There is no question that running has amazing health benefits. It reduces blood pressure, lowers stress and provides great mental health benefits.
But did you also know that there is growing evidence that running is good for addiction recovery?
This is what the Skid Row Running Club has known all along. Please click here to read a great article.
On of the less heralded aspects of the Skid Row Running Club is our unofficial mentorship program. As our humble club has grown in numbers, we are starting to attract people who are outside the Skid Row area. We have lawyers, movie executives, doctors, professors, newspaper reports, and mental health workers among those who join us regularly for our runs.
When people run for long distances, conversations start and friendships are born. In our running club, many of these friendships lead to informal mentorships, where someone who has more life experience in a given area, shares his or her wisdom to a 'mentee.' These relationships last beyond our runs, or the context of the Skid Row Running Club. Real change happens. Many of our 'mentors' have helped 'mentees' get employment, back into school, or are just there to listen.
The picture for this post features one of our original runners, Rafael, giving a talk to our runners at Hollenbeck Park. Rafael is a parolee, his crime: murder. Yet he is one of the kindest, gentlest souls in the club. He is also a role model and frequently offers assistance to anyone however he can, whether it be a car ride, giving encouraging phone call, helping other finds employment or establishing our community outreach programs. Rafael is a big believer in given back and he encourages all of us to do the same.
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!
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!
Members of the LAPD Central Division have been a regular part of the Skid Row Running Club since early 2017. While we were finishing up one of regular morning runs and gathered at the intersection of 3rd and Crocker Street, a LAPD patrol car stopped and LAPD Veronica Padilla got out.
We thought we were going to be reprimanded or cited for running in the middle of the street, but instead Veronica, who has been running for over a decade now, asked if she could start running with us. Of course our answer was yes! Since then, she had introduced her colleagues in the LAPD Central Division to us. Many of them were already serious runners.
The best part of our Thursday runs is when we gather in front of the Midnight Mission at 6am and see a large group of LAPD officers running to join us as we get started on our runs.
Thank you LAPD!
