There and Here

Took a brief trip to Berkeley. It was great to be home, even for a few days. I ran twice, both mornings in weather some 15 degrees cooler than what I've been experiencing here in the land of LA. My running is only so-so these days. It's disappointing that I am not officially injured and yet am not able to run consistently without pain. My piriformis and gluteus medius evidently didn't take kindly to my runs above UCLA on Sunset or to the blinding speeds I reached at the UCLA track. Go figure. 

So I've been run-walking, sometimes up to the gym near campus and sometimes just around, trying to keep my spirits and my heart rate both up. My son the doctor took me to a UCLA longevity conference today, and in all four of the sessions we attended I heard experts on healthy aging hammer away at exercise, exercise, exercise. I also heard them describe strength training as vital for the elderly, so I figured make the gym a destination a couple of times a week is a good idea.

It was great to be back in Berkeley during election season. All the traffic circles (and there are many) bore signs supporting the local transit measure, number B1. Vote yes for trails and mass transit--and for road repair, too.

Let's face it, I miss running long, I miss running races with the team, I miss my early morning forays into distance (I'm running later in the day for now and hanging with my grandson in the predawn hours.) But successful aging also has to include new experiences, which often demand being flexible and modifying behaviors that aren't working. 

One new experience is having the LA Mormon Temple on my regular running route, a stone's throw from where I'm staying. Wouldn't surprise me to see Mitt Romney on the front lawn here. A fright like that could set my recovery back a month. Talk about your scary Halloween experience.