Posts Tagged ‘celebrities’

The “Stars” Come Out at the Los Angeles Marathon

Two weeks ago, the Los Angeles Marathon brought out the crowds, the celebrities and the Hollywood press, and the combination was more entertaining than the race itself.

The first thing to note is that our concept of “celebrity” seems to be ever expanding, since most of the celebrities who took part in the race were in fact stars of “reality” TV shows. Nevertheless, it was enough to generate a slew of stories and blog posts.

The headliner was Shia LaBeouf, star of the Transformers movies and co-conspirator in the worst Indiana Jones movie. He was the most photographed, but his 4:35 finish prompted some criticism of his lack of speed.

Perhaps he was too mellow because he was listening to Tibetan monk chants while running. To his credit, Shia ran to benefit U.S. Vets, which provides assistance to homeless veterans.

Lord of the Rings star Sean Astin ran a 5:16. (Did anyone chant “Rudy! Rudy!” at the finish?)

Hell’s Kitchen star and veteran marathoner Gordon Ramsay was forced to drop out at about mile 15 due to a calf injury, though that didn’t stop Access Hollywood with crediting him with a 3:36 finish.

Singer Alanis Morissette registered and ran in the race, but either didn’t finish or forgot to wear her chip.

And among the celebrity spectators were director Rob Reiner, actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus and large Samoan-American Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

But if you want to know what the race itself was like, don’t bother with all those articles. The best account comes from our own celebrity marathoner, Danica the Chic Runner, who combined a strong race, a detailed photo-essay, and a series of firefighter-gropings into an outstanding blog post.

Usain Bolt Likes Fast Women

Eager to join the ranks of celebrity athletes who are calamities waiting to happen, world record sprinter Usain Bolt is reportedly dating Taneish Simpson, best known (?) as Lava from the VH1 reality series, For the Love of Ray J.

Bolt’s publicist refused to comment on the story, but Simpson provides periodic blurbs on her Twitter account. I wonder what he sees in her…

…perhaps it’s their mutual interest in high fashion…

…although I have to admit in this age of combining the names of celebrity couples (Brangelina, TomKat) you can’t do much better than LavaBolt.

How the Chic Set Is Marathoning This Year

Why do I waste my time reading Runner’s World, when Women’s Wear Daily has the real scoop on how to properly train for a marathon?

Designer Yigal Azrouel says he eats “lots of carbs and protein, but I started off with Kathy Freston’s Quantum Wellness Cleanse.”

Executive chef Olivier Muller plans a post-race brunch with “some cheeses, charcuterie, coq au vin and short ribs,” but model Veronica Webb will settle for “a pedicure and a margarita.”

Socialite Jennifer Creel loves her “zip-front jacket from Ralph Lauren,” while “man-about-town” Euan Rellie has made some serious sacrifices: “I have not smoked a cigarette for three months. And I have generally, but not totally, avoided the Boom Boom Room.”

Alanis Morissette Joins the Celebrity Marathoner List

Singer Alanis Morissette completed her first marathon last Sunday in a time of 4:17:03, which placed her 164th in a field of 360. The Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon starts a mile-high in the Lassen National Forest in northern California, but is a net downhill race.

Morissette ran to raise money for the National Eating Disorders Association and called her first marathon experience “truly beautiful and electric and traumatic and exciting and horrifying and surreal and moving and unforgettable.”

Another participant wrote:

I was running behind a woman for awhile with “life, nature, love” on her singlet, but never paid another glance.  It turned out later that this was Alanis Morissette running her first marathon – and she was totally focused on her own music and pace (honestly, she looked pretty strong).

She’s also smiling in all her race photos (scroll to the bottom of this web page), which is annoying for those of us who always look like Grim Death.

Russell Crowe Smokes Gossip Columnist

It’s not a running story, but it’s in keeping with this week’s unplanned celebrity theme.

Annette Sharp, who writes the Sydney Confidential column for The Daily Telegraph, took actor Russell Crowe to task for his training regimen, which apparently consisted of 10-15 minute bike ride, followed by a cigarette and three crispy tacos.

Crowe saw the item, and had his publicist call Sharp with a challenge: “Get on your bike. Russell wants you to go riding with him,” the spokesman said, adding: “Are you ready to die?”

The resulting 20 kilometer ride left Sharp in the dust, literally, as she took a spill on a dirt trail.

It wasn’t a total loss for Sharp. She ended up with exclusive video of Crowe, and a bunch of photos to boot.

And I made it all the way to the end of this blog post without a cheap pun about eating Crowe.

Madonna’s Short-Lived 151-Mile Race

It’s on the Internet, so you know it’s true!

It’s amazing what you come across while researching running stories, but this one took the proverbial cake. Several celebrity news sites reported that Madonna was in training to run the 151-mile Marathon des Sables next April.

Dubbed “the toughest footrace on Earth,” here’s the description from the race web site:

It covers 243km/151 miles (in sections similar to 25, 34, 38, 82, 42, 22 km) run over 6 days (7 for some) – equivalent to 5 1/2 regular marathons. That’s a speed of between 3 and 14 km an hour for competitors aged between 16 and 78). In addition to that, competitors have to carry everything they will need for the duration (apart from a tent) on their backs in a rucksack (food, clothes, medical kit, sleeping bag etc). Water is rationed and handed out at each checkpoint.

You will have to prepare all your own food throughout the race and I warn you that there is not a chain of Tesco stores or corner grocery shops dotted around the Sahara. You will experience mid-day temperatures of up to 120°F, of running or walking on uneven rocky, stony ground as well as 15 – 20% of the distance being in sand dunes.

The heat, distance and rubbing will trash your feet and may cause severe trauma if incorrect shoes and equipment are used. Mental stamina probably constitutes at least 50% of whether you will complete the distance or not. Physical fitness is important but don’t underestimate the mental stress that you will need to endure. Even if you have run dozens of 26 mile marathons, this does not mean that you will automatically find the MdS easy – either way you will be planning to do lots of training prior to the MdS.

On the 4th day, you will set off across the barren wilderness to complete a 45 – 50 mile stage. Few people complete this before dark that evening and some will not come in till after dark the next night. This is followed by the 42km Marathon stage!! Its tough, so don’t say that nobody warned you in the strongest terms.

Yep, when I read that, I immediately think: “That would be perfect for Madonna!”

Alas, in an unusual and immediate debunking, Madonna’s publicist says “It’s not true,” and called the story another false piece of gossip.

In other news, Paris Hilton is equipping for an Everest expedition, and Mariah Carey plans to pitch in the opening game of the 2009 World Series.

Stop the Presses! Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes Go for a Jog

While you were sweating your way through a real long run, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes “took a jaunt through Melbourne’s National Botanical Gardens.” And yes, this photo absolutely cries out for a caption contest! So do your best (or worst) in the comments section.