you have come; have faith in how far you can go. Unknown

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved. Helen Keller

The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it. John Ruskin

Only when we’re brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light. Brene Brown

WEEKLY INSPIRATION

I became aware a truly amazing project via the Metastaic Breast Cancer Network:  Vanessa Tiemeier was in her late 20s when she was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer. She recently entered into hospice, but her and her sisters continue to work on their creation The Live Sincerely Project. The Live Sincerely Project challenges people to take a pledge that reminds us no matter how crazy, unfair, messy and awesome life is to always live it sincerely. 

You can take the pledge here: http://thelivesincerelyproject.com/pledge/

The Live Sincerely Pledge

I will live sincerely.

I will learn from each person and each day on my journey 
and will share ideas and wisdom from my own experiences.

With a grateful spirit, I will acknowledge my need for others
and will in turn be loving and generous, 
remembering that every member of a community plays a unique role.

I will remain strong in my convictions
while keeping an open mind to perspectives beyond myself.

Courageously, I will respect each movement of my heart, 
through fear and joy, grief and peace.

I will cultivate my passions with delight
and also take time for honest introspection.

I will love the person I am today
while constantly striving towards my best self.

I will keep a healthy balance between the rewards of discipline
and the growth and wonder that spontaneity brings.

I will acknowledge both the marvel and the limitations of my body
and respectfully take care of it the best I can.

Accepting the reality that there are circumstances I cannot change,
I will seize my power to actively change that which I can control
with hope and creativity.

I commit to living each chapter of my story: 
honoring the lessons and gifts of my past, 
fully participating in the fleeting beauty of the present, 
and bravely walking towards the unknowns of my future.

Knowing that life is an enduring but glorious struggle, 
I pledge to live each day with purpose.

I will live sincerely.

UPCOMING TRAINING WALKS

RSVP here: http://groupspaces.com/InOurLifetime/calendar/ 

Saturday 9/1: 10 Miles followed by the 10th Birthday Picnic – 7:30am – Warming Hut

Sunday 9/2: 10 Miles - 7:30am – Presidio Sports Basement

Sat 9/7 & 9/8: NO WALKS - SF 3 Day Event!

Sat 9/15: 12 Miles - 7:00am - Warming Hut

Sunday 9/16: 12 Miles - 7:00am - Transit Cafe

Saturday 9/22: 10 Miles - 7:00am - The Warming Hut 

Take heart, dear walkers. Surrender is not giving up.

Take heart, dear walkers. You are on the right path.

WEEKEND RECAP

What is that saying about, "the best laid plans"? Well, we were definitely glad we packed our sense of adventure on our Saturday Trail Walk at Pt. Reyes! I had found two routes, a 10.5 mile or a 12 mile hike, that seemed like great choices for the day. We picked the "shorter" hike. 

We were planning to hike up the Mt Whittenberg Trail, out Sky Trail to Arch Rock and back on the Bear Valley Trial for 10.5 miles but we ended up making a wrong right turn on the Sky Trail. We discovered this when we arrived at the Laguna Trail head and saw all the trail signs. We quickly figured out we were in the wrong place. Ooops! 

We made a quick adjustment and planned a new route back to the Visitor's Center BUT the 2.3 mile Fire Trail was UPHILL the whole way. Every time we rounded a bend we thought, "certainly this has to be the top".... NOPE. More climbing! Seriously? Seriously! As Linda E. crested the end of the trail she asked, "how is it possible we walked uphill BOTH ways on this hike?!" 

Thankfully, the trail was gorgeous - breezy & sunny - with a stunning view out to Limatour Beach.

 

We think we did closer to 14 miles with half being UPHILL climbing! 1880ft of elevation gain. 

Sharla gave me a gift so we can be better prepared next time, 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: San Francisco. I had better get reading! We will schedule another Pt. Reyes coastal hike in October. Check the event calendar for the posting soon.

Sunday, I had to "call in sick" to save my energy for our glassybaby fundraising party that afternoon. A small group of brave walkers led by Catroina (THANK YOU Catronia!), took off on one of my favorite walks with a lot of climbing - out along the Coastal Trail  to the  Batteries to Bluffs Trail then up the 1,000 Stairs path to the Immigrant Point Overlook, connecting to the Mountain Lake Trail, onto the Ecology Trail which met up with the Lover's Lane. For a change the route went DOWN the Lyon Street Stars to the Palace of Fine Arts, with a stroll back down the Promenade to the Warming Hut. Woooosh! That is a whole lot of walking crammed into 8 miles. (Photos courtesy of Lisa M.)

Like cows to the barn!

All in all, an outrageous walking weekend! 

glassybaby FUNDRAISING PARTY SUCCESS!

Thanks to everyone who attended the glassybaby fundraiser on Sunday. It was a SMASHING SUCCESS. We raised over $1,200 for the Immediate Impact Breast Cancer Walk!  Many thanks to the glassybaby team, Trina, Marcia, Sandy, Meg and Hillary for making this event possible.

If you were not able to make the party or didn't find the color you wanted, you can shop online at
www.glassybaby.com. 10% of your total order will go to our fundraising between August 19th and September 9th. Use the code "IMPACT" at checkout. Shipping is FREE!

WARMING HUT HOTTIES 10TH BIRTHDAY PARTY!

Let's gather in celebration of 10 years of commitment & community with our traditional potluck picnic.

Saturday, September 1st at 12:00 noon after the 10 mile walk. 

At the Warming Hut, where else?! 

RSVP Here: http://groupspaces.com/InOurLifetime/item/310426 

THIS WEEK'S MAP QUOTES

What if, instead of pushing so hard to make life happen, we decided to let go and allow life to happen to us? What if, instead of trying to always be in control, we surrendered control to something bigger than ourselves? What if, instead of working so hard to figure out the answers, we allowed ourselves to be guided to the solution in perfect timing? Bethany Butzer

I learned that opening your life to others requires vulnerability, but it also creates unexpected rewards. Chris Guillebeau

Whatever you do, you need courage. Ralph Waldo Emerson

WEEKLY INSPIRATION

So, I am super duper sick with a cold this week – a yucky Ebola bubonic plague hacking cold. Blech. I felt it coming on last Thursday and fought it off for four days and then bam, when I got home Sunday night it felt like I was trying to swim through pudding. Ooooof! When I am sick like this I want to crawl into a hidey hole until I feel better. I tend to push and push – don’t we all? Just one more errand, one more chore, one more phone call, one more email… We just have to check all of those items off our "To Do" lists. Sometimes surrendering is the real challenge. When I do get sick it is a powerful reminder that it is OK, and maybe even essential, to surrender.   

surrendering present participle of sur·ren·der (Verb)

1. Cease resistance to an enemy or opponent and submit to their authority  2. Give up or hand over (a person, right, or possession), typically on compulsion or demand.

I like the second definition. Surrender is not giving up.

“When you surrender, you are calm. When you give up, you are exasperated.”

To hand over.  

Hand over the need to be right.

Hand over the need to always be doing.

Hand over expectations.

Hand over judgments.

By handing over we release.

When we let go/release, it makes room for something wonderful to move into that space.

“When you surrender, doors open. When you give up, you slam the doors shut.”

"Surrendering" Alanis Morissette

you were full and fully capable
you were self sufficient and needless
your house was fully decorated in that sense

you were taken with me to a point
a case of careful what you wish for
but what you knew was enough to begin

and so you called and courted fiercely
so you reached out, entirely fearless
and yet you knew of reservation and how it serves

and I salute you for your courage
and I applaud your perseverance
and I embrace you for your faith in the face of adversarial forces
that I represent

so you were in but not entirely
you were up for this but not totally
you knew how arms length-ing can maintain doubt

and so you fell and you're intact
so you dove in and you're still breathing
so you jumped and you're still flying if not shocked

and I support you in your trusting
and I commend you for your wisdom
and I'm amazed by your surrender in the face of threatening forces
that I represent

you found creative ways to distance 
you hid away from much through humor
your choice of armor was your intellect

and so you felt and you're still here
and so you died and you're still standing
and so you softened and you're still safely in command

self protection was in times of true danger
your best defense to mistrust and be wary
surrendering a feat of unequalled measure
and I'm thrilled to let you in
overjoyed to be let in in kind

UPCOMING TRAINING WALKS

RSVP here: http://groupspaces.com/InOurLifetime/calendar/ 

Saturday 8/25: 20 Miles - 6:30am - Warming Hut - Two 10 mile loops -City Walk!
Sunday 8/26: 20 Miles - 6:30am - Ft. Mason - Tiburon Walk!

Saturday 9/1: 10 Miles followed by the 10th Birthday Picnic – 7:30am – Warming Hut

Sunday 9/2: 10 Miles - 7:30am – Presidio Sports Basement

Sat 9/7 & 9/8: NO WALKS - SF 3 Day Event!

Sat 9/15: 12 Miles - 7:00am - Warming Hut

Sunday 9/16: 12 Miles - 7:00am - Transit Cafe

Saturday 9/22: 10 Miles - 7:00am - The Warming Hut - FINAL TRAINING WALK OF THE SEASON!