My family, my exercise, my work. Oh, and California. Staying sane. Staying positive.

I’ve not written on Medium for three days. That’s quite a hiatus! I started writing about a year ago after I ran my marathon. And then I never stopped. I kept writing every day, often twice a day.

This week though I stopped. I stopped running too! It’s an exceptional week I’m realizing. I’ve not been running because my foot is injured. I’ve not been writing because I’ve been busy working. I started a new job a couple of months ago. It’s been a blessing. I’m loving it.

But I have been exercising. Running with an injury is painful. It’s dangerous and silly. But not running is painful too, when you love running as much as I do. It’s like being in a long-distance relationship. You miss your love, you long for love, but there is a distance that can’t be overcome. But I’m finding refuge in biking in the gym. By the end of my one-hour exercise, I’m soaking wet from sweat and exhaustion. I’m finding ways to stay fit.

Then there is my family. I talk to my mom who left Russia back in the spring and is now in America. I talk to my wife a lot. She’s in Florida now but we will soon be reunited -she’s coming to California in a few days. My daughter too. My younger son came tonight. He’ll enjoy a few days with his oldest brother, who’s in his final school year here in California.

And I just spent a few weeks in Northern California. I started a new job a few weeks ago and even though there’s no pressure for…