July 12, 2016 BACK IN TIME

After running the 5k -- faster than the speed of light--my body felt tired. The next day I took a  leisurely walk and today I did a very light run.  My legs are still a little sore and I have aches and pains here and there--the consequences of getting older I guess. I won't be starting my speed work  or longer runs  for a few more days because I need  to take time to unwind/rewind before I start pounding the pavement again. This thought brings me  back to the idea of time.  I remember being a kid and watching The Time Machine on channel 56--BELIEVE it or not, we only had 2 CHANNELS-- for the first time. Anyway, Rod Taylor played a scientist who invented a machine that took him back in time. I was glued to the television and have been  captivated by time travel  ever since. I've read at least a dozen books about time travel including The Time Traveler's Wife, Here and Again, Somewhere in Time to name a few, but one really sticks out in my mind. Stephen King's novel 11/22/63.

What an incredible read--winning at least 4 book prizes including the Los Angeles book prize for best thriller/mystery. DO NOT be intimidated by the weight--about 850 pages. This is not a dense book--kind of like a 10k for you runners--you will fly through it because it is an easy, interesting, intense read. King's main character, Jake Epping, meets a man who has found a gate way back to the past. He convinces Jake to go back in time and prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy. King does a great job convincing the reader that it is the sixties--by incorporating relevant facts about the time period including descriptions of  the clothing, prices of items even including newspaper articles that were relevant at the time.  It is also evident that King spent  a great deal of time researching  this tragic event.  Would the world be a better place if JFK had lived?? If Jake saves JFK what are the ramifications for the future--hence the butterfly effect?? These are only some of the themes explored in this great story. Take a leap back in time with 11/22/63. You won't regret it!