Skid Row Marathon – 130

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Skid Row Marathon Recap Run Eat Repeat Podcast 130

Running has changed my life in so many ways. I started a blog about 10 years ago to talk about training for 1 marathon.

I NEVER expected to have so much fun, to get faster, for Run Eat Repeat to grow so much. And one of the biggest reasons I love doing this is because I know how much running can change your life.

It can help you see yourself in a different way, see yourself as an athlete, realize that you’re capable of doing hard things.

Running gives us opportunities to set new goals, meet new people, see new places – along with a healthy hobby. I truly love it.

And just I watched – Skid Row Marathon, a documentary that follows four runners fighting addiction and homelessness as they train for a marathon. I’m very excited to tell you about it – so let’s get started with a warm up.

Warm Up: Running News and Run Eat Repeat Updates.

Running News on the Los Angeles Marathon NEW Course

The LA Marathon Finish Line is going to be moved! L.A. Marathon finish line is moving from Santa Monica to Century City the 2021 course that begins at Dodger Stadium and finishes at Avenue of the Stars in Century City. The course will follow its traditional route until Brentwood, then turn to the new route and finish on the Avenue of the Stars.

Via: LA Times on the Los Angeles Marathon new course

RER Updates:

I did a quick “What I heard today…” video with a recap/review of 3 podcasts. I listen every day so I want to keep this up depending on if it makes sense to do videos to review podcasts. Watch it here.
Which Pill Would You Take on Instagram @RunEatRepeat
Results of the Poll: When do you listen… It was about half and half – half listen while running and half listen sometimes while listening and sometimes while doing other things.

Skid Row Marathon is about a running club started at the Midnight Mission on Skid Row in Los Angeles.

LA Superior Court Judge Craig Mitchell leads the running club in an effort to connect with people who are homeless, fighting addiction or coming out of the prison system.

Skid Row Marathon Summary from the website:

“When a criminal court judge starts a running club on LA’s notorious skid row and begins training a motley group of addicts and criminals to run marathons, lives begin to change.

SKID ROW MARATHON follows four runners as they rise from the mean streets of LA to run marathons around the world, fighting the pull of homelessness and addiction at every turn. Their story is one of hope, friendship, and dignity.”

LA Superior Court Judge Craig Mitchell started the Skid Row Running club and it’s based around him and 4 runners in the club. The main people they follow are David, Ben, Rafael and Rebecca.

Skid Row is an area in downtown Los Angeles that has become synonymous with homelessness and poverty. Last year it was estimated close to 5,000 people were living on the streets there.

They’re all living at the Midnight Mission Inn – “ The Midnight Mission has been offering a path to self-sufficiency to men, women, and children experiencing homelessness since 1914. As a comprehensive homeless shelter and homeless services provider serving the Los Angeles homeless community, we take an approach that fuses care and compassion with meaningful accountability, providing the structure and the resources that people experiencing homelessness need to truly improve their lives.”

Starts with man running down empty streets of LA. It’s JUDGE CRAIG MITCHELL.

Next scene he’s sentencing a man to 71 years in prison. He says sentencing people to life sentences has a big emotional impact on him.

The Midnight Mission Los Angeles… David – when he came to the mission he was at his lowest point.

He shows us a bridge in LA where he used to call home. A cubby hole with rats and pigeons.

That’s what drugs and alcohol do to you. Went to prison in 2005. After he got out he was still doing drugs. One day woke up and knew he needed help. He said it takes discipline and it’s not something he really had in life before.

Judge – sentences a man to prison and came back to see him. He was living at Midnight Mission and invited him to come see it. This is how the running group eventually starts… They started a few runners a few days a week. They learned you don’t run a full marathon without a lot of training.

Ben – started at 300 pounds… said he waddled at first. But just kept showing up. Now he’s lost a lot of weight and is a marathon runner!

Ben has rented a small room where he lives and works. A few medals on the wall in the back.

He wants to get into SF conservatory of music. Working on his audition, getting frustrated.

Ben has to compose an original piece of music to get into the school of music. They have musicians playing it in a studio, recording it to send for the audition. We hear part of it. Beautiful. Very awesome. He’ll find out in Rome if he gets in.

Juliet – Judge’s wife. Maybe the running club is a balance to the things he has to do in his job.

He has the heart of a priest. I think he’s making a difference and they’re making a difference in his too.

Local Race – Midnight Mission Team fundraiser – The Midnight Mission Race.

David – Last day at the midnight mission. He’s going to be working at a transitional house.

David – showing us his art – He’s very talented. He hasn’t been running with the group. He misses it.

Judge – I wanted David to run at least one more marathon with us. Judge decided on Rome Marathon because there’s so much art.

Accra Marathon – RACE DAY.

4:30am – Ben slept about 2 to 3 hours. Race Day.
POWER OUTAGE while trying to get ready for race.
Small race. Roads not shut down. Running on side of road. Handed water bottles.
Running in Ghana real challenge. Humid, heat, truck fumes,
Finish!!!
Ben Smoking after race. That was the hardest thing ever.
David – I don’t think I’ll ever complain again. Kids playing on garbage.

Judge – everyone’s asking about going to Rome. They’re trying to get financing. He’s making calls trying to get the money for people to go to Rome.Judge’s wife – this is what makes him happy. The running group allows him to impact people in a way he can’t as a judge.

I like what I can do in the running club a lot more than what I can do in the court room. He hasn’t seen or heard from David in a few months and he’s looking for him.

Judge – One horrendous act does not define a person in his entirety.

Judge Mitchell’s son talks about something his dad told him… The hottest places in hell are reserved for people who in times of crisis reserve a place of neutrality.

Training for the Marathon Scenes:

Going through the long runs and planning out training plan.
25 people going to Rome. I don’t want to take anyone to Rome and not finish. They’re training hard, taking it seriously.
Judge Mitchell says Pope Francis would take people who didn’t have an opportunity and give them a trip to the ocean. He observed by making this type of investment – it would give them dignity.
RAINING at the Start of the Marathon!!
All of the runners finished.
Judge – you have to know if you work with ppl in recovery, not everyone succeeds, maybe less than half of them. But you keep trying.
Next Marathon – Jerusalem!!

How to Watch Skid Row Marathon:

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