Obama heads to Gym
After two-year marathon, Obama heads back to gymBy Deborah Charles
What do you do after a two-year long-shot presidential run finally ends in victory?
For Barack Obama the answer is: you head for the gym.Obama, who hit the gym regularly on the campaign trail, could have been forgiven for skipping his regular exercise routine on Wednesday, less than 12 hours after winning a hard-fought U.S. presidential battle against Republican John McCain.
Despite getting little sleep after returning home at nearly 2 a.m. after a historical and emotional night in Chicago’s Grant Park, the well-disciplined Obama opted to head to the gym around mid-morning.
But Obama first spent a little quality time at home, enjoying something he said he missed most while out on the campaign trail: breakfast with his wife, Michelle, and daughters Malia and Sasha.
Wearing a dark baseball cap and sunglasses, Obama then sped away in his motorcade for a few blocks to the gym near his house where the first-term senator from Illinois often retreated for exercise and time away from the media during the 21-month presidential campaign.
The new president-elect, who played his traditional election-day game of basketball on Tuesday with some friends and staff members before the polls closed, stayed inside the gym for about an hour.
He made a quick departure, though a steadily growing group of a few dozen people had gathered across the street from the apartment complex that houses the gym.
The crowd cheered as Obama got into his car and headed off in his motorcade.
Obama had no plans to hold a news conference or any public meetings on Wednesday, preferring to set about the business of transitioning to the White House in private.
