AK’s Adventures

I’m headed up to NoCal to help Catra do her solo Ohlone 100 miler.  I’m supposed to meet up with her along the course for support, then pace her from around the half-way point, then we’ll eventually join up with the actual race to finish in her goal of around 34 hours.  Sounds pretty crazy, [...]

It’s been exactly a week after the fire was mostly under control, and this morning was my first time I had been up the Mt Wilson Trail after it re-opened the other day. The first sign of the disaster was the strong smell of smoke, well before any sign of the damage was [...]

Fire update as of 4/30 @ 10:30

All evacuation orders have been lifted
Chantry, Mount Wilson Trail, and Bailey Canyon remain closed
Containment at 88%, with full containment expected on Friday 5/2
584 acres destoryed, of which 238 acres are on National Forest land, and the remaining 346 acres belong to the City of Sierra Madre

It’s been 4 days [...]

View Larger Map
Updated Tuesday (4/29 @ 11:00)
The fire finally seems to be under control — no flames, smoke, or ashes were visible this morning. There were occasional fly-bys from a single LAFD helicopter, and a lot of the streets that were previously closed, had been opened. Most of the emergency personnel were stationed [...]

You could climb Mt. Whitney — or, like writer Dan Koeppel, get exercise (and more vertical ascent) on a 16.2-mile ‘walking tour’ of Los Angeles’ outdoor stairs.
By Janet Cromley Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
One . . . more . . . step. Almost there. Top of the hill. Don’t step on the smashed guavas. Step [...]

Blind Athlete Takes on Incredible Challenge to Run Seven Back-to-Back Marathons in One Week
LOS ANGELES, CA - On Tuesday, April 8, Pasadena will become the third stop on an incredible journey for Dave Heeley, a blind athlete from England, who is taking on the ultimate mental and physical challenge — to run seven marathons, in [...]

To all you doubters…yes, this is an actual race report. :-)
Yesterday during my 9th running of the LA Marathon, I finally managed to break 3:30 for a PR — finishing officially in 3:28:15.  That barrier has haunted me for almost 10 years, getting close several times, but never going below that 8 min/mi pace.  I [...]

Well, I still need to finish my HURT race report (are you getting sick of hearing that yet?), but wanted to fill y’all in on some recent happenings in the meantime.
I didn’t apply to Western States this year, so will need to start over again in 09 for my attempt at the Last Great Race.  [...]

Well it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything, but am hoping that I’ll get back to regularly blogging again.  (No, I was not in jail, btw.)  First, I’m very happy to say that I’ve begun a new chapter in my life — I recently gave up my 3 year stint as an independent consultant [...]

Mexican politician runs into time warp

A presidential candidate whose past is marked by charges of dishonesty turns in a fast but questionable time in a marathon.
Former Mexican presidential candidate Roberto Madrazo disappeared midway through the Berlin Marathon on Sunday before reappearing nine miles later, winning first in his age group and shaving an hour off [...]