The intimacy of walking

I am sans-automobile for a few days and decided to do my errands on foot. While walking towards my bank on Ventura Boulevard I noticed a lot of graffiti on walls, trash cans, mailboxes, and gates. I normally don't see this "urban art" when I drive past it at 30 mph in my car. I also don't see how much litter and dirt there is on the streets. I can't help thinking that if more people walked this area daily, they would make more of an effort to keep the area graffiti and litter free. Los Angeles would be a much cleaner city if more people walked instead of drove.

Once I got to Ventura Boulevard, I also noticed that the character of the street has changed in the past year. A few years ago the street was chock-full of upper-end boutiques, shops, and restaurants. Last year there were quite a few store closings and 'for lease' signs. Now these empty storefronts have been filled with discount and lower-end businesses. I would never have though it would be the case, but I guess Ventura Blvd is a reflection of the state of the economy.

On this walk I also noticed a lot of condos and houses for lease, but none for sale. Newly built condos are being leased instead of sold. I'm assuming this is because the builders can get much more money (and a higher occupancy) if they rent out the units instead of sell them.

I never notice this stuff when I drive. And I focus on other stuff when I run the streets. But walking the streets has made me wish more people walked so they could actually see the city they live in. The city feels more intimate and personal on foot, and neighbors more neighborly when we aren't separated by metal cages.

I wish more people walked around town but then again this is Los Angeles-- a city married to the automobile.

A great way to start a Sunday morning

Today I ran my first 10K race. I've run 5K's, half-marathons, marathons, and ultra-marathons. And I've run a lot more than 10K in training. But I had never gotten around to running a 10K. In fact, I probably still wouldn't have if my sister hadn't insisted that she wanted to run the 10K instead of a 5K-- and I'm glad she did!

We ran the 'Say No To Drugs' Annual 5K/10K Classic. The course went through the backlot of Universal Studios and it was a wonderful race. We ran past 'Wisteria Lane' of Desperate Housewives fame, the Bates Motel, part of the 'Jaws' set, and several other interesting movie sets. With the mountain background and the cool temperatures, it was a beautiful race! Plus, with a relatively small number of participants (approx 2000) it wasn't as insane compared to almost every other race I've run in the past few years.

I wish that I had brought my camera and gotten pictures. It was just that kind of race. My sister had fun for her first 10K too.

For those of you thinking of running the race in the future, I say GO FOR IT. Just a little warning-- the course is VERY hilly. Someone had told me this before, but I wasn't prepared for the extreme slope. It wasn't the uphill, but the downhill on slick and wet slopes that gave me a moment of pause. Even worse were the sections of cobblestone ground. It was closer to a trail run than a regular race course. But it was still a lot of fun and I plan on running this race again next year!