Quick Takes

Amid skyscraper hotels, a convention center, a monstrous sports stadium and the general hustle-bustle of downtown Los Angeles, I recently discovered (like millions of others have), the best comfort food around at The Original Pantry. The place opened in the 1920s and there are often lines around the block. I had my indoctrination last week [...]

Cycling News reports on more competitive cycling than any other web site. If you want regional, national or international results the Australian site will likely have them. And if you want nuances, the site will provide those, too, like its report on the famed climb to L’Alpe d’Huez in stage 17 of the Tour de [...]

I realized a few years ago that the main reason I volunteer at the Devil’s Thumb aid station at the Western States 100 is that it feels good. It’s nice to see friends and acquaintances (some of whom I only see once a year at the same place). And there’s plenty of camaraderie, the air [...]

My friend Bruce Aldrich traveled with me last year to the Tour de France. I already knew he was an accomplishment athlete, but I also quickly realized he’s an accomplished photographer and videographer. Bruce took hundreds of photographs during the 2006 Tour and also shot a good amount of video. He mixed the whole thing [...]

For the past three years, the NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships have been held at Sacramento State University. It’s about three miles from my home. The athletes have been impressive during the meet’s tenure — Sonya Richards, the great, versatile runner form Texas, to Walter Dix, the Florida State sprinter who won three [...]

Through the years, I’ve driven past Earthbound Farm many times. But it wasn’t until mid-May when Myra and Drew Goodman, owners of country’s largest organic farm, hosted a media luncheon, that I’d toured the place. It’s impressive. The Goodmans have run the farm for nearly 23 years, and the business has grown from a 2 [...]