Author Alex Hutchinson

You can't really judge a running shoe until you put it through hell. That is exactly what I did with my Adidas Kanadia TR4 running shoes. It has been one year since my half empty wallet allowed me to buy a discounted pair from Sports Authority in North Port. These shoes have been through a fair range of conditions and challenges, sometimes surprising me, sometimes falling short. Let me set the scene. In the past year I have worn these shoes for every run and every race. That comes out to 195 miles of running including 2 trail races, 7 road races and 1 State Championship. It was a fulfilling schedule for my first year of running but it did have some drawbacks. Right from the start I was pushing myself too hard. After I bought the shoes I only had time to do one practice run before my first 5K race. My feet were hurting bad after that run. I should have started with a shorter distance but it did give me the confidence to complete the race in full. I started runn

In the blissful perfection of a cool October night the Sarasota County Off Road Riders assembled on the island of Venice for another of their fun, unforgettable fundraisers. The theme this time around was a Halloween scavenger hunt. Fifty participants assembled at Centennial Park on Main Street just as the sun was disappearing over the ocean. Each offered up their donation which would go towards the cause of building and maintaining mountain bike trails in the Carlton Reserve.  With the darkness falling and a light-hearted challenge rising, the fun began. Riders arrived in all manner of costume and on every arrangement of bike that you can possibly imagine. Starting with the Road, Cruiser and Mountain bikes, people decked out their wheels with adornments, glow sticks and flickering strands. While everyone had bike lights for the night of riding, some bikes were positively pulsating in the darkness and could be seen a quarter mile down the street. One resplendent d

There are some projects you just never finish. They start as errands on a checklist and end up becoming part of your identity. Part 2 of my man cave building experiment is all about expansion. I started with a trophy room that extended outward into a bike garage. This is meant as a place to store, clean and fix bicycles as well as being a hang out spot beneath the house. Originally I hoped to limit it to a finish date but I might be working on this for years to come. So here I give you the first wave of changes. As stated in the previous article ( Which can be read here ) I'm on a severe budget so everything has to be on the cheap. The only things I have an abundance of are effort and determination. In the first photo above you can see that most of my time has gone into cleaning and painting. Removal of cobwebs, vines and random nails was followed by white and green paint. At the bottom of the shot you can see a blue tarp and brown hose which has become a bike cleaning st

14 Year old Darielle Costa for the Win! You never know what will happen when the Zombies come out to play. On Oct 19th, 2013 runners enjoyed the 2nd annual Bocca Lupo Howl at the Moon 5k. What makes this race special is that it is infected with the spirit of Halloween. This chilling trail run was especially magnificent as the festivities started in the inky darkness of early morning illuminated by the light of the harvest moon. Who dared to take on the fright? 241 runners set off the line just before sunrise fully aware that evil was creeping through the woods, awaiting delicious hordes of tasty athletes. The Zombies were exceptionally hungry and creative this year. Screams could be heard at several parts of the race course as bloody ghouls, often very young in age, jumped out of the bushes to surprise their victims. Zombie attitude from Lauralyn & Fawn Brashear Englewood residents made a statement in support of this hometown race by taking some top spots in the c

Sometimes it is easy for people to forget who they are. You get distracted by the all of the exciting opportunities or unforeseen challenges that life puts before you and in the process loose track of your purpose. I was born to be a writer but not the kind that sits behind a desk staring at books all day. I'm an action writer, the kind who dives into the deep part of the pool and learns to swim, the hard way. Often times I am completely unprepared for what I'm doing but for me it's the most invigorating way to learn and that is how I draw my inspiration. My seven books were all based on real life experiences, some of which were deeply personal. From my time as a trouble teenager who was bullied in high school to my battles in both the wrestling arena and boxing ring, even my work as a political activist - each served as fuel for fiction. Some of those events were traumatic so it felt liberating to empty my psyche onto the page, call it therapy for the soul. Due t