Trail Run: Runyon Canyon Park

In the same way as there are many people who love to run along the beach or in the city, there are also many of those who enjoy running on trials in the mountains.

Runyon Canyon Park is located in the heart of Los Angeles, only a few miles away from Hollywood. It is one of the best places to go when you want to escape from the busy daily life and heal your stress. It is also a great place to wind down from a grueling day at work and the perfect free weekend getaway.

Runyon Canyon not only offers one of the best hiking/running trails in Los Angeles, breathtaking views of the city and an amazing dog friendly park, but it also offers free daily yoga classes with professional instructors and an atmosphere that anyone can enjoy.

It makes a great exercise either to run or jog or walk up the different paths in the park. The trails are short enough complete in less than an hour and it loops around the canyon and takes you back to where you started. Since there are not many big shady trees or bushes and there are quite a few people around, therefore, it is not that dangerous to even go alone.

When you reach the top, you can see the City of Los Angeles in all of its glory. You can see the Hollywood sign and Griffith Observatory to the left and all the way to the Pacific Ocean on the right. If you look straight, there is Downtown Los Angeles.

Sheila Hughes, a 19-year-old girl who comes to Runyon Canyon twice a month said, “This place is great for a moderate workout. I would always start off running up the paved road, and then I pass the abandoned tennis courts and graffiti houses. After that, I continue running on the trails and climb the hill.  I usually go during the late afternoon/evening to catch the sunset. All in all, Runyon Canyon is the trail that I love to run most.” 

There are also many other accessible mountain and desert trails in SoCal.
http://www.trails.com/catalog_product.aspx?productfamilyid=10025 

The Student Recreation Center @ Cal State Northridge

It has been approximately three months since the brand-new Student Recreation Center (SRC) opened at Cal State University, Northridge on Jan. 26.

Whenever I go to the SRC, I find many currently enrolled students who are taking advantage, as we receive memberships with no additional cost, enjoying their time at the cool facility.

The Student Recreation Center features an indoor jogging track along with many other facilities such as basketball and volleyball courts, a multi-activity court for indoor hockey and soccer, and even a rock-climbing wall in front of the entrance. The indoor track that lies at the topmost floor of the Center is 1/8 mile long. Students can enjoy running in a climate-controlled environment, regardless of the weather outside. The track's superior biomechanical design allows for consistent traction with a cushioned surface providing greater safety and comfort. The fact that it is carpeted certainly aids the runner attempting to add an extra mile to their run.

“I come here between classes or when I am stressed-out by home-works and papers to refresh myself. I just want to try to keep my body healthy, instead of sitting in front of the desk all day. It is also good to come here when you don’t want to think of anything and just reflect with yourself. Perhaps the most greatest thing is that we’re able to run being protected from the San Fernando Valley sun!” says Alonso Corona, a 22-year-old senior student who comes to the SRC about twice a week.

There is also a Total Training Zone located on the first floor of the SRC. The Training Zone is a large room with wall-to-wall mirrors and sprawling with treadmills and strength-training equipment.

If you are at school and you feel like running or activating your body, I suggest you to go straight to the SRC.

CSUN Student Recreation Center Opening

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRN95JHrpms

Follow CSUN SRC on Twitter

https://twitter.com/#!/csun_src

Track and Field: The Challenge of a Japanese Middle-Distance Runner

In March, I had a chance to interview Masato Yokota, a 24-year-old athlete, who is a member of The Japanese National Track and Field Team. Yokota holds the Japan record in the Men’s 800m, and happens to be one of the most famous middle-distance runners in Japan.

He is currently employed and supported by a Japanese company, Fujitsu, which is a leading provider of IT products and services for the global marketplace including hardware, software, networking, business solutions and more. Although he is not expected to do any deskwork as other employees do, his mission is simply to train hard and to success in the official competitions held throughout every year.

Yokota came to Los Angeles for training in January this year and stayed for approximately three months. “I came to train in Los Angeles because my good rival, Prince Mumba, invited me to train with him. He is training at The Santa Monica Track Club (SMTC) for a few years, so I came here to join.” said Yokota. “I thought this was a great opportunity because I am now the fastest runner in Japan’s 800m and there is no one that could run faster than me, which is not good for my practicing. Running with people who are faster than me is a much better way to practice and maintain my motivation.”

There was also another reason he flew all the way to California. “Japan is too cold to run and train hard in the winter. In order to be chosen as a candidate for the upcoming London Olympic, I still need to hit the prerequisite time that has been regulated by the Olympic Committee, so I need to keep training hard.” He said there was no way he could do that staying in Japan.

Yokota enjoyed training in SoCal and he wishes to come back soon. “If I win my seat as a candidate for London, I will come back and train here until the Olympics start in the summer. This was my first time to train outside of Japan, but I realized that there are many rivals and inspiring athletes here in the U.S. Of course, the level is much higher than Japan and the coach and the team are great as well. Even after the Olympics, I plan to officially move to SoCal because the weather is perfect throughout the year and the life rhythm here is more slower and relaxing than in Japan which is absolutely good for my training.”

However, in the meanwhile, Yokota's top priority is to be chosen as a candidate for the Olympics, which start July 23. “I hope I will be able to run in London! Fingers crossed!”