Ever since the book Born To Run came out there have been several news articles posted about this new (throw back to being old) craze of barefoot running. The idea is simple, back in the day when humans were hunters and gatherers not only were we more keen with our running capabilities chasing (or fleeing) out in the wild, we had to do it like the rest of the animal kingdom – barefoot. For those of us who are not quite ready to toss the kicks (I’m not sure if I ever will be) there are several shoe companies have even come out with barefoot running simulation type of shoes.

ESPN skate coverage is usually right on the money (no pun), especially when it comes to the comings and goings of the skate kings, the folks that drive the industry and all of its innovations. Yesterday, they published a pretty timely piece, one that many other skate publications would rather avoid, about the state of the skate biz and the effects of the recession. Our boy Greg Lutzka, who is in many ways a leader in the industry (both the skills and the biz), goes on record…

When Infadels debuted in 2006, the U.K. quintet were kind of caught between two poles—the danceable post-punk of, say, Bloc Party and the nu-rave of mega-buzzed about bands like the Klaxons. As a result, Infadels didn’t get the hype of those bands, but they may have staying power beyond expectations—especially if a track like the new single “Ghosts” is any indication.

When I signed up for the LA Marathon (day of opening) I knew going in that I absolutely needed to have some formal training under my belt. I signed up with a package to train with the official training group for the LA Marathon, the Road Runners. The concept behind the Road Runners is simple, you surround yourself with a group of people who run at your pace and allow the group to keep you in rhythm and motivated to stay on pace.

Video games have come a long way, and even the iPhone app games rival anything you’d see in an arcade back in the day. So it was a matter of time before skating became a game sector of its own, and our local, Greg Lutzka is the main character of this new one called S.K.A.T.E. which is the skate version of H.O.R.S.E. You challenge the virtual Lutzka to a head-to-head game of S.K.A.T.E…

Now that the LA Marathon training is in full swing, the runs have gotten increasingly longer and general overall feeling of bodily well being has… well changed. One of the things I usually struggle with when it comes for training for a full marathon is consistently doing my long runs on the weekend. My own personal fix for getting those weekend runs in is having some “side training” to rewards myself with – racing half marathons.

The LBC, made famous by one of world’s biggest rap stars, Snoop Dogg, has come into its own in recent years. While you might imagine a landscape of rap video icons like low-riders and gangsters in house shoes, the community of Long Beach has become a hub of innovative companies and earth-friendly neighborhoods that show pride in their streets. The downtown area is booming with nightlife and restaurants, and activities have become a calling card for the city. It’s only fitting that a bike race become part of the offering…

LCD Soundsystem releasing a new album is kinda like, I don’t know, the second coming? And it seems like it’s actually gonna happen, due to these videos tidbits LCD’s leader, James Murphy, has started releasing. The first preview clip is a little mini-documentary, providing a peek into their recording environment.

If you’re a relatively new Garmin Forerunner user or have yet to experience the full effect of Garmin Connect, this will blow your mind:
Say you’re tired of the same neighborhood you’ve been stomping for the past few weeks and are on the market for a new running route… Aside from some cool analytics features for pace, time splits, max/min speed and elevation change – you can also find cycling and running routes via other Garmin Connect users right off the site! If you live in a pretty populated city (Los Angeles for instance) you should be in for a treat.

The artist Gabriel Orozco once said “Ping-pong is a game about the universe playing, or it’s a game about how the universe is so arbitrary and how it’s constant.” In his images of table tennis, the photographer Douglas Ljungkvist approaches a similar sense of timelessness, absurdity, and the sublime. A Swede who currently lives and works in New York, Ljungkvist brings a surprising personal vision to the game.

A film premiered at Sundance last night about an artist that couldn’t be filmed, or wouldn’t. “Exit Through the Gift Shop” is about a French shopkeeper and an amateur director that wanted to make a documentary about the prolific, and famously secretive artist named Banksy.

I don’t remember how exactly I came to know about Sam Felsenfeld on twitter… I think it had something to do with a similar taste in elementary school playground humor… but when I heard about his resolution to run 60 marathons this year to help raise awareness for Train 4 Autism I was nothing short of astounded.

No, we didn’t make it to Sundance… but our associates from K-Swiss are giving us the full feed (check our Facebook) from the snow strewn streets & check back at 3.30 PMT. In the spirit of the annual celebration of indie film, K-Swiss and GenArt are getting down with some of the brightest young directors for a Ping Pong Classic. Perfect for all comers, ping pong is an old school fave that lends well to the party vibe of Park City…

How is it that no one ever remixed the “Home Alone” theme? It’s such a dope idea, and now Virtual Boy have beaten everyone to the punch! It’s a perfect fit for the California-based electronic duo, who meld orchestral sounds with state-of-the-art glitch funk that will melt your face in no time. There’s a sense of playfulness to the Virtual Boy sound–they’re playing with the listener’s expectations at all times on their ep How Do I Get To Space…

If I hear Jay Z’s New York song one more time… but at Coachella it will probably be rad. If you haven’t been to the 3 day festival before you’re missing out. This year I’m most excited about Faith No More. Back on a 2010 reunion tour. I’m thinking about wearing my FNM t-shirt even though I don’t wanna be “that guy.” Also on my list to check out… Grace Jones, Devo, LCD Soundsystem, Gary Numan, De la Soul, and Gil Scott Heron. Pretty decent line up this year.

Sometimes you just gotta say WTF, which is much of the spirit that is behind Rad Omen. A (seemingly) random pairing between a well-known rock frontman and a world-trotting electronic DJ, Rad Omen is what happens when creative folks just let predispositions go and just get… well, creative. Time will certainly tell the true tale behind this track and the resulting album, which we are told is being leaked entirely at some point, but for now this video and download will have to speak for them. The punchline of the video?

Whether you are training for a race, or trying to keep a certain level of fitness with your running, the number one concern for most people is finding the time to do it. If you’re like me and have little to no time during the day to do a medium to long tempo run or otherwise, you may have to join what I like the call “The Afterhours Crew” or night runners, if you want to get technical.

Introducing a new contributor to Kspace, The Arab Parrot, who will talking birds, beats, parties and other culture meanderings in Los Angeles and beyond:

Sadly, last week we lost songwriter & singer Teddy Pendergrass RIP. In 1994 a rapper by the name of Ahmad sampled Teddy’s “Love TKO” to make a song called “Back in the Day.” Ahmad was 18 when he made the track. It’s a nostalgic remembrance of his childhood and young teenage years. In the lyrics he reminisces about about fashions from the 80’s…

It’s only up for six more days, but don’t miss this one: Thom Yorke co-hosted a radio show with Kspace pal Gilles Peterson on the BBC, and it is incredible! Peterson and the Radiohead major domo go head to head, following each other with tracks that inspire them, and it’s an absolutely thrilling ride! Listening to Yorke’s selections, the listener really gets a sense of what thrills him sonically: a real thread emerges that draws a straight line into the disparate influences that go into his sound.

f you are fairly new to running or are training for your first race, you may be at a loss for how to best track your progress with regards to distance, pace etc. I’ve been asked by a few people on the best way to track progress and log training for newbies. After all, if you’ve only been running for a few weeks and aren’t looking to win any races any time soon, dropping 300-400 dollars on a Garmin or other sports watch doesn’t make much sense.