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Alice Cormac's avatar

Very good post. So many local runners displaced and now without their regular runs. :(

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Raziq Rauf's avatar

A whole bunch did a long run field trip to Long Beach this morning. Hopefully they keep doing it for a few more weeks. The air is rough out there. Literally.

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Alice Cormac's avatar

Thank you for replying to my comment. :) I ran this morning in Hollywood. I thought (I could be wrong) the air was pretty good. I love morning air. I like your substack. :)

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Sam Wertheimer's avatar

Great post. Thank you for sharing. I’m heart broken about the trails I used to run on in the foothills but have faith that community members like you will help restore and revitalize when the time comes.

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Raziq Rauf's avatar

Thanks, Sam. There's a long road ahead, but I know everyone's going to be pulling in the same direction.

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Sarah Lavender Smith's avatar

Raz, thank you for your smart and heartfelt perspectives on both the LA fires and on run-stopping injuries (and thanks for including my input too). Although I live in Colorado, I feel for you and everyone in Los Angeles. My in-laws' home (their "forever home" that my husband grew up in) burned in the Palisades, and they lost everything except some essentials and their dog. I head to LA tomorrow to help them move—amazingly, they found a house—up the coast. The catastrophe and long-term effect on neighborhoods is unfathomable, and the ongoing threat of danger from new fires is exhausting. Run clubs do indeed help (for those who can run).

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Raziq Rauf's avatar

I can't imagine what your in-laws are going through, but escaping with their lives and their dog (and you)... they've got all they need to continue.

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Anastasia's avatar

Glad you are safe and sound. I lived and ran in LA for a decade and my heart breaks to see vibrant neighborhoods and beautiful hills on fire. I will always bet on Angelenos—badassery is built into the city—but this is going to be a tough one to heal from. Do I need a new hat? No. Do I need to help my onetime home town? Absolutely.

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Raziq Rauf's avatar

You're a star. Those hills will be back in a couple of years. Fingers crossed for the neighborhoods.

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