I really hate going to warm weather locations in the middle of Chicago winters. I mean, just when you are getting acclimated to the snow, ice, and cold... your blood is thickening, and boom. You're wearing short sleeves and kicking back in the sun. Ok, so I'm kidding. My trip the last few days to Los Angeles to cover the University of Illinois Rose Bowl appearance was a pretty nice treat when Chicago was getting hit with several inches of snow, and wind chill temperatures below zero.
The game itself was pretty disappointing. The Illini just couldn't seem to catch a break, and the fans were pretty bummed. I really thought they had a chance to surprise USC, but what do I know? This site is about running, not football after all. And running in L.A. in December/January is pretty nice.
It was a a bit of a nostalgic trip for me. I have been to L.A. quite a bit, and have a lot of friends there. But it's been a couple years since I've been able to get out there, and I really enjoyed it. One of the friends I was able to catch up with was one my running 
buddies who happens to be a former colleague as well. Suzanne Rico happens to be a really talented runner, who with a little more training is probably capable of running a sub 2:50 marathon. She ran 3:09 a couple times with relatively easy training. She is in the middle of the picture with my wife and I at a park near her home. She now anchors the morning news on KCBS. Unfortunately, the schedule didn't allow us to get out for a run together, but she is still running well, and we talked of possible marathons in our futures.
As for my running, I got a chance to run in one of my favorite places: Santa Monica beach. You can see the Santa Monica Pier in the background of the shot my wife (otherwise known as Official Blog Photographer) took. The beach area all around the Los Angeles area is great for a lot of things but running is definitely one of them. The 
temperature was in the 60's and the sun was shining. It was nice to run without worrying about slipping on black ice, or twisting an ankle in a hole hidden under the snow.
When I got back to Chicago today, I looked at the snow in my driveway and thought about going back to California until winter is over. But really, Santa Monica has a really vibrant running community ranging from professionals to casual recreational runners. The path was busy the morning I got to run there. Several years ago I got a chance to do a story and run out there with Jenny Spangler, the Olympian from the area who was training out there with famed coach Joe Douglas. It was a great, but humbling experience. She was, and is, very fast. It was a great run that day for me, and it was just a cool down for her. I guess that confirmed for me that I am not likely to be running in the Olympics any time soon. Probably best to stick with my day job.
And my day job was fun for a few days. Even though they lost badly in the game, the Rose Bowl offered quite a bit for the fans to do. And our hotel was pretty great as well. We stayed in Beverly Hills where the team was staying. It was right across the street from a crushed gravel running path that stretched for several miles. It went right past the famed 'Beverly Hills' sign. Suffice to say, I took advantage, and got out for a couple more runs there.
But now, back to the snow and ice and reality. Happy New Year. See you on the roads.
Comments