Down in LA last weekend. Beautiful weather and we were staying right on the beach in Marina del Rey. A perfect Saturday morning to go for a run along the beach. Heading north up the peninsula and into Venice, I legged it past the Muscle Beach “corral.” There’s a Muscle Beach Yoga Studio now, directly across from the paddock. Very enlightened.
The more entrepreneurial local denizens are starting to lay out their wares on Boardwalk pavement, and though it’s not even 10am, the pickup game at the basketball court is taking a loud, tensely belligerent turn.
Cruising further north (lumbering might be more descriptive), I pick up a faintly skunky smell in the air.
LA has reduced its photochemical smog levels to 40% of its 1970s levels despite having 3X more cars on the road today. But there’s new concern about particulate air pollution and I would say that the small “brush fires” blazing every day along Venice Beach are making a contribution.
For awhile, running along the north end of the boardwalk as the clouds thickened, I wondered if this is what “hot boxing” is like.
I turned back and retraced my steps home. I thought next time I’m down here, I might add some Pink Floyd to my running playlist. “Run like hell” followed up with “Comfortably Numb” perhaps.
I got back home feeling good about my run, and I was looking forward to dinner at Gjelina that evening.
For some reason, I was really hungry.
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