Running in Santa Monica

Although it takes 40 minutes to reach Will Rogers State Park from my place, I still go for a long run by Santa Monica on Saturdays. It is invariably 100% times refreshing and invigorating and we feel that it is worth the drive. Coming from the valley which is usually 10-15 degrees warmer, the cold wind of the beach always hits me at first. But a few deep breaths, swinging of arms and legs and heart pumping music gets me going.

Once I’m on the track, it is impossible not to be perked up and feel alive. The stylish unique homes built on the side-walk are attractive and they secretly make me absurdly curious…who lives here, must they have designed this home, do they walk about naked inside, maybe they are all artists or actors, maybe they live alone and write, or maybe they like to cook while watching the sunset, what would I do if I lived in one of these homes, … and on and on and on my mind wanders to the point that I begin laughing at myself for these uncanny thoughts.

The track takes me under the pier and on the other side of it. I love that that section is always crowded. I have to make my way through bikers, runners, rollerbladers, beach bums, good and bad guitar players, homeless people, and just those who like to hang out in other people’s way lost in their world. There are kids, dogs, gays, retirees, married couples who are fighting and young couples in love, just friends hanging out, visitors for site-seeing, people of all colors and kinds. I feel as if hundreds of stories are woven at the same time and told to me silently through them. One of these days after my Oct race, I will get a pic of all these and post them on my blog.

Running back to my car is almost like time for introspection. The sunset is always gorgeous. It gets quieter as people start to leave. The sound of the waves becomes distinctly loud. I think of the pacific – the world on the other side of pacific and inside the ocean.  The child in me wonders if there is a Little Mermaid in there?

Many times there are sail boats to be seen, I think of where they may be going or coming from. I often times find myself dreaming about how life must have been centuries ago when voyages by some brave adventurous men thousands of miles across the waters changed the map of the world.

The drive back home via Topanga Canyon is curvy and like Nitin likes to say, a perfect place for ambush. He says that almost every time we drive through the canyon. In fact, he has said it so many times, that when he does not say it, I still hear it. No matter how much of a hurry we are in, we always find time for a quick stop at our favorite spot on the Top of Topanga that presents to us the gorgeous views of the Valley.

The adrenaline pumping run combined with the blissful natural surrounding brings out the philosopher in me.  When I leave Los Angeles, I will always fondly remember my runs in Santa Monica.