Strength shows not only in the ability to persist, but...

in the ability to start over. 

I am frequently asked what the 'success' rate of your running club is.  First, I think the word 'success' is difficult to define in terms of addiction recovery and homelessness.  Second, our club is not a treatment provider nor do we explicitly provide social services.

Having said that, the 'success' rate of the Skid Row Running Club appears to be substantially higher than for the recovery community at large.  I say this because many of our members have maintained their sobriety for long periods of time, for the first time in their life.  That have found the self confidence to seize the narrative of their lives.  Is it solely because of the running club?  Of course not. 

The best success stories always work in conjunction with other groups, or communities if you will.  We are but one such community, but we are a strong one.   With AA and our running club, people have two strong yet distinct communities that are there for each other.

It's with the help of these communities, that members of our running club are able to get back on their feet.  Almost all of them eventually find gainful employment or return to school to learn a new trade.  It takes a community of like minded people to encourage and support each other.

There are members of our club that relapse back into drugs or homelessness, but they have more resiliency.  They bounce back faster and when they are ready, the Skid Row Running Club is there to welcome them back with open arms.

Griffith Trail Relay recap

LA covers 503 miles.  It's a car dependent city.  When I was in college and people learned I was from LA , they assumed that I like everyone else in LA never walked, much less run.

Because LA is so spread out, it's easy to forget that people actually walk and even love running.  We have a great running community here in LA but because we are so far apart, runners tend not to realize just how many running clubs are out there.

Well, for one Sunday in the early summer, that changes.  Today was the Griffith Park Marathon Relay, an annual event, where all the Southern California running clubs gather in the Old Zoo of Griffith Park to engage in a 5 person team relay race.  Each team member takes turns running the same hilly 5 1/4 mile loop from the bottom of Griffith to the top.  Although there are some extremely fast and impressive teams out there, there is an overall atmosphere of fun and companionship. 

All running teams bring tents, tables and plenty of food.  They set up alongside vendors, while a DJ blasts uplifting tunes and basically the event becomes a big party.

At least for 5 hours once a year away from the roads, it seems like everyone in LA only runs and doesn't drive.

Thanks to our friends at A Runner's Circle for putting on this amazing event!

Conquering Malibu Creek 22K

On May 19th, 2018, 6 members from the Skid Row Running Club and Back of My Feet - Los Angeles, took on the challenge of the Malibu Creek Trail Run sponsored by our friends over at Generic Events.

I've run Malibu Creek by myself before.  It's a tough race, its uphill from mile 2 - 7 and then a steep down hill run.  Suffice to say, it's brutal on your hamstrings going up and wrecks your quads on the way down.  Fortunately, this year, unlike in the past, the weather was actually cool because of clouds moving in from the ocean. 

The route is essentially the same one as the famous Bull Dog Trail Run this is held in August every year. 

I got into trial running awhile back because I wanted to experience a different kind of running.  Unlike road races, where runners focus on their time, trail runs are a different beast.  Because of the unsure footing, it's wise to run without music so that you can focus on where your feet are landing.  You don't want to twist an ankle or fall (as I have many times.)  Also the type of terrain tends to change frequently.  One moment you are running on a fire trail, the next you might be running on limestone.  Sometimes there are nice tall trees which make the race very pleasant temp wise but sometimes the lack of shade means you are dealing with brutal conditions.

As runners in the Skid Row Running Club have expanded and some of our runners have begun to take running extremely seriously, we began looking for other challenges to develop our skills and increase our focus while we run.  We've been fortunate to have the opportunity to run with our goods friends at Pasadena's Run with Us, which hosts weekly trail runs every Sunday. 

Trail running can be very different from running on the road, but it's a lot of fun.  For me, it's easy to get 'lost' in nature when I am out on the trials.

Happy Running!