I’m a racing purist, clinging to sport as the road to salvation.  Yet even I am susceptible to a good story from the back of the pack.  Last weekend at the Asics L.A. Marathon an old friend from the shoe wars days of the 1970s and `80s ran the L.A. Marathon as the first leg of a four marathons in nine weeks effort to raise funds and awareness for a family back east who lost both its parents during the devastation of Hurricane Sandy. (more…)